RENTAL SCREENING CRITERIA and APPLICATION PROCESS
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RENTAL APPLICATION & SCREENING. We use a first-come first-served system for application processing. After we receive your completed rental application(s) with all required items attached (see list below), we will put you in line for the apartment and be in touch as we begin processing. If you are not the first in line for an apartment, we will not process your application(s) while another application for the same unit is being considered.
Your application is taken subject to the approval of the property management and owner in conjunction with rental screening based on the criteria described herein. If for any reason you are unable or unwilling to complete the lease applied for, the application deposit will not be refunded. If the lease is signed by all parties, the application deposit will be applied as partial payment toward the security deposit. An application deposit will be refunded only if the application is denied by the property management and owner.
Only persons shown on the rental application that are subsequently approved and named on the lease may occupy the apartment. Increased rent, monthly charges and/or fees will be due for any additional person/occupant. Each occupant who is 18 years of age or older must submit a rental application, be approved, and sign the apartment lease.
To apply to live in one of our apartments, each proposed resident and each guarantor/co-signer should submit a separate and fully completed Rental Application on paper, not an electronic document. (Note: To speed up processing, you may via e-mail send us a scanned copy of the completed application and photo ID, but we must also receive the original paper application form.) Be sure that each person’s application form is printed on one piece of paper and is not chopped off at the bottom. Print your information legibly and ensure that all boxes are filled in with accurate and complete information. If a box does not apply to you, put “n/a” (i.e., "not applicable"). Fill in every box. Do not skip or leave a box blank if you choose, or prefer, to not provide that information. Your application may be denied if you do not provide requested information that does apply to you. Sign – in ink – and date the form!
Tell us about potentially negative information when you submit your application(s) [i.e., before we begin to process the application(s)]. As part of an “individualized assessment” when evaluating applicants (including prospective guarantors/co-signers), we accept and consider supplemental evidence provided at the time of application submittal that explains, justifies or negates the relevance of potentially negative information revealed by screening.
If we process and subsequently deny your application(s), and you want to "try again" by submitting a new/revised application or new/revised supplemental evidence, please understand the following: [a] applications are not intended to be a trial-balloon experiment; each application is to be accurate and complete when originally submitted; before we decide, in our sole discretion, whether or not we will process a "try again" application, you must satisfactorily explain and justify why any new/revised information was not previously submitted; [b] application processing involves a significant amount of labor (often an hour, sometimes longer) plus related expenses; [c] if your, or a prospective guarantor/co-signer's, Rental Application has been denied and the Application Deposit has been or will be returned, we have not been reimbursed for any of our processing costs; [d] before you "try again," you must submit a non-refundable reimbursement fee (cashier's check or money order) that covers our actual costs for the already-completed processing of previous application(s); [e] this non-refundable fee may be greater than the original Application Deposit.
When signing and submitting an application, each applicant is to certify that his/her/their application is complete, that information provided (including any attached items) is true, complete and correct in all respects, and that the applicant has not submitted any incorrect, incomplete or misleading information.
An incomplete Rental Application (e.g., requested information left blank or not attached), incorrect information provided with the application, and/or information that cannot be verified may be a valid basis for denial of the application. Submissions that are not complete, not signed, or missing a necessary attachment may be denied or simply not processed.
ATTACH the following items to each Rental Application that is submitted for a proposed resident or guarantor/co-signer:
● $50 Application Deposit – for each proposed adult resident (personal check, cashier’s check or money order; No cash; No electronic payments [e.g., Venmo]). An application deposit is not required for a guarantor/co-signer application. Subject to conditions shown herein and/or shown on the Rental Application form, the Application Deposit will be returned only if the Application is not accepted by the property owner.
● Photo ID – government-issued, photocopy. If you do not have access to a copier/printer, you can use a camera scan tool and email a legible color image of your ID to the email address at the top left corner of our rental application form.
● Self-addressed stamped envelope (“S.A.S.E.”) – If you check the “Mail It” box on the application form, we will use the S.A.S.E. to return your application deposit if your application is denied. Please ensure that your mailing address is accurate and current. [Note: The S.A.S.E. need not be attached if you check the “Destroy It” box or opt to Retrieve the deposit at our address.]
● Supplemental Evidence – (if any) that you want considered as part of your application. Include details that explain, justify or negate the relevance of potentially negative information revealed by screening.
SECURITY DEPOSIT – will not be less than one month’s rent which assumes that the screening results for each applicant reveal good credit and credit history, sufficient & verifiable income on his/her/their own, good & verifiable rental &/or property ownership history, no criminal or civil or negative court case history, willingness & ability to obtain renter’s insurance, and no animals. If you have an animal, see “Animals” below.
NEGATIVE INFORMATION - that has not been satisfactorily explained, justified or negated by supplemental evidence and is revealed by screening may be a valid basis for denial of the application. Sometimes, and at our sole discretion, a higher security deposit plus a qualified guarantor/co-signer may be required.
CREDIT REPORTS – Evaluation of current credit, credit history and consumer information
● Hard credit inquiry. If you (and any guarantor) choose to apply for one of our apartments, each applicant’s credit history will be checked at a national credit bureau (i.e., a consumer reporting agency) which will trigger a hard inquiry and may impact that person’s credit score. Credit report records/history will be compared to and used together with information provided on/with the rental application. Discrepancies, inconsistencies &/or gaps may be a valid basis for denial of the application.
● Unlock your credit file(s). If credit bureau files cannot be accessed because they are “frozen” or “locked” when we process an application, this will be considered insufficient credit history and may be a valid basis for denial of the application(s). If an additional or follow-up credit inquiry is performed because an applicant's credit report was frozen/locked, a non-refundable fee that covers our costs (labor + credit bureau fees) will be charged to the applicant(s).
● In order to objectively evaluate a rental applicant’s &/or guarantor’s credit risk we look at credit report data that is likely to include, but is not limited to:
○ Payment history – whether or not credit, rental &/or other types of accounts have been paid on time; scheduled payments; actual payments; number of times payments have been 30, 60, 90+ days late; date of last activity; date major first delinquency reported; credit limit; balance due; amount past due.
○ Historical consumer information – other name(s); current, former & additional address(es); telephone number(s) reported; previous & last reported employment; former employer(s).
○ Potentially negative information – delinquencies; bankruptcies; collection accounts; charged-off accounts; address variance.
○ Amounts owed – amount of credit and loans in use; total balances, credit limits, high credit, amounts past due; whether or not monthly payments on each applicant’s credit accounts plus projected monthly charges & utility costs for the apartment will be sufficiently covered by the applicants’ income.
○ Length of credit history – how long an applicant has had credit; date opened; months reviewed.
○ New credit – frequency of credit inquires and new account openings.
○ Credit mix – mix of credit card & similar accounts, retail accounts, installment loans, finance company accounts and mortgage loans.
○ Credit score – a calculation that considers both positive and negative information in a person’s credit file and is designed to predict how likely a consumer is to pay back existing &/or new credit obligations as agreed.
○ Joint account – an account on which two people are named and the applicant could be required to pay for expenses incurred (or not paid as agreed) by the other person.
○ Brief Narrative Descriptions – Credit reports may contain descriptions of potentially negative information.
Examples include: ♦ Serious delinquency; ♦ Bankruptcy; ♦ Time since delinquency Is too recent or unknown; ♦ Proportion of balances to credit limits is too high; ♦ Amount owed on delinquent accounts; ♦ Lack of recent installment loan information; ♦ Too many accounts with balances; ♦ Too many recently-opened accounts; ♦ Account balances are too high; ♦ One or more account balances are close to the credit limit; ♦ Debt to credit utilization ratio is too high; ♦ Late or missed payments; ♦ Address discrepancy/variance; ♦ Credit history is too short; ♦ Charged off accounts; ♦ Collection accounts; ♦ $__ dollars Past Due.
INCOME
● IF your monthly income during occupancy in our apartment: [a] is not sufficient to cover monthly payments for BOTH this apartment and your other creditors (if any); or [b] does not equal at least three times the monthly charges for our apartment:
○ This may be considered insufficient income and may be a valid basis for denial of the application; and
○ Consider attaching supplemental evidence to your application that demonstrates your recent year-long history of: [1] income AND [2] having consistently made on-time monthly rent payments in an amount equal to or greater than the monthly charges for this apartment. Monthly charges for our apartment vary depending on the apartment's location and may include, but are not limited to: ♦ Apartment Rent ♦ Animal Fees ♦ Parking Fees ♦ Utilities ♦ Trash/Recycling Fees
● We attempt to contact current (and sometimes former) employers/income-sources to verify the following:
○ Employer’s/Source’s: business name; address; supervisor’s name; phone number.
○ Employee’s/Recipient’s: Position; Begin date; End date (if any).
○ Income/Salary: $__ per month & expected total per year; If your application shows income as “$__ per hour” or "$__ per week," we need to verify and use the hourly/weekly rate to compute the expected monthly and annual income.
○ If the employer/income-source is new to you or is not likely to release/verify information, consider submitting supplemental evidence with your application that verifies the source (employer/source name, etc.) and details regarding your recent &/or future monthly/annual income (pay stubs showing year-to-date earnings & withholdings, offer letter, etc.).
○ If you are self-employed, your application should include supplemental evidence that explains and verifies the source(s) and recent history of your monthly income plus the most recent one or two years of annual income (for example: federal income tax returns as filed, with signature pages, related documents, relevant schedules, etc.).
○ It will be considered “insufficient employment/income history” and may be a valid basis for rejection of the application IF:
◘ An employer/income-source: [a] cannot be reached; or [b] declines to release or verify the information provided by the applicant on the completed Rental Application form;
◘ Income/Salary is shown as “$__ per hour” or "$__ per week" but cannot reliably be verified & used to compute expected income on a per-month/per-year basis;
◘ The applicant is self-employed and does not provide sufficiently-detailed and verifiable proof of income;
◘ Additional 3rd party fees must be paid before information will be verified/released (for example: “The Work Number”); or
◘ Information on the application form cannot be verified or does not match the employer’s/income-source’s records.
RENTAL HISTORY
● We hope to receive good reports related to your current and previous rental homes.
● Credit Report address and other records/history will be compared to and used together with information provided on/with the rental application. Discrepancies, inconsistencies &/or gaps may be a valid basis for denial of the application.
● We attempt to contact current and former landlords. Generally this goes well, but not always. If you do not have rental history, or if a landlord cannot be contacted, or if a landlord is contacted but declines to release the following information, this may be documented as “insufficient rental history” and may be a valid basis for denial of the application.
● Our landlord information requests may include, but are not limited to, the following:
○ Occupancy dates: Move-in? Move-out?
○ Rent per month?
○ Balance due (if any): $_____ (as of __/__/____)
○ Rent payments: What is considered “late?” Number of times paid late? Number of days late?
◘ Most apartment owners & managers consider rent to be “late” if it has not been paid in full within one to seven days after the due date. Very few renters have a 30-day “grace period” before rent is considered to be late.
◘ Credit Reports. Occasionally, rent payment history appears in a credit report. A seemingly positive report can conceal serious problems because rental accounts are not flagged by a credit bureau as “late” unless unpaid rent is more than 30 days past due. This grace period for credit reporting purposes does not align with how most apartment owners define late and on-time rent. When we review a credit report that includes an apartment rental account, we treat the information as follows:
◊ 30, 60 or 90 days late = Serious delinquency; negative rental history; This may be a valid basis for denial of the application.
◊ No late payments = Minimal verification of tenancy; Not Useful regarding on-time rent payments, lease violations, disruptive occupants, apartment housekeeping and damages, deposit forfeiture, etc. The importance of direct contact with landlords is not diminished by a credit report that includes an apartment rental account.
○ Additional Information to be requested/verified:
◘ Resident’s previous address(es)?
◘ Any lease violations?
◘ Was there a guarantor/co-signer on the lease? Who/What relationship to the resident? Any problems?
◘ Did the resident or guests smoke inside the apartment or building?
◘ Did you receive proper notice for vacating? Reason for vacating?
◘ Any unauthorized occupants?
◘ Any pest infestation that could be carried into a new apartment? (Bed bugs, cockroaches, fleas, etc.)
◘ Any animals? Any issues with an animal? Any unauthorized animals?
◘ Problems with resident(s), guests, noise, disturbances, police calls or damages?
◘ Problems with housekeeping or storage of personal property?
◘ Was the apartment clean & left in good condition at move-out? If not, what was wrong?
◘ Any bulk items left behind at move-out?
◘ Was the full security deposit returned? If no, why not?
○ If negative information related to these and/or other areas is revealed by screening, or is not provided due to a landlord's "company policy," this may be a valid basis for denial of the application.
● If you do not have rental history, or if your rental history includes potentially negative information, or if information might not be provided by your landlord(s), consider attaching supplemental evidence to your application that explains, justifies or negates the relevance of information that: ♦ does not exist; ♦ cannot be verified; ♦ is potentially negative; ♦ is missing; ♦ a reference or other valid source declines to provide.
PROPERTY OWNERSHIP – RE: Applicant’s owner-occupied, current or previous residential homestead
● Most often this section applies to a prospective guarantor/co-signer; occasionally it applies to a prospective renter.
● If you are/were the owner of your current or previous residence, please attach supplemental evidence to your application regarding:
○ Property Ownership: Owner(s) name(s)? Purchase date? Sale date? Move-in/Move-out dates?
○ Mortgage Lender(s):
◘ Name? Address? Contact info?
◘ Monthly Payment: Principal & Interest $___? Property Tax & Insurance $___?
◘ Loan Balance Due $___? Loan payoff date?
◘ Any late payments? How many & how late?
○ Did you, or will you, sell this (“your”) property before the Apartment Lease begins for our apartment? If not, list your property’s ongoing expenses and explain how they will be paid. If you are liable for payment of any expenses related to your property while you are listed as a resident or guarantor/co-signer on our Apartment Lease, your income must be sufficient to cover BOTH:
◘ The expenses for your property (i.e., property mortgage, utilities etc.); AND
◘ Charges for our apartment (i.e., rent, fees, utilities, etc.).
● If negative information related to any screening criteria is revealed by screening, this may be a valid basis for denial of the application.
CRIMINAL or CIVIL CASE HISTORY / COURT RECORDS – Felony, misdemeanor, other conviction(s), civil lawsuit judgment, eviction, restraining order, etc.
● Consider providing supplemental evidence at the time you submit your application that explains, justifies or negates the relevance of potentially negative information revealed by screening. If negative information is revealed and supplemental evidence has not been provided or is insufficient, this may be a valid basis for denial of the application.
● Eviction actions within the past three years for unpaid/late rent, or unlawful detainer actions in the past six years for reasons other than rent, may be a valid basis for denial of the application.
● A felony conviction, civil lawsuit judgment, court restraining order, eviction or other “legal” issues should not be taken lightly.
● When processing an application, our evaluation of the overall situation includes using all details revealed by screening. Negative information can include but is not limited to one or more “serious” issues, and/or screening might reveal a string (or habit) of seemingly “insignificant” recurring issues. Court, criminal and/or civil case history will be compared to and used together with information provided on/with the rental application. Screening that reveals serious and/or less-serious but habitual negative issues may be a valid basis for denial of the application.
● If any of these issues show up, we look at the big picture and at the details. Negative information may be a valid basis for denial of the application. Infrequently, we might impose “complex” conditions that could include, but are not limited to: higher deposit, additional references, more-detailed background checks, in-depth conversations and possible agreements (with parole officers, social workers, employers, personal references, prospective guarantors, etc.), one or more guarantors/co-signers (actively and personally-involved, local, well-qualified), and individually-designed lease terms. Approval of a “complex” package is not assured and, even if options have been proposed and discussed, one or more missing or unacceptable pieces to the puzzle may be a valid basis for denial of the application.
RENTER’S INSURANCE
● Applicants must be qualified, willing and able to purchase their own renter's insurance policy that includes liability and property damage coverage and that names the apartment building's property owner as an "additional insured."
ANIMALS
● “Default” is none.
● If any, we might deny the application OR require extra fees & deposit:
○ If apartment has carpet, animals will not be allowed because of potential allergies of future tenants.
○ Cats – no unneutered males; maximum 2 cats; good references from previous landlord(s) if applicable; additional security deposit plus monthly fee per animal;
○ Dogs – not allowed
○ Other – some Not OK (rabbits, ferrets, other), others possibly OK; contact us with description & to discuss.
● Current and/or previous landlord(s) will be asked about problems with your animal. If a landlord cannot be contacted, or is contacted but declines to release or does not have information regarding your animal, this may be documented as “insufficient animal history” and may be a valid basis for denial of the application.
● If you have an animal, ask us whether or not it will be approved in our building. Some animals are never allowed. In general if an animal comes with “good references” and is approved by us, a higher deposit plus monthly fees will be required. If an animal is not listed on your Rental Application form, it will not be approved.
● ESA/Service Animals – Are exempt from some, but not all, requirements; Attach your animal’s official ESA/Service documentation to your Rental Application; Maximum two animals (whether or not ESA/Service).
● One or more animals, or insufficient/negative “animal references” may be a valid basis for denial of the application.
GUARANTOR / CO-SIGNER
● Sometimes, but not always and in our sole discretion for prospective residents whose applications would otherwise be denied, we MIGHT consider:
○ Collecting a higher security deposit; AND
○ Adding a guarantor/co-signer (actively and personally-involved, well-qualified) who, if his/her/their application is accepted, will be required to sign the Apartment Lease.
● A prospective guarantor/co-signer must be a person (human, not an organization) and submit an application that will be processed as follows:
○ Using the same Rental Screening Criteria & Application Process as described above that will be used for prospective residents (see all terms and explanations above). Except: for a guarantor/co-signer who will not be an apartment occupant/resident, the sections for Renter’s Insurance & Animals do not apply.
○ It is strongly preferred that any guarantor/co-signer be a LOCAL RESIDENT (i.e., Twin Cities, MN, area).
○ The guarantor’s/co-signer’s income must be sufficient to cover BOTH:
◘ His/her/their own living expenses (i.e., apartment rent &/or property mortgage, insurance, utilities etc.); AND
◘ Charges for our apartment (i.e., rent, fees, utilities, etc.).
● If one or more of these screening criteria reveal negative &/or insufficient information regarding a prospective guarantor/co-signer, this may be a valid basis for denial of the “related” applications submitted by the prospective resident(s) and the prospective guarantor(s)/co-signer(s).
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