Rental Qualifications & Process

Property Showings 

To tour an available rental, please email us from the Properties for Rent page or from the third-party ad. This is the most direct method of reaching us and having your request assigned to the designated property shower. The property shower will contact you by email to advise you of the next showing time(s). After a showing you may apply if you feel it is suitable for your needs.

Most of our property owners wish to have prospective renters make in-person tours. If you are unable to visit the property in person, please contact us for alternative options.

Please note the availability and projected move-in date shown in the ad on this website. Vacant units are generally rented to applicant who agree to start a lease within 14 days of application. If a property is being pre-advertised or pre-shown, and is not ready to rent immediately, then the projected move-in date should reflect an approximate date by which the property should be ready to lease.     

Please do not bring applications or money to a house showing appointment. The house shower does not process applications and will not collect payments. The purpose of the showing is for you to tour the available unit only, and any questions should be submitted directly to a leasing agent.

Qualifying for a Rental

We run a credit report and an eviction report on each applicant prior to offering a lease. Since we are required to use the same criteria for renter qualifications, we can not accept personally internet-generated credit reports or existing credit reports from applicants in lieu of our credit and eviction screening.

Each applicant must have a satisfactory credit history with a credit score of 625 or higher with payments made as agreed.

Each applicant must also have a satisfactory rental history. Applicants who owe funds to a past/current landlord or have an eviction on their records will not be considered.



The lease-start date is part of the qualification process. For vacant rentals, in move-in ready condition, an applicant should be able to start a lease within two weeks of submitting the application.

Pet Policy / Smoking Policy

We have a no-pet and non-smoking policy for our rentals, unless otherwise noted in the advertisement description. These terms are set at the discretion of the property owner.

Most rental properties have no-smoking restrictions that include cigarettes, vaping and marijuana. Even if a property owner permits smoking on the premises, some cities have restrictions on smoking which tenants should research prior to applying for a rental.

If an owner accepts pets, there may be size and quantity restrictions. We will ask for pet references and a pet interview. In the event a pet is accepted, expect a pet deposit will be required in addition to the standard security deposit. Renter must provide proof of liability insurance coverage specific to any accepted pets.

If you have an animal that may not be permissible within certain zoning areas, please list details on your application. Generally horses, goats, sheep, cows, llamas, pigs and other similar animals are only permitted within agricultural communities per county/city zoning restrictions. If the zoning and owner permits livestock, it will be noted in the advertisement. The property owner will set the terms related to the quantity, type and housing expectations related to their property. The renter must provide proof of liability insurance coverage specific to the use and type of livestock.



Assistance animals are not classified as pets. For applicants with assistance animals, please submit the assistance animal application paperwork with your application package.

Occupancy

Fair housing provides guidelines for the number of occupants in a unit. The guidelines allow one person to occupy the living space and two occupants per bedroom. These guidelines apply to rentals as follows:

Studio = 2 persons

1 bedroom = 3 persons

2 bedroom = 5 persons

3 bedroom = 7 persons


4 bedroom = 9 persons

Application vs. Credit Screening Fees

There is a $40.00 non-refundable fee per individual for credit and eviction screening which may be submitted with your online application. Each person, 18 years or older, who plans to reside in the property must submit an application, and each applicant will be screened prior to approving or denying an applicant. We do not accept cash or credit cards over the phone.

If you are a guarantor for an occupant, you should complete an application package and, if applicable, a guarantor letter confirming the amount of funds you will be committing to the rental. Each guarantor will also be screened prior to approving or denying the applicant.

Move-in/Lease Start Timeline

If the property is vacant and ready to occupy, our company policy is to require a new lease to begin within 14 days of the application date. Any variation from this must be approved by the property owner, as move-in timelines are a qualifying criteria. If the property is ready to occupy and your target lease start date is too far out, your application may be denied.   

If you are not able to move in within the target date specified, please discuss this with the leasing agent prior to applying.

Negotiations and alterations to the lease starting date after the credit screening process and approval of your application will not be approved.

Applying & Qualifying

Applications are processed on a first-come, first-received basis for completed applications of individuals who have completed an in-person property tour.

If you are interested in a rental after attending a property tour, please submit a complete application package as soon as possible. Even if you believe you "saw it first," there may be another application submitted/in screening prior to yours. Applications received for similar properties may already be on file and those applicants enter the screening process prior to scheduled showings.

Even if an application is submitted first, it does not guarantee that that applicant will rent the property, especially if the application is missing data or incomplete. Therefore, carefully consider a prospective rental property's level of desirability and submit complete applications to avoid delays in processing your application.

It's possible that more than one application will be in the review process at one time.

Applicants may change their mind and withdraw their application or decide against renting the property after approval. Please don't hesitate to apply for a property even if there already is another application received or in the screening process. We will keep you updated on status until the property is off the market. 

Under most circumstances we only screen one applicant's credit at a time, though incomplete credit reports or lack of response to questions may allow another applicant to proceed and/or finish the screening process first.

Completing a credit screening does not guarantee creditworthiness. An applicant whose credit and income qualifications can't be verified by a credit report may be asked to provide additional supporting documentation to evaluate creditworthiness or a guarantor. This is more common with "no score" applicants, younger applicants, those who have not lived in the US or those who have lived in the US for short periods of time. In some situations supporting documentation may require time for the applicant to obtain and during this time, other applications may be processed and accepted. We encourage applicants who expect their situation may require supporting documentation to advise us of their situation in advance so we can suggest what additional requirements may be needed. 

Applications may be accepted, accepted conditionally, or denied following a completed screening. Conditional acceptance generally indicates that a higher security deposit is required due to the credit screening results.

Rental Offer & Holding (Security) Deposit

We make one rental offer at a time. This means that one qualified applicant, who has provided all needed information to determine creditworthiness and ability to rent a property and has passed the credit screening, will receive a rental offer. The rental offer will be sent by email and the recipient will have a 48-hour period to accept and provide a holding deposit (aka, the security deposit).

Other applicants may be given the opportunity to be in "backup" position should a qualified applicant decline to rent the property or fail to provide the holding deposit. If the deposit is not provided within the 48-hour period, it is possible the qualified applicant may lose the opportunity to accept the rental if another candidate has been screened and approved. If you need to make alternative arrangements due to travel or other extenuating circumstances, please request accommodations rather than to delay response and potentially lose the rental.

Once an applicant accepts the rental offer, we will enter their contact information into our secure software to begin the "move-in process." The system will then send out a welcome email and the applicant may log in and set up their tenant account. From the tenant account, the security deposit funds and future rent funds may be paid by ACH transfer. This feature is set up by the tenant and is secured via the software provider; tenants must authorize all fund withdrawals.

For tenants who do not wish to use ACH to transfer funds, the system also will process charges using a credit or debit card, but a fee is added to these transactions. Alternatively, tenants may send a cashier's check or money order(s) for the deposit and future rent payments. Overnight/trackable services such as FedEx is recommended in lieu of first-class mail. We do not accept cash or personal check for the security deposit or for rent payments.

When a holding deposit is received we discontinue advertising and showing. But, we will not accept a holding deposit without first qualifying and approving an applicant.

Lease Process & Key Transfers

Once applicants are approved and the deposit is in hand, we the prepare the lease agreement. Renters may view the California Environmental Booklets here in advance. We use the standard California Apartment Association lease documents, which are sent out through their e-signing program. The lease documents are usually prepared within two days of the receipt of the holding (aka security) deposit, and an email is sent by the software with information on how to view and e-sign the documents. If there are questions regarding the documents, they can be emailed to us or entered into the e-signing program for discussion.

Once the lease is signed, renters will be asked to provide a copy of their proof of renter's insurance. The renter's insurance policy must state the required liability limit, the rental property address, names of all adult occupants, list additional insured "Pier & Post," and have a start date on or prior to the date of their lease agreement. Renters will also be asked to contact local utility companies and submit their new account number to us for verification.

The applicable rent for either the full month (if the lease starts on the first) or pro-rated from the lease start date to end of applicable month will be collected prior to the key transfer appointment. The preferred payment method being ACH, though other forms of payments accepted include cashier's check and money order.  We do not accept cash for monthly rent payments.

Once the lease paperwork has been signed by all parties, we are in receipt of the renter's insurance policy and utility account numbers, and all security deposit and applicable rent funds for the month are received, a key transfer appointment is set. The key transfer appointment would be either the day of or prior to your lease start date. We do not transfer keys weeks prior to the start of the lease.

Renters will be provided with a walk through form and they can add any noted conditions to the walk-through form and return an updated copy to our office within one week of the key transfer/start of their lease agreement.

Home Businesses

Renters who operate a business from a rental property should do so within the guidelines and restrictions of the city/county and carry appropriate level of insurance covering the business equipment, workers' compensation, and business liability. Copies of business license and insurance will be required as part of the lease terms.