Terms
1.FAIR HOUSING LAWS
Sweet Property Management adheres to non-discrimination policies as mandated by federal, state, and local law. No applicant will face discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, familial status, or national origin.
2.GENERAL STATEMENTS
Applicants are required to provide a current and valid government-issued photo identification for comprehensive screening of their criminal and credit history by the Owner/Agent.
Each applicant must meet the qualification criteria individually or as specified for specific areas.
Providing inaccurate, incomplete, or falsified information will result in the denial of the application.
Applicants who are currently engaged in illegal drug use will not be considered. If approved for tenancy and later found to be involved in illegal drug use, the tenancy will be terminated.
Tenancy will be denied to individuals whose presence poses a direct threat to the health, safety, or property of others, including the premises.
3.INCOME CRITERIA
The monthly income should be at least three times the stated rent and must be derived from a verifiable and legal source. If an applicant's monthly income falls between 2.5 and 3 times the stated rent, an additional security deposit will be required. Income below 2.5 times the stated rent will result in the denial of the application. It is important to note that if an applicant intends to use local, state, or federal housing assistance as a source of income, the term 'stated rent' refers exclusively to the portion payable by the applicant, excluding any amount covered by the assistance program.
Applicants who rely on employment as a source of income must have a verifiable employment history of at least twelve months. Less than twelve months of verifiable employment will require an additional security deposit or an acceptable co-signer.
Applicants using self-employment income will have their records verified through the state corporation commission and will be required to submit income records, which may include the previous year's tax returns, to validate their income.
Bank statements are not solely considered an acceptable form of income verification.
4.OCCUPANCY POLICY
The determination of occupancy is based on the number of bedrooms in the unit. A bedroom is defined as a livable space primarily designed for sleeping purposes, with a minimum area of 70 square feet and proper provisions for fire safety.
As a general guideline, the maximum occupancy allows for two individuals per bedroom.
5.RENTAL HISTORY CRITERIA
Applicants must provide a minimum of three years of verifiable rental history from a current unrelated third-party landlord or provide proof of homeownership. Less than three years of verifiable rental history will require an additional security deposit or an acceptable co-signer.
Having received three or more notices for nonpayment of rent within one year will result in the denial of the application.
Having three or more dishonored checks within one year will result in the denial of the application.
Rental history reflecting past due and unpaid balances to a landlord or utility company will result in the denial of the application.
Rental history including three or more instances of noise disturbances or material non-compliance with the rental agreement or rules within the past two years will result in the denial of the application.
6.EVICTION HISTORY CRITERIA
A five-year eviction-free history is required. Eviction actions that were dismissed or resulted in a judgment in favor of the applicant will not be considered.
7.CREDIT CRITERIA
The presence of negative or adverse debt shown on the consumer credit report will require additional security deposits or an acceptable co-signer.
Having three or more unpaid collections (excluding medical expenses) will result in the denial of the application.
8.CRIMINAL CONVICTION CRITERIA
Upon receipt of the Rental Application and screening fee, the Owner/Agent will conduct a search of public records to determine whether the applicant or any proposed resident or occupant has a 'Conviction' (which includes charges pending at the time of application, convictions, guilty pleas, or no contest pleas) for any of the following crimes: drug-related crimes, person crimes, sex offenses, crimes involving financial fraud (including identity theft and forgery), or any other crime that would adversely affect the property, safety, or peaceful enjoyment of the premises by residents, the landlord, or the landlord's agent. Previous arrests that did not result in a Conviction or expunged records will not be considered.
If an applicant or proposed occupant has a Conviction in their past that would disqualify them according to these criminal conviction criteria and wishes to submit additional information to the Owner/Agent along with the application to enable an individualized assessment (as described below) upon receipt of the results of the public records search and prior to receiving a denial, the applicant should do so. Alternatively, an applicant may request the review process after denial, as specified below. However, please refer to item (c) under 'Criminal Conviction Review Process' below regarding the holding of the unit.
A single Conviction for any of the following crimes, subject to the review process results, will lead to the denial of the Rental Application:
a) Felonies involving murder, manslaughter, arson, rape, kidnapping, child sex crimes, or manufacturing or distribution of controlled substances.
b) Felonies not listed above but involving drug-related crimes, person crimes, sex offenses, crimes involving financial fraud (including identity theft and forgery), or any other crime that would adversely affect the property, safety, or peaceful enjoyment of the premises by residents, the landlord, or the landlord's agent, with a disposition date within the last seven years.
c)Misdemeanors involving drug-related crimes, person crimes, sex offenses, domestic violence, violation of a restraining order, stalking, weapons, criminal impersonation, possession of burglary tools, financial fraud crimes, with a disposition date within the last five years.
d) Misdemeanors not listed above but involving theft, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, property crimes, or any other crime that would adversely affect the property, safety, or peaceful enjoyment of the premises by residents, the landlord, or the landlord's agent, with a disposition date within the last three years.
e) Convictions for crimes requiring lifetime sex offender registration or for which the applicant is currently registered as a sex offender will result in denial.
9.CRIMINAL CONVICTION REVIEW PROCESS
Sweet Property Management will conduct an individualized assessment of the applicant's convictions if the applicant satisfies all other criteria (and denial was solely based on one or more convictions) as required by local, state, and federal law, and either:
(1) The applicant has submitted supporting documentation before the public records search; or
(2) The applicant is denied due to failure to meet the criminal criteria and has submitted a written request along with supporting documentation.
Supporting documentation may include a letter from a parole or probation office, caseworker, therapist, counselor, etc.; certifications of treatments/rehab programs; letters from employers or teachers; proof of employment; and a statement from the applicant.
In accordance with local, state, or federal laws, landlords will also conduct an individualized assessment if no supplemental information is received.
Sweet Property Management will:
(a) Consider relevant individualized evidence of mitigating factors, such as the circumstances surrounding the criminal conduct, the age of the convicted person at the time of the offense, the time since the criminal conduct, the time since release from incarceration or completion of parole, evidence of a good tenant history before and/or after the conviction, evidence of rehabilitation efforts, and may request additional information. Multiple convictions may also be taken into account during this process.
(b) Notify the applicant of the results of the review within a reasonable timeframe after receiving all required information.
(c) Hold the unit for which the application was received for a reasonable period, considering the circumstances, to complete the review. However, if the unit has been committed to another applicant prior to receiving the applicant's written request for review after denial, the unit may no longer be available.