Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why do you ask people to fill out a pre-qualification application before they’ve decided whether or not they want the apartment they’re looking at?
A: When you fill out our secure pre-qualification application form, we are able to establish if you are qualified much more efficiently than if we keep you on the phone asking for dozens of bits of information that you’re going to have to put on the application at some point anyway. It saves us both time, and allows us to do our job a little better, that’s all.
Q: I don’t quite have enough to pay first month’s rent PLUS security deposit, do you ever allow payment plans?
A: No. Although there are sometimes reasonable explanations for a prospect being a little short on funds, it usually means that the person is in poor financial shape. If a person doesn’t have full move-in funds (as well as two additional month’s rent saved up), they are not financially strong enough to live on their own. Rather than investigate each story “case by case,” our firm, “no-exceptions” policy is that all prospects must have 100% of required move in funds to become residents.
Q: What do you mean by “3x the rental amount per month?”
A: Example: If the home you’re interested in costs $800 per month to rent, your total income must be at least $2,400 per month. Total income includes gross W2 wages and any other verifiable source such as child support, assistance, social security, etc. (Note: If you are getting assistance, such as section 8, income standards are different. Please contact us for more information)
Q: Why do you require that a person makes three times the amount of rent per month? Why isn’t double or 2.5x enough? Where did this number come from?
A: This metric originated with the banking industry. They came up with the notion that housing expenses should be no more than 33% of a family’s total income in order to provide a safe cushion. We agree with this metric. If you rent a $600 apartment and you make much less than $1,800, there’s not a lot of room for anything extra. Things happen. There are holidays, car repairs, unexpected illnesses, loss of jobs, etc.
Now we use this only as a guideline. If you’re a good prospect and you make just under three times the rent, for example, we might approve you with some additional stipulations, which may include larger security deposits or having a cosigner. But generally speaking, show me someone who makes only twice their rent and we’ll show you someone having to make an uncomfortable phone call to their landlord at some point in the near future.
Q: I’m thinking of getting a roommate or my significant other wants to move in. What’s next?
A: Simply alert us of the situation, then have them fill out an application like you did here. We generally approve these requests unless there is something about the new tenant that violates our resident rules, such as certain felonies, evictions, etc. However, do NOT have them move in until we give the approval. Having someone move in without written approval is a clear violation of your lease agreement and could result in an eviction
Q: What should I do if I realize I can’t pay my rent on time this month?
A: The very first thing you should do is call us BEFORE rent is due. We will ask you for an expected date of payment and ask you stick to that date. We will still move forward with serving a TOL (Termination of Lease) notice on the 2d but we’ll allow you up to 7 days to get rent paid before the next step in the eviction process.
Q: Do you accept pets?
A: It depends on the property. At certain properties, yes, but we charge an upfront fee (not a refundable deposit) and we add a small amount of extra rent each month and we reserve the right to accept or reject for any reason. These fees are $400 & $40 respectively, PER PET, two-pet maximum. Our pet fees are what they are because allowing a pet to live in a building is a risky thing to do. Pets have the potential of doing a lot of damage quickly. EVERY pet leaves behind noticeable odors and hair, regardless of how well the outgoing resident cleaned. We do realize that there are a lot of great people out there that also have pets, so we’ve compromised by allowing them, on a case-by-case and building-by-building basis, but charging extra for the privilege. Approximately 85% of area landlords do not allow pets at all, so in that light, we think our fees are a reasonable trade-off. At this time we allow only cats and dogs. We do not generally allow snakes or any rodent, such as guinea pigs, mice, hamsters, etc. They simply smell bad and require constant attention to keep odors down. We also do not generally allow ferrets or any animal of that type.
See our Tenant Resources page for a full sample pet agreement and policy form.
Q: Can I setup my rent due date different than the first?
A: Only under certain circumstances: Running an apartment rental business office is very time consuming and we have to keep our attention on many details at once. It’s very difficult to have resident’s due dates fall on different days. If you might have trouble getting your rent paid on the first due to the timing of your income, or other large monthly bills that fall on the first, etc. then try this: Keep current with your rent, but also pay an additional amount each week in advance, so that by the time the next month comes you’re paid a month ahead. If you can’t make this happen over one month, do it in two. We will send you regular statements showing exactly how much you have on credit with us.
Here’s an example: Let’s say it’s December first and you’re about to pay December’s rent in full. Instead of just December’s rent, pay another 1/8th of your usual rent and do this each week going forward. When January 1st comes, you’ll pay January’s rent in full, (By then you’ll also have 1/2 months’ rent paid ahead). Then keep paying an extra 1/8th of your usual rent amount. Now when February 1st comes, you’ll be paid a full month ahead. Now instead of paying 1/8th, start paying 1/4 of your rent each week starting Feb 1st, so when March 1st comes, you’ll be paid in full. Do this forever. As an added kicker, start a savings account and put $10 a week in it until you have enough for 1-2 month’s rent. Now if you have an unexpected car repair, or get laid off, etc. you’ll have a cushion and not have a crisis the minute you get bad news.
This all being said, we do occasionally allow a different due date if a third party pays your rent, such as Section 8 or other payee.