Rental Criteria

Please be prepared to pay the application fee as outlined in the property listing.

Minimum Criteria that must be met by all prospective applicant(s):

  • All proposed tenants must provide a copy of a valid photo ID (Military ID, Passport, State Issued Driver’s License or State Issued ID cards are acceptable forms)
  • Must be able to provide verification of favorable residential history
  • Provide current verification of employment and proof of salary/wages and/or regular investment earnings income to meet listed income ratio
  • Provide eviction history (if applicable)
  • Provide sex offender registration (if applicable)
  • Provide details on any pets that will live in unit (if applicable)

Non-Discrimination: This Property operates in accordance with the Federal Fair Housing Act, as well as state and local fair housing and civil rights laws.  We do not discriminate against any person based on race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sex, familial status, handicap, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable state or local laws.  The Rental Criteria below outlines some of the policies for this community regarding standards that may be required by each applicant to be approved for residency. 

Per the City of Seattle First-in-Time law, completed rental applications will be screened in chronological order.  Tenancy will be offered to the first applicant who meets the screening criteria.  The applicant will be given 48 hours to accept the offer of tenancy.  If the first applicant does not accept within 48 hours, Management can move to the next applicant who submitted a completed application.

Applicants who need additional time or a paper form of this application to ensure meaningful access or for a reasonable accommodation for a disability must contact the Management office at 206.981.5881.

When applying, screening will be run on residential history, credit history, employment, income, and sex offender registry requirements (that is the result of an adult conviction).  If the Applicant passes residential history, credit history, employment, and income, and meets all requirements for behavior toward the Management during the screening process, then the application may be accepted immediately.  If there is a sex offender registry requirement, the application may be given conditional approval, pending the outcome of additional consideration.

Applications:  All applicants must be of legal age.  All parties 18 years of age or older are required to complete an application and pay all applicable fees.  Applications are to be completed in full and should include all supporting documentation; applications containing untrue, incorrect, or misleading information will be denied.  The application fee is non-refundable unless otherwise provided by state or local law.

Residential History:  Applicant must have 1 year of valid, verifiable rental history with no late payments or 2 years of valid, verifiable mortgage history with no late payments.  Management reserves the right to verify the applicant’s residential history.  Management reserves the right to verify personal or professional references, employers, and other ownership interests using a verificiation questionnaire, which includes but is not limited to, payment history and resident conduct. Valid, residential history is considered a written lease agreement or mortgage.  

Rental Score:  Applicant must have a Credit Score of 700 or above. Applicant must have at least 2 accounts established for over 1 year in good standing.  All applications are submitted to AppFolio, a third-party rental applicant screening company.  All applications are evaluated based on a rental scoring system.  Rental scoring is based on real data and statistical data such as payment history, quantity and type of accounts, outstanding debt, and age of accounts.  Every applicant is treated objectively because each application is scored statistically in exactly the same manner. 

The rental scoring system will compare your application to AppFolio’s database, and by evaluating those statistics and real data in accordance with pre-established criteria set by Management, AppFolio will recommend one of the following:

  • Accepted.  The applicant will be accepted with the standard deposits and fees.
  • Accepted with Conditions (Manual Review).  The applicant may be given the option to pay an increased security deposit equal to 90% of the full month’s rent or a guarantor may be requested, as determined by Management.
  • Denied.  The application will not be accepted.  The applicant will be provided with contact information for the consumer reporting agencies that provided the consumer information.

If applicant has no credit history or a derogatory amount in excess of $500.00, an increased security deposit equal to 90% of the full month’s rent-OR-guarantor may be requested.  Discharged bankruptcy within the last three (3) years will result in an increased deposit.   Discharged bankruptcy (with no derogatory credit since the discharge) that is older than three (3) years may qualify for an approval.  However, final recommendations will be dependent on rental history, credit history, level of income, length of employment, and behavior toward Management during the screening process. 

Employment:  Applicant must have over 1 year on the job or previous employment in the same field of work. Employment requirements will be waived for full time students.  Proof of status will be required.

Behavior:  Applicant may be denied due to harassment or threatening behavior toward the management staff during the screen process.

Income:  Applicant must have 3.0 times the monthly rental amount in verifiable income.  Written verification of income or alternative source(s) of income in an amount equal to 3 times the monthly rent per household will be required, along with any necessary supporting documents.

Acceptable documentation for verifiable income varies based on the income source.  Generally accepted documentation may include:

  • Three (3) consecutive (most recent) paystubs from a verifiable employer
  • Letter of verification of employment from employer to include salary/wages
  • Copies of most recent tax return
  • Proof of regular investment earning income
  • Proof of recurring Social Security Benefits or other form of government rental supplement
  • Any additional verifiable sources of income that applicant wishes to disclose for consideration

GUARANTOR RENTAL CRITERIA:  A Guarantor will be APPROVED if all the qualifications below are met, if the Guarantor does not meet any of the following criteria, then the Guarantor will not qualify.

  • Residential History:  3 years of valid and verifiable rental history or 5 years of valid and verifiable mortgage history with no late payments.  Management reserves the right to verify the guarantor’s residential history. 
  • Credit History:  At least 4 accounts in good standing with less than $100.00 in derogatory accounts.  Any bankruptcy (open or discharged) will result in denial.
  • Employment:  3 years on the job or previous employment in the same field of work.
  • Income:  4.0 times the monthly rental amount of the unit in verifiable, garnishable income.

Sex Offender Registry: Please be advised, a landlord (within the Seattle city limits) is prohibited from requiring disclosure, asking about, rejecting an applicant, or taking adverse action based on any arrest record, conviction record, or criminal history, except sex offender registry information which is the result of an adult criminal conviction, as described in Subsection RCW 14.09.025 A3., 14.09.025 A4., and 14.09.025 A5, and subject to the exclusions and legal requirements in RCW 14.09.115.

We do not automatically deny applicants based on sex offender registry that is the result of an adult criminal conviction.  Rather, consideration is based on the nature of the offense and time passed since the date of final disposition.  Supplemental information can be provided to the landlord by the Applicant, or produced on behalf of the Applicant, with respect to the Applicant’s rehabilitation and/or good conduct.  Supplemental information may include, but is not limited to, conviction information; certification of rehabilitation; written or oral statements by the Applicant, past or present employer(s), current and prior landlord(s), members of the judiciary or law enforcement, parole officer, member of clergy, counselor or therapists, social workers, or similar person(s).

GROUNDS FOR DENIAL WILL RESULT FROM THE FOLLOWING ON ALL APPLICANTS:

  • Verified unpaid eviction appearing on credit report or confirmed with landlord.
  • Unpaid rental collection and/or judgment verified on credit report.
  • Balance owing to landlord that will result in collection filing.
  • 3 or more notices and/or late payments and/or NSF checks and/or noise complaints within a 6-month rental period (current or previous).
  • Unverifiable social security number.
  • Falsification of rental application.
  • Open (non-discharged) bankruptcy.
  • One or more unfavorable answers to residential verification questionnaire.
  • Harassment or threatening behavior toward the Management staff during the screening process.

The landlord is prohibited from taking an adverse action against any applicant based on eviction history occurring during or within six months after the end of the civil emergency proclaimed by Mayor Durkan on March 3, 2020.  The Seattle Office for Civil Rights is the department that will enforce any violations of this ordinance.

Identity Verification: All applicants are required to show at least one of any of the following forms of identification: Valid Government issued identification such as military identification, driver’s license, passport, or age of majority card.

This community does not accept a comprehensive reusable tenant screening report, as defined by RCW 59.18.257.

Hold Deposit:  You may be charged a non-refundable hold deposit of $300.00 upon approval of your rental application.  This deposit will be applied to your security deposit at the commencement of your Rental Agreement.  

Denial Policy: If your application is denied due to unfavorable information received on your screening report or by Management, you will receive a written statement explaining the denial.  Applicants have the right to dispute information in a consumer report by contacting AppFolio to discuss your application and identify any unfavorable information: 1-866-359-3630 or email consumer.relations@appfolio.com.

ALL APPLICATION FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE

RESIDENTIAL HISTORY INSTRUCTIONS

Please provide a minimum of 1 residential reference and past 2 years of valid residential history

ATTACHMENT INSTRUCTIONS

Please upload all required documentation including:

-Valid government issued photo ID (driver’s license, passport, age of maturity card, or military card)

-Proof of income 

APPLICATION QUESTIONS

Have you ever been a defendant in an unlawful detainer (eviction) lawsuit or defaulted (failed to perform) any obligation of a rental agreement or lease?

Have you ever filed suit against a landlord or ownership interest?

TERMS OF AGREEMENT

The following Application Agreement will be signed by all applicants prior to receiving and signing a Rental Agreement. Applicant and/or any co-applicant may request a copy of the standard Rental Agreement by contacting Management. In order to continue with this online application, you’ll need to review the Application Agreement carefully and acknowledge that you accept its terms. 

  1. Application Fee (nonrefundable). You have delivered to our representative an application fee in the amount indicated below, and this payment partially defrays the cost of administrative paperwork. It’s nonrefundable.
  2. Hold Deposit (nonrefundable). In addition to any application fee, you will be charged a hold deposit upon approval of your completed application.  This hold deposit needs to be paid within 48-hours of approval to hold the unit you and any co-applicant have applied for.  The hold deposit is not a security deposit. However, it will be credited toward the required security deposit when the Rental Agreement has been signed by all parties.  In the event you or any co-applicant fails to sign the Rental Agreement within 48-hours after receiving approval (paragraph 4) or if you or any co-applicant withdraws an application or notifies us that you have changed your mind about renting the dwelling unit (paragraph 5) it will be retained by us as liquidated damages 
  3. If More than One Applicant. Management does not offer a Rental Agreement to the applicant and/or any co-applicants until all applicants have been approved for tenancy.  Upon approval, the applicant and any co-applicant will be charged a hold deposit that is credited toward the required security deposit when the Rental Agreement has been signed by all parties.
  4. If You Fail to Sign Rental Agreement After Approval. Unless we authorize otherwise in writing, you and all co-applicants must sign the Rental Agreement within 48-hours after we give you our approval in person, by telephone, or by email. If you or any co-applicant fails to sign as required, we may keep the hold deposit as liquidated damages, and terminate all further obligations under this Agreement. 
  5. If You Withdraw Before Approval. If you or any co-applicant withdraws an Application or notifies us that you’ve changed your mind about renting the dwelling unit, we’ll be entitled to retain any and all application fees, and the parties will then have no further obligation to each other. 
  6. Completed Application. An Application will not be considered “complete” and will not be processed until all of the following have been provided to us: the Applicant and any co-applicants have each fully filled out and signed separate applications, all supporting documentation has been provided by the Applicant and any co-applicants; any and all applicable application fees have been paid to Management. 
  7. Nonapproval. We will notify you whether you’ve been approved within 10 days after the date we receive a completed Application.  Notification may be in person, by telephone or email unless you have requested that notification be by mail.  If you have been denied due to unfavorable information received on your screening report, you will receive an Adverse Action Notice stating the reason(s) for the adverse action by mail or email.  You must not assume approval until you receive actual notice of approval. The 10-day time period may be changed only by separate written agreement. 
  8. Refund After Nonapproval. All application fees are non-refundable.  A hold deposit is only charged after the applicant and any co-applicants have been approved for tenancy.  
  9. Extension of Deadlines. If the deadline for signing, approving, or re- funding under paragraphs 4 or 7 falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a state or federal holiday, the deadline will be extended to the end of the next business day. 
  10. Notice to or from Co-applicants. Any notice we give you or your co-applicant is considered notice to all co-applicants; and any notice from you or your co-applicant is considered notice from all co-applicants. 
  11. Keys or Access Devices. We’ll furnish keys and/or access devices only after: (1) all parties have signed the contemplated Rental Agreement and other rental documents referred to in the Rental Agreement; (2) all applicable rents and security deposits have been paid in full; and (3) at the commencement of your Rental Agreement.

12 Signature. Our reception of this application is consent only to this Application Agreement. It does not bind us to accept applicant or to sign the proposed Rental Agreement.