Applying
Anyone can apply
Anyone can apply for any home we list. These are the published standards our team uses to review applications, so you know exactly what is being considered.
How a decision gets made
Every application is read by a person and nothing is withheld until after you have paid. What we ask is on this page, in full, before you start.
Large operators run applications through an algorithm that declines on a score. We do not have a score to decline you on.
- You apply. Any available home, no pre-qualification and no minimum score to clear first.
- An agent reads it. A person, not an algorithm. If something needs explaining, they ask you rather than declining you over it.
- You agree the terms together - the lease length you chose in the application, and which utilities sit with you.
- A decision within 24 hours, with the reason given either way.
What we ask
Four things, asked of everyone, and none of them is a score you can fail on paper. They are the facts a lease needs.
| You want the home | Apply for any home listed as availableThere is no pre-qualification to pass first, and no minimum score. Everyone who applies is read by a person. |
|---|---|
| You can afford the monthly cost | The all-in total shown on the listingThe figure on every listing is the whole monthly cost - base rent plus every required fee - so the number you are working out your budget against is the number you would actually pay. |
| You agree the terms | Lease length and utilities are set with youYou tell us the lease length you want in the application and we confirm which utilities sit with you. Neither is fixed before we have spoken. |
| Identification | Government photo ID; an ITIN is accepted in place of an SSNNeeded to put a name on a lease. It is not a test. |
Income documentation we accept
Any combination of these that adds up. You do not need all of them, and you do not need a traditional employer.
- Recent pay stubs
- Bank statements showing regular deposits
- Tax returns or 1099s, for self-employed and contract income
- An offer letter, for a job you have accepted but not yet started
- Benefit award letters, including Social Security, disability, and housing vouchers
- Court-ordered support documentation
What happens if you fall short
You get a straight answer within 24 hours, and where there is something that would change the outcome, we say what it is.
If we decline you based on a screening report, you receive a notice naming the agency that supplied it and explaining how to dispute what it says. That is required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and it means an error on your report is something you can fix rather than something you keep paying for.
We never charge an application fee for an application we already know we will decline. That is what the pre-qualification step is for.
Common questions
Will you run a credit check?
Yes, on every adult applicant. We look at the whole report rather than only the score, and medical debt is not counted against you. If we decline you based on anything in that report, we will tell you which agency supplied it and how to dispute it, which is your right under federal law.
I was declined somewhere else. Is it worth applying here?
Yes. A decision somewhere else has no bearing here. We do not run a minimum credit score or an income multiple, so there is nothing for a previous decline to have failed.
An agent reads every application. If something in it needs explaining, they ask you about it rather than closing the file.
Do you accept housing vouchers?
Yes, in every market we serve. The portion covered by your voucher is not income you have to prove twice. Source-of-income discrimination is prohibited in many jurisdictions, and we gladly accept vouchers.
My income is self-employed or from gig work. Does that count?
It counts. We accept tax returns, 1099s, and bank statements showing regular deposits in place of pay stubs. Non-traditional employment is simply a documentation process, not a disqualification.
Do you accept an ITIN instead of a Social Security number?
Yes.
What if I cannot comfortably afford the monthly cost?
Affordability is the one thing we will be straight with you about, because approving someone into a home they cannot keep helps nobody. If the numbers are tight we will say so, and show you what else we have that fits.
Find out where you stand before you pay
The first step asks a few questions and gives you an honest read on your likely outcome. No fee until after that.