Applying is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Each Adult (18 yrs+) living in the home is required to fill out an online application consisting of a background/credit/eviction screening (using their legal name found on their government-issued photo ID) and pay the one-time fee of $50 (Valid for 90 Days).
2. Provide application verification documents (including driver’s license, income, & employment) / Complete the Pre-Move-In Checklist.
3. Provide landlord references, RTA paperwork (if section 8), and schedule a home inspection.

Applicant Approval Guidelines

Proof of Income

• Your total net income should be at least 3.0X (ideally 3.5X+), the total monthly rent. For example, if your total monthly rent is $1,300, you should take home at least $3,900 (ideally $4,550+) per month or roughly $907 (ideally $1,058+) per week. The only exception is if you qualify for rental assistance through a housing voucher program (ie Section 8), Veteran Affairs (VA) Rental Assistance Program, or Non-Profit Rent Assistance Program.
• You must provide at least 3 months’ worth of your most recent paychecks, other income, or assistance/benefit statements.
• You must have had steady employment for the past 2 years.
• Self-employed applicants must provide either a year’s worth of financial statements (bank statement, CPA document, P/L, 1099, etc.) or a tax return from the previous year. 
• SSI/Disability income can be used with a recent printout of benefits.
• We DO accept Section 8 Housing Vouchers for St. Joseph County, South Bend & Mishawaka properties.

Rental History

• You must have lived in this area for a minimum of 1 year.
• You must have lived somewhere other than Gov. housing for the last 1 year.
• We require references for your most recent 5 years of rental history.
• A qualified Resident with no rental history can still be accepted with a double deposit
• Absolutely NO Evictions on your record in the past 5 years!

Credit History

• No Bankruptcies
• No Collections/Write-Off Accounts
• A minimum credit score of 600+ is highly recommended, but not necessarily required

Criminal History

• Resident MUST NOT be a registered sex offender
• Resident MUST NOT have a violent felony on their record in the last 5 years
• Resident MUST NOT have multiple felonies on their record in the last 5 years
• Residents MUST NOT have a drug manufacturing or trafficking felony on their record in the last 5 years
• Red Flags include:
  • Multiple Misdemeanors in the last 5 years

Resident Characteristics

When looking for our ideal Resident, we are looking for the following 3 characteristics:

Paying Rent – We ask that not only do you pay rent, but that you pay on time. Paying late causes extra work, creates additional costs, and will cause us to part ways. Paying on time is imperative to being an ideal Resident.

Maintaining the Entire Property – Many residents claim to take care of the property but don’t take the time to mow, weed wack, or trim the bushes or shrubs. Taking pride in the exterior of the property is just as important as taking care of the inside of the property. Your home should never be one of the worst-looking houses on the block. You must maintain your property to be average or better in your neighborhood.

Be a Happy Resident – Being an ideal tenant is not only your responsibility but ours. In order to create a Happy Resident, we must provide safe, affordable housing. We need to respond to and complete Work Orders promptly. However the Resident’s part is to be pleasant to work with, accommodating, and doesn’t verbally abuse our staff.