Meeting basic rental terms. Applicants must be able to meet our basic rental terms, which include the rent and security deposit, the tenancy start date, and the maximum number of residents for this rental.
We follow fair housing laws. We will fully comply with the federal fair housing laws and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, familial status (including age), disability, or sex. We will also follow any state and local laws that forbid additional types of discrimination.
Complete and truthful applications from all adults. We require a separate application from every adult who will live in the rental. We will reject applications that contain information that we cannot verify or that are incomplete (if a particular item does not apply to you, be sure to write "n/a" on the line so we know that you did not skip it). We will reject applications that list false information, and will terminate the tenancy of anyone who has made a materially false statement on the application that we discover after accepting the applicant.
Additional occupants. Only those who have submitted a Rental Application, and any listed minor dependents, may live in the rental. Any proposed additional residents (other than minor children) must go through our application process. Assuming the addition of another resident will not result in overcrowding, we will evaluate proposed additional residents as we do any applicant.
Occupancy policy. In order to prevent overcrowding, we will determine the maximum number of residents who may live in a rental, in keeping with our state's fair housing laws and taking into consideration any limiting factors inherent in the building or property.
Applicants' identification. We will need a current photo ID from each adult applicant, such as a driver's license, passport, or military or state identification card. We will need a Social Security number or Individual/Taxpayer's ID number (ITIN) in order to run a credit check. We will handle this information with care and destroy it when it's no longer needed.
We contact references and credit sources and run a credit check. We require proof of income and run a credit check on all applicants who advance to that stage of our application-screening process. Applicants who are first-time renters, or who are self-employed, may supply alternate types of references (see the instructions to our Rental Application). We will conduct the screening ourselves or hire an independent tenant-screening firm. If you have placed a "freeze" on your credit file, it is your responsibility to lift the freeze to enable us to order your credit report. We strongly urge you to access your credit report (you may get a free report once a year) and check for and correct any inaccuracies, before applying for this rental.
Financial responsibility. We rent to applicants who have a history of financial responsibility. Our primary means of evaluating an applicant's financial history is the credit report. If you have a history of delinquent payments or accounts, unpaid debts, or charge-offs (in which a retailer gives up on collection attempts), we may deny your application.
Rental history. We rent to applicants who have a history of being good tenants, which includes paying rent on time, being considerate of rental property and neighbors, and leaving rental property in good shape when vacating.
Criminal history. We will strive to rent to applicants who demonstrate a history of honest, nonviolent behavior, and will not, to the best of our ability, rent to anyone whom we reasonably conclude poses a current, direct threat to persons or property.
Minimum income. The combined gross monthly income (before deductions) from all applicants ages 18 and over must be three times the monthly rent. We will verify each applicant's income by asking for pay stubs or tax returns for self-employed applicants. Students or others without an income must supply an acceptable cosigner.
Cosigners or guarantors. If the gross monthly income of an applicant is not three times the monthly rent, we may, at our option, require a guarantor who lives within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The guarantor must submit a separate Rental Application and authorize us to use the screening tools we use for any applicant who intends to live here. We will deduct the guarantor's own housing costs from his or her gross monthly income before we consider the income's sufficiency.
Holding deposit. If your application is accepted, we will ask you for a holding deposit of one week’s rent, which we will apply in full to the first week’s rent when you move in. If you fail to move in after orally accepting our offer or signing a lease or rental agreement, the deposit will be applied to any damages, including lost rent and costs of re-renting, that we may suffer.
Smoking. This property is smoke free in all areas, including tenants' rented spaces. Tenants and their guests must refrain from smoking on or near the rental property.
Residential use only. This rental is for residential use only, subject to any state or local laws that apply.
Legal status in the United States. We will ask every applicant for proof that they are legally in the United States, which may be supplied by showing us a current passport, birth certificate, or valid documentation from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. We will not rent to people who cannot supply such proof.
Our Selection Process
We will review applications in the order in which we receive them. We will date- and time-stamp each application and begin the review process as soon as possible. We will also note when we have completed our review process.
We will evaluate your application as soon as we can. Usually, the evaluation process takes one business day. We will offer the rental to the most-qualified applicant, and if applicants are equally qualified, we will make an offer to the applicant whose application was received first. We will send written or email notifications to applicants whom we cannot accept.