Have you ever wondered why rental applications ask for certain things? Here are some answers to FAQ’s:
Q- WHY DOES MY UNEMPLOYED SPOUSE NEED TO APPLY SINCE THEY HAVE NO INCOME?
A- Because rental applications aren’t solely based on income qualifications of an individual. Other factors are as equally important. We check for possible eviction history, criminal history, rental history, any bankruptcy and many other factors when weighing the total picture of a rental application.
Q- WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY AN APPLICATION FOR EVERY PERSON APPLYING, OR AT ALL?
A- There is an actual financial cost to running a credit, background and eviction check. This monetary fee can range from around $12-$45 depending on the service providers and the quality of the report. There is also an administrative, time and material cost involved in processing your rental application. It takes time to obtain rental history and verify employment and document a rental application to the point of decision. Your rental application fee’s covers the actual expenses incurred in processing your rental application.
Q- WHAT IF I HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF A CRIME, WILL THAT AUTOMATICALLY EXCLUDE ME?
A- No, that doesn’t automatically exclude you. Here is a document from US Department of Housing and Urban Development with guidance on this issue.
You may also want to check out the Fair Housing Guidelines as well. Good stuff there!
https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp
Q- CAN I RENT A HOUSE WITHOUT SEEING IT?
A- Sure! But we highly recommend you find a way to avoid doing that, even if it means having a trusted local friend walking through the property and getting the lay of the land for you. The problems with renting a property sight-unseen is that although pictures speak 1000 words, chances are the marketing photos online aren’t going to show you the downsides, like the 140ft tower lines in the back yard for example, or the run down house next door or that the size of the rooms won’t fit your furniture. What is important to you, may not be important to anyone else, so try to check it out first in some way.
Q- WHEN DO I PAY MY SECURITY DEPOSIT?
A- Our company policy requires a security deposit to be paid at the time of signing the lease. You will pay your first full month’s rent and any pet deposit upon lease commencement.
Q- BEFORE APPLYING, HOW DO I KNOW WHAT LEASE TERMS I’LL BE EXPECTED TO SIGN?
A- You can find a sample copy of our lease HERE. There may be some variances to terms, depending on the property and the landlord’s specific requirements, but this is the general lease you’d be signing.
Q- WHAT ARE YOUR APPLICATION QUALIFICATIONS?
A- The following are a general guideline of our qualifications:
Credit Score: We don’t have a minimum score because we believe that it’s the details of how that one number is determined is what really matters. What does this mean? We will be looking for a history of the ability to demonstrate financial responsibility. This means that if for example there is a history of late payments, write off’s, collections, bankruptcy etc, it is likely that it will negatively impact your application.
Rental History: You should be able to provide at least 3 years of good rental history. We will verify your rental history by checking to ensure that there is a history of on time rental payments, good condition of the property, compliance with the lease and no damages to prior rental properties you have resided in. If you don’t have any rental history you should provide an explanation. If you own your own home you should provide your mortgage statement to show on time payments.
Background: We will do a background check for any convictions or legal issues. Drug, sexual in nature, violent crimes may disqualify an application. We recommend communicating with us first if you believe you may have an issue.
Evictions: Prior evictions will disqualify an applicant.
Income: We will verify income and debt to income ratio to determine affordability.
Military: We will require a copy of your LES and orders with your application.
Pets: Each homeowner sets their own pet policy. If you have a service animal, please ensure you make the appropriate request for special accommodations per the law at the time of submitting your application.
Housing Voucher Recipients: Each owner sets their own policy of if they wish to accept vouchers or if they are required to accept them per the law. WE WILL SPECIFICALLY STATE IN OUR ADVERTISING IF A LANDLORD ACCEPTS VOUCHERS.
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