Qualifying Criteria
Thank you for your interest in applying for one of our homes. We are committed to the Fair Housing Act prohibiting discrimination in housing based on race, color, gender, age, religion, national origin, disability, marital or familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, source of income, or other protected class. We use the same, consistent process every time we screen an application.
Fully completed applications are processed in the order in which they are received. The last application that comes in from a multi-resident household is the date of submission for the entire household.
Application processing is based on a scoring system. The home will be awarded to the first unconditionally qualified applicant(s) with the highest score (according to the qualifying criteria detailed below).
A $60.00 application fee is required for each application. Each adult who will reside in the property, age 18 or older, must submit an application. PLEASE NOTE, we outsource to a third-party screening company who runs credit, criminal, and eviction checks, as well as employment and residence history verifications. SINCE WE ARE CHARGED TO PROCESS AND SCREEN EACH APPLICATION, ALL APPLICATION FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE. The only exception is if the home has been rented and we have not started processing your application. In this case, your credit card will be issued a $60.00 refund.
Applicants will be emailed the result of their application, typically within three business days from receipt of a fully completed application. However, application processing may take longer depending on the responsiveness of references and other factors.
If your application is approved, we require a lease to be electronically signed by all parties and all move-in funds received within 48 hours. If the home is available for occupancy, the lease beginning date must be within 14 days of application approval. All new residents shall pay a one-time administrative lease preparation fee of $200.00 at lease signing.
A House2home Properties Resident Benefits Package is required with every lease agreement. An additional $20 per month will be charged with your rent. Please view the Resident Benefits Package page on our website for more details.
Before submitting an application for a home, please take your time and read the following to successfully submit an application. You will need to upload documentation with your application. You can either scan or take a picture of the required documentation and then upload the image into your application.
Your application will not be processed without providing the following information.
Requirements for Submitting an Application:
- Each adult age 18 or older who will reside in the property must submit an application.
- Each application must be completed in full (incomplete applications will not be processed).
- List the last 3 years of your residence history (even if you were living with friends or family).
- Provide contact information of present and past landlords.
- Upload a picture or copy of your driver's license or official ID.
- Upload documentation verifying your current address (only if your current address is not listed on your driver’s license or state ID). Acceptable documentation is a utility bill, a recent pay stub or a bank statement.
- Upload copies of your proof of income or electronically link your bank account or payroll provider. (Proof of income can only be your employment pay stubs for the last four consecutive weeks, or if self-employed, a copy of your previous year's signed tax return or 1099's, or a copy of a housing voucher. Note: you have the option to electronically link either your bank account or payroll provider as proof of income rather than uploading documents.)
- Your desired lease start date must be no more than 14 days from submitting an application.
- The application fee must be paid by credit card when submitting your application.
All applicants are required to pre-screen themselves by reviewing all of the qualifying criteria below.
Qualifying Criteria For Single Family Residences
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Residence and Credit History:
Please review the below qualifying criteria:
Three years of rental/ownership history must be listed on your application.
Your credit report will produce a Transunion Resident Score. Like a traditional FICO score, the Resident Score ranges from 350-850.
In the event of multiple co-applicants, the Transunion Resident Score will be combined and averaged (by adding the TransUnion scores of all adult applicants, then dividing by the number of adult applicants).
Minimum Transunion Resident Score To Qualify
- A1. You will need a minimum Transunion Resident Score of 630. A Transunion Resident Score below 630 will not qualify.
The Following Will Not Qualify:
- A2. 3 or more late rental payments in your rental history.
- A3. Any rental payments 15 or more days late in your rental history.
- A4. 2 or more NSF’s (non-sufficient funds) in your payment history.
- A5. Any rental disturbances in your rental history.
- A6. If you have caused any property damage in your rental history which was not covered by your security deposit.
- A7. If you have an eviction filing on your record in the last 7 years.
- A8. If you have an unpaid rental balance to a landlord in the past 5 years.
- A9. If we receive a negative reference from a past or current landlord regarding your rental history.
- A10. If you have an active bankruptcy not yet discharged.
- A11. If you have an unpaid utility bill in the past 3 years on your credit report.
- A12. If there are residence addresses on your credit report that are inconsistent with the addresses on your application.
- A13. If you have more than one eviction filing on your record.
If your application meets the above qualifying criteria, the following will result in an additional security deposit:
- A14. If you meet all qualifications and have less than 2 years of residence history, an additional security deposit of 0.25 month’s rent is due.
- A15. If you meet all qualifications and have 2 late rental payments, an additional security deposit of 0.25 month’s rent is due.
- A16. If you meet all qualifications and have 1 NSF (non-sufficient funds), an additional security deposit of 0.25 month’s rent is due.
- A17. If you meet all qualifications and are moving due to a foreclosure or short sale, an additional security deposit of 0.25 month’s rent is due.
Note: Living with friends or relatives, renting a room or not being on a lease or deed will not be counted as residence history.
(If the home’s monthly rent is $3,000 or above, a minimum 3 years of residence history is required with a Transunion Resident Score of at least 700 to qualify. A combined Transunion Resident Score below 700 will not qualify.)
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Employment History/Income:
Income Requirements
- B1. Applicants must have a combined monthly gross income of at least 3 times the monthly rent to be approved. (Note: Roommates of 3 or more unrelated persons must individually meet the gross income requirement of at least 3 times the rent to be approved.) (For example, a $1,500 a month rental would require a minimum monthly gross income of $4,500 to qualify (1,500 x 3 = 4,500).)
Proof of Income
- B2. Our application gives you an option to electronically link either your bank account or payroll provider to verify your income. If you decide not to link your account, or if your income cannot be verified through your linked account, applicants must furnish any of the following as proof of income:
- Copies of employment pay stubs for the last four consecutive weeks. (Income will be the average of the amounts stated on the last four weeks of the pay stubs.)
- A copy of the previous year’s signed tax return or 1099's, if self-employed.
- A copy of a housing voucher.
The following will not be accepted as proof of income:
- A copy of a confirmation letter of employment.
- Copies of bank checks, bank deposits, or bank statements.
Failure to furnish proof of income will result in the application not getting approved.
Sources of Income
- B3. Sources of income include lawful employment or self-employment, social security benefits, veteran benefits, pension, retirement benefits, alimony, child support, trust income, annuity, interest income, investment income, housing assistance or vouchers. If the income criteria are not met, a bank checking or savings account balance of at least 24 month’s rent is required to qualify (retirement account balances are not accepted).
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Criminal:
- C1. Registered Sex Offenders or a criminal violation in accordance with Fair Housing laws will result in the application not getting approved.
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Other Criteria:
Please review the below qualifying criteria:
- D1. If any information on your application is false, then your application will not be approved.
- D2. If you want to rent the home for a short term (less than 2 years), then your application will not be approved.
- D3. Each applicant must meet all requirements and qualifications individually. If you do not meet all the requirements and qualifications individually, then your application will not be approved.
- D4. If there are four or more automobiles in the household, then your application will not be approved.
If your application meets the above qualifying criteria, the following will result in an additional security deposit:
- D5. Applicants of 3 or more unrelated persons will result in an additional security deposit of 0.5 month’s rent.
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Pets:
We accept non-aggressive pets of 35 lbs. or less if the property owner will allow it. There is a maximum limit of two pets per household and no more than one cat is allowed. Please check the property’s advertisement for specific pet criteria related to the particular home.
We require all pets to be screened through a third-party application service. The pet application can be found on our website on the Pet Screening page or by clicking on the following link https://house2homeproperties.petscreening.com.
In the event pets are accepted, the following pet charges are required:
- 1 Pet: $30 monthly pet fee.
- 2 Pets: $50 monthly pet fee.
Certain animal species including Pit Bull, Rottweiler, German Shepherd, Husky-Alaskan Malamute, Doberman Pinscher, Chow, Great Dane, Saint Bernard, Akita, Wolf Hybrids, and any animal with a history of biting are not accepted. Cats must be either spayed or neutered. All service animals will be accepted without any additional fees or deposits.
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Cosigner/Guarantor:
Cosigners/Guarantors are not accepted for single family residences.