FAQ ON RENTAL APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS & QUALIFICATIONS

Application requirements for Rental Homes and Apartments.
PLUS Helpful Tips on improving your rental/credit history

Rental History Not Perfect
QUESTION: My rental history is not perfect, should I even bother to apply? Your application is looked at individually and thoughtfully. We understand that sometimes life's circumstances make it difficult to maintain good credit. We are more lenient than most property managers with first time renters and persons with a reasonable and provable reason for an eviction in their past (divorce, medical emergency, safety) or people with some bad credit - We usually require a cosigner, last months rent in advance or both in some instances, and will work with your rental assistance agency (DSHS, VA, SS, etc.) for funding these requirements. There are some situations we will not overlook: excessive damage done to home/apartment, more than a months rent owed, take or deal illegal drugs, convicted of certain felonies, have more than 1 eviction…).

Credit History Not Perfect
QUESTION: I have good rental history, but my credit is bad - will you accept me? Usually yes :
We still need to verify your rental and credit history. We need to be sure your bad credit is not a direct result of your rental history (NSF Rent checks, excessive damages, skipping out on a lease, etc), that you are not currently having financial difficulties that will effect your ability to pay rent and utilities on time, and verify your good rental history.

Rents from Relative
QUESTION: I rent from my parents, is that considered rental history? No. Renting from friends or family is neither good or bad. If this is the only rental history you have, you will be considered a first time renter.

Short Rental History
QUESTION: I have only 6 months of rental history, is that enough? No. We need at least 12 months of good rental history, anything less is treated as a first time renter.

Home Purchase with Low Down or Imperfect Credit
QUESTION: I want to buy a home, but do not have enough money saved and/or do not have good enough credit. Can you help me? Maybe, we occasionally have lease options (AKA rent to own homes) available, these usually require a $1000 to $3000 lease option fee. The lease option fee and a part of your first 12 months rent are applied towards the purchase price of the home, thereby forcing you to save up in a relatively painless manner while giving you the needed time to pay down any high debt and/or fix credit problems before having to apply for a mortgage. You also get the benefit of living in the home (trial run) and locking in the sales price for the lease term.

Low Income Housing Available?
QUESTION: Do you have low income housing? No, we are not a low income housing agency. We will work with your rental assistance agencies (as long as your application qualifies you). But we do not set the rent based on your income. We do have some homes that will meet the Section 8 housing requirements, please call (253-475-4557) or visit us (5046 South M Street, Tacoma) or contact us online for a list of available homes if you are a certificate or voucher holder.

Concerns About Qualifying
QUESTION: How should I fill out the application if I have concerns about being qualified?               BE TRUTHFUL - if you have bad credit and/or have rental problems, explain them in detail (use a separate piece of paper if needed). If you lie or omit any problems, we will find out, and you will be denied - being truthful will at least result in our weighing your side and working with you to see you have problems that can be overcome.

Owes Rent to Former Landlord
QUESTION: I owe a landlord, what should I do? Contact that person and make arrangements to get the debt paid off. We realize that sometimes problems are impossible to avoid, but we put a lot of stock into a person who has the integrity to pay off old debts.

Pets
QUESTION: Do you accept pets? With the exception of a few apartment complexes, we do accept pets. It's your choice to pay either a non-refundable pet fee(s) of $250 for the 1st pet, $200 pet fee for the 2nd pet and $150 pet fee for the 3rd pet OR a $500 additional deposit per pet. Maximum of 3 pets allowed (maximum numbers allowed and/or types of pets may vary based on individual property criteria). Only pets with adult weights of 10 pounds or less will be considered at any Apartment, Town House, Duplex or Condo. Call for further info if you have pets that do not fall under these categories. Dog breeds like Pitbulls or Rottweiliers, and other potentially dangerous animals are never allowed.

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