Rental Application Policies and Guidelines
**PETSCREENING IS A REQUIRED PART OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR ALL APPLICANTS:
A welcoming environment is paramount to all our residents with or without pets as well as animals. To help ensure ALL our residents understand our pet and animal-related policies, we use a third-party screening service and require EVERYONE to complete a profile. This process ensures we have formalized pet and animal-related policy acknowledgments and more accurate records to create greater mutual accountability. If you need accommodation in another way, please contact your housing provider.
Please get started by selecting a profile category on our landing page: https://windermere.petscreening.com/
Thank you for your interest in one of Windermere Property Management’s available rentals. Property Information, terms, and availability should be verified before applying. Please read, in full, the content below and contact us with any questions prior to applying.
The following Policies and Guidelines are intended to assist you in the application process. It is our goal to make the process as simple and fast as possible. By reading, understanding, and adhering to these guidelines, you can help ensure that your application is processed quickly. These guidelines may be deviated from depending on the home applied for.
Cost: There is a NON-refundable application fee which is required to be paid to complete the process. The application fee is $50.00 per individual (anyone over 18 who will be living in the home must apply). This fee must be paid at the time your application is submitted. If your application is not denied and a home is no longer available or being held with a holding fee, your application is kept on file with our office for 90 days and can be transferred to another property we manage.
Rental Criteria/Qualifications: Windermere Property Management has general rental requirements and criteria which should be met to rent the property under the terms advertised. These are explained in detail below. While these requirements must be met to rent the property as advertised, other arrangements (such as additional deposit or prepaid rent) may be made to mitigate for some deficiencies in credit, income, employment, or rental history. Any deviations from the rental requirements must also be approved by the owner of the home.
Holding Policy: Once applicants are approved, they will be offered the opportunity to secure the home they applied for with a holding fee which is 25% of the monthly rental amount. Approved applicants who choose NOT to place the holding fee risk no longer being considered for the home after another approved applicant has placed the holding fee. Your holding fee will be credited toward your move-in costs (first month's rent/security deposit). If you place the holding fee and you decide NOT to rent the property prior to signing the lease, this fee shall be forfeited to the landlord as liquidated damages for holding the property in your name. Contact our office for further explanation regarding placing the holding fee and holding fee process.
Lease Start Date: Your lease must start no longer than 5 days after being approved if available now or up to 5 days after the home is available if not available now. You will become responsible for care of the unit, rent, and/or utilities even if you are not living in the home.
Credit: Applicants should have good credit which demonstrates a record of timely payments. Applicants must not have any currently outstanding non-medical collections. Applicants must not have paid or unpaid collections from previous landlords or management companies. Foreclosures, short-sales, and bankruptcies may be accepted but will require additional deposit/rent.
Criminal Background: History of criminal behavior may negatively affect approval – drugs, sex offense, theft, robbery, assault, active warrants, etc … Determinations as to criminal screening will be made on a case-by-case basis and will be based on several factors and information. There will be no automatic denials based on crime without an analysis of the facts.
Rental History: Applicants must provide a minimum of 3 years positive rental history. Applicant will be expected to provide current contact information for your rental references. A rental reference request will be sent via email to your current and all previous residences. If we do not receive a response after 3 emailed attempts, we will consider it "no-rental reference history". Applicants must not have late payments, evictions, pay or vacate notices, received 10-day notices for not complying with lease terms, or unauthorized pets reported by any current/previous landlords. If you have lived in your current residence for more than three years, we will still require a reference from your previous landlord. Rental references from family members or military establishments (such as military barracks, military housing) will not be considered.
Pets: All pets must be approved by the owner and subject to additional deposits and must be advertised as pets negotiable.
Employment History: Applicants should demonstrate stability in their employment. Applicants should be employed in their current position for a minimum of six months. If your current employer is not local to our area, we will assume you will not be employed locally. Please annotate at the end of your application if you will maintain your employment telecommuting. If you are military and BAH is not listed on your LES we will assume you are not receiving BAH. If you have approval from your command to receive BAH, we will need written proof of approval. If you have been employed at your current position less than six months, please provide one year of additional history in the same industry.
Income Verification: Applicants’ monthly income should be a minimum of three times the monthly rent payment. Debt to income ratio should not exceed 60% of monthly household income. If Self-Employed applicants or those who receive more than 25% of their income in the form of commission must demonstrate substantially the same income for the past two years and may be required to submit a certified copy of most recent tax return and/or bank statements for the past two years. Only income stated on the tax return may be used for qualifying. Military members need to supply the last 2 months of a Month End Leave & Earnings Statements (please submit entire LES not an app screenshot).
