Before you rush out to apply for an apartment lease it is a good idea to determine if you qualify for a lease. In Texas ALL apartments are required by state law to give you their qualifying rental criteria BEFORE you apply. Read it carefully, if you don't meet the criteria you are at risk of application denial. The reason for this law is so that people know if they have a fair chance of application approval BEFORE spending money on non-refundable application fees.
Here are things you will likely need and need to meet in order to lease an apartment.
Photo Identification A VALID driver's license or government-issued ID
Meet Occupancy Limit Typically it is 2 people per bedroom. Some may not count infants up to a certain age.
Meet Income Requirement Most apartments require you earn 3 times the amount of the rent - gross pay. Apartments will typically accept 2-4 most recent pay stubs or an offer of employment letter. If you're self-employed or a cash wage earner, then you'll need to find another way to prove you meet their income requirement. They may accept 3 months of bank statements or your most recent tax return.
Meet Credit Requirements This varies by apartment some apartments base approvals heavily on credit and some are more lenient with credit. Many apartments don't go off the actual score; some use a credit scoring platform and are evaluating your debt-to-income ratio and your bill payment history.
Meet Rental History Provision Most apartments require you have good rental history - free of late pays, broken leases, evictions, or other landlord debt. Some apartments offering second chance leasing will consider an eviction and/or broken lease over a certain period of time. Or require the rental debt is under a certain amount. Most apartments consider 1st time renters that meet other rental requirements.
Meet Pet Policy Most apartments have a pet limit of 2 pets per apartment. They may also have breed and weight restrictions.
Meet Criminal Background Provision Some apartments will not accept applicants with certain criminal backgrounds. Many times it depends on how long ago the charge was and what it was for.
At Texas Apartment Locating, our goal is that our clients are approved at the first apartment they apply to. We don't like to see our clients lose money on application fees. If you have any concern that you may not meet a certain qualifying criteria let your locator know. Even though we can't guarantee application approval as certain factors can't be evaluated like debt-to-income and credit scoring platforms - we can determine if you have a fair chance of app approval! We assist clients in leasing all day - everyday, and can help answer your questions about leasing.
Need help finding your next apartment? We would love to assist you! Start your apartment search today! www.texasapartmentlocating.com/search