First, I want to say that I explain requirements over the phone. I do not want any scum bags applying for my properties if I’m just going to reject them.
YOU SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE PREPRINTED APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS, AND AN EXISTING PET POLICY.
This will keep criminals, scumbags and the owners of vicious and venomous pets away from your properties.
Cut and paste the two pages below into a word processor program on your computer, and use this stuff as your guidelines for tenants and pets. You do not want to have evictions or discrimination or liability lawsuits, and following pre-determined policies will hedge against that. Process one applicant at a time, in the order received.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
Applicant must be at least 18 years old or legally emancipated, or married to a person who is at least 18 years old or legally emancipated. All adults must fill out a separate application and pay a separate processing fee.
Credit: Applicant must have acceptable credit history. No history of 30 day late pays on rent, no more than one rent late pay per year, no bad credit, followed by bankruptcy, followed by more bad credit, no evictions, and no credit history will be considered to be negative credit history.
Occupancy: Our policy is 2 people per bedroom plus 1.
Income: Legal and verifiable applicant income must equal 2.5 times the monthly rental rate; at least one applicant must qualify for the income requirement. Debt to income ratio should demonstrate the ability to pay rent.
Rental History: Applicants must have a positive verifiable rental history for the previous four years. Lack of rental history will be considered negative rental history.
Co-signers: We do not accept co-signers for bad credit or insufficient income. This Property is not a Section 8 rental.
Pets: Pets must be negotiated in writing with an increase in the security deposit of $400.00 each for cats or dogs, $300.00 for each birdcage or cage. Aquariums greater than 12 gallons must be completely insured. Service dogs are not considered pets.
Smoking: No smoking in living areas.
Application Fees: Each application must include a fee to cover the costs of obtaining information, not to exceed 30 dollars per person. This is a flow through expense.
Criminal: We have a legal responsibility to prevent or stop behavior which may present a nuisance or danger to persons or property. Criminal convictions will be evaluated in compliance with this mandate.
Screening: Manager may research applicant history for income, expenses, credit, crime, employment, and evictions. The application may be denied for any of the following reasons: charge offs or bankruptcy, prior eviction or foreclosure, insufficient income, unfavorable references, incomplete or unverifiable application information, false application information, or dangerous behavior.
PET POLICY
Thank-you for inquiring about our pet policy. Pets are allowed, but a pet agreement must be completed for each pet. Only the pet in the pet agreement(s) may live at the premises. The tenant may not have more than 4 pets. The property manager may, depending upon the size and nature of the pets, may limit the maximum number of pets to less than 4.
No venomous pets.
The following dog breeds, or dogs with the following breeds in their lineage, are not allowed on the premises at any time: Akitas, American Staffordshire terriers, Boxers, Chow Chows, Doberman Pincers, German Shepherds, Great Danes, Huskies, Malamutes, Mastiffs, Perro de presa Canarios, Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Saint Bernards, Sled-Dogs, Wolf-hybrids, or any dogs trained to fight, attack or kill.
Any dog with a history of violent behavior is considered a dangerous dog, no matter what the pedigree, and is not allowed on the premises at any time.
All dogs must be restrained when they are outside a completely fenced area.
In making a decision on whether to approve a tenant’s request to keep a dog, management will take into account the dog’s temperament and the arrangements the tenant has made for training and exercising the dog.
Tenant agrees that if the pet becomes a nuisance to the community, or animal waste is not immediately and properly controlled, tenant shall immediately, upon notice from the manager, remove the pet or vacate the premises.
Tenants are responsible for and must immediately pay for all damages or injuries caused by their pets.
All adult dogs and cats must be spayed or neutered, unless a veterinarian certifies that health problems prevent the dog or cat from being spayed or neutered. All pets must receive proper veterinary care, including all appropriate inoculations; must be well groomed, and must be given a healthy diet and exercised according to their needs. All pets must also be maintained in accordance with applicable state and local laws. Dogs and cats must wear identification tags at all times.
No pet is to be left alone in a tenants unit for a period longer than that which is appropriate in light of the needs of the individual pet. While this period may vary depending on the pet in question, landlord and tenant understand that, in general, dogs should not be left alone for more than 9 hours, and other pets for more than 24 hours, on a regular basis. When management has reasonable cause to believe a pet is alone in a unit and either pet is creating a disturbance or any other emergency situation appears to exist with respect to the pet, management will attempt to contact the tenant to remedy the situation. If management is unable to contact the tenant within a reasonable period, management may enter tenant’s unit and make any necessary arrangements for the pet’s care, including removing the pet and placing it in a temporary home such as a boarding kennel. Any costs incurred will be immediately due and payable by the tenant.
Permission to keep a pet is granted at the management’s sole discretion and is subject to tenant’s strict adherence to all aspects of this pet policy. Any tenant who wishes to keep a pet will first obtain management’s approval and sign a pet agreement.
The pet deposit is refundable following the permanent removal of the pet from the premises, and 21 days after a walk through inspection, and all cleaning and/or repair charges are deducted form the pet deposit.