Rental Qualification Criteria

These are the standards we apply to every application for a home we manage. We publish them so you can decide whether to apply before you spend the time and the fee, and so that every applicant is measured against the same thing.

Before you apply

Every adult 18 or older who will live in the home submits a separate application. You will need:

• A government-issued photo ID
• Your most recent pay statement, or equivalent proof of income
• Your most recent bank statement
• Contact details for your current and previous landlord, and your employer

The application fee is $50 per adult applicant. We do not request or collect it until after you have submitted your application and we have made an initial review — so if something disqualifies you on its face, it costs you nothing.

The standards

• Income

  Combined gross monthly household income of at least 3 times the monthly rent, verifiable through pay statements, tax returns, an offer letter, or bank records.

  All lawful sources of income count equally. That includes housing vouchers, Social Security, disability benefits, child support, alimony, retirement income, and any other lawful source. Virginia law protects source of funds and we treat every source the same.

• Credit

  A credit score of 640 or above. Below that, we may still approve the application with an additional security deposit, a qualified co-signer, or both.

  No open collections related to housing. Medical debt is not counted against you.

• Rental history

  Two years of verifiable rental or mortgage history, with rent paid on time and no lease violations. First-time renters may qualify with a co-signer.

  No unlawful detainer judgment or eviction filed against you in the past five years.

• Employment

  Current, verifiable employment or a verifiable source of income. If you have been in your position less than two years, we will also verify the previous one.

• Criminal history

  We do not apply a blanket ban on anyone with a criminal record, and an arrest that did not lead to a conviction is never considered.

  Where a conviction appears, we consider whether it bears on the safety of other residents, staff, or the property. We look at what the offense was, how long ago it was, and what you have done since. You may give us any information you want weighed — rehabilitation, employment, references, time elapsed — and we will consider it before deciding.

• Occupancy

  Two people per bedroom, plus one additional occupant per home. A child born or adopted during a tenancy never puts you over the limit.

  Virginia law lets each town and county limit how many unrelated people may share a single-family home. Where we manage homes, that limit is four unrelated occupants, and it is stated on each property's page. It does not limit a family.

• Animals

  Pets are considered case by case and the policy is set per property, on that property's page. Where a pet is approved, expect additional rent, an additional deposit, and additional cleaning requirements. Our insurance excludes some breeds, and Hanover County and the Town of Ashland limit the number of pets per household.

  Assistance animals are not pets. A service animal or a support animal needed because of a disability is not subject to the pet policy, carries no pet deposit and no pet fee, and is not restricted by breed or weight. Ask us and we will handle it as a reasonable accommodation.

• Smoking

  All homes we manage are non-smoking, inside the home and in any attached structure.

• Renter's insurance

  Required before move-in, with liability coverage of at least $100,000.

• Security deposit

  Normally one month's rent. Where an application is approved with conditions, up to the maximum permitted by Virginia law.

• Falsified information

  Any material misstatement on an application is grounds for denial, and for terminating a lease already signed.

Reasonable accommodations

If a disability makes it hard for you to meet one of these standards, or to complete the application itself, tell us. We will consider an adjustment that lets you be assessed fairly. You do not need to name a diagnosis, and we will not ask for one — only for enough information to understand what you need.

This applies before you apply, while you are applying, and at any point during a tenancy.

How we decide

1. Applications are reviewed in the order they are received and completed.
2. We verify what you told us against your documents, your employer, and your landlords.
3. With your written permission, we obtain a credit and background report.
4. We measure the result against the standards above.
5. We present qualified applications to the property owner, who makes the final decision.

We aim to decide within two business days of receiving a complete application. A complete application decides faster than an early one — missing documents are the usual delay.

If we decline

We will tell you. If the decision was based in whole or in part on a credit or background report, we will tell you which agency supplied it — TenantReportX.com LLC, 370 Reed Road, Suite 101, Broomall, PA 19008, (855) 244-2400 — and that you are entitled to a free copy from them within 60 days and may dispute anything in it that is wrong. The agency did not make the decision and cannot explain it.