Background Checks
We check every applicant using a third-party company. We look at credit, criminal history, and eviction records. We do not accept reports that applicants send us—we have to run our own.
Credit Reports
We use Experian through our rental software (currently AppFolio). This is a hard credit check, which might affect your credit score. If that’s not okay with you, please don’t apply.
We don’t look at credit scores from other places.
If you have questions about your report, contact:
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AppFolio Consumer Relations: www.appfolio.com/consumer | (866) 359-3630
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Experian Consumer Assistance: (800) 493-1058
Bankruptcy
We do not accept applications if the bankruptcy case is still open.
If your bankruptcy is closed, that’s okay—but you must show an official letter from the court or your lawyer proving it is closed.
Charge-Offs
A charge-off is when a company gave up trying to collect money you owed.
If the charge-off is more than 2 years old, it won’t affect your application.
If the charge-off is less than 2 years old, we may still approve your application, but we will ask for an extra half-month security deposit.
Criminal History
We check criminal records for every applicant. We don’t have a rule that says “no felons allowed.” Instead, we look at each situation and consider:
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What the crime was and how serious it was.
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How long ago it happened.
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We usually focus on things that happened in the last 5 years for non-violent crimes.
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And the last 7 to 10 years for violent or serious property crimes.
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Whether the crime affects safety of people or property.
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If you have shown signs of change or improvement.
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Whether the crime makes you a risk to the home or neighborhood.
Eviction History
If you’ve ever had an eviction filed against you, your application will probably be denied—even if the case was later dropped.
This rule does not apply if you’re already a tenant with us, have always paid on time, and are just moving to another home we manage.
Owed Money to Landlords
If you still owe money to a past landlord when we run your background check, we will deny your application.
Even if you later pay it off, you must show a letter from that landlord saying it was paid in full (not a discounted amount).
Paying it off does not guarantee approval.