Tenant Selection Criteria

How We Choose Qualified Residents for Your Home

At Heart Property Management, tenant selection is one of the most important components of successful property management. Our tenant screening process is designed to be objective, consistent, and compliant with all applicable housing laws—protecting property owners while providing transparency to applicants.

We review every application carefully using financial, rental history, and background criteria to identify residents who are most likely to pay rent on time, follow lease terms, care for the property, and contribute positively to the community.

Please review these criteria carefully before submitting an application. Meeting the criteria does not guarantee approval, but it ensures your application is evaluated fairly and consistently.

Basic Eligibility Requirements

Complete Application & Identification

Verifiable Income & Employment

Credit & Financial Responsibility

Rental & Background Screening

Rental History

Criminal Background Review

Additional Considerations

Fair Housing Compliance

Heart Property Management fully complies with the Fair Housing Act and all applicable anti-discrimination laws. Applications are evaluated without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

Consistent Application of Criteria

All applicants are evaluated using the same screening standards to ensure fairness, transparency, and consistency across all properties.

Co-Signers and Guarantors

In certain situations, a qualified co-signer or guarantor may be considered. Co-signers must complete a full application, meet income requirements, and execute the appropriate legal agreements.

Application Review Process

After a complete application is submitted:

  1. Identity, income, employment, credit, and rental history are verified.
  2. Background screening is conducted where permitted by law.
  3. Applications are evaluated using uniform criteria.
  4. Applicants are notified of approval, conditional approval, or denial.

If an application is denied, applicants will receive information regarding their rights and how to obtain a copy of any screening report used in the decision.

Why We Use Tenant Selection Criteria

Clear and consistent tenant screening helps:

Ready to Apply?

Please review the tenant selection criteria carefully before submitting your application. Understanding the requirements in advance helps ensure a smoother application process.

If you have questions, our leasing team is available to help.

Equal Opportunity in Housing Statement

Our Policy

All real estate advertised herein is subject to the federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make such preference, limitation, or discrimination.

It is the policy of Heart Property Management to comply with Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, as amended, (commonly known as the Fair Housing Act) by ensuring that all units are available to all persons without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, disability, familial status, and sex. Heart Property Management understands further that local ordinances may include other protected classes. This policy means that among other things, our company, and all of our agents and employees that have responsibility for renting, managing, or administering any dwelling units must not discriminate in any aspect of the rental of dwellings against qualified applicants or tenants because of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, familial status, sex, or additional protected classes as instituted on a state or local level. Our agents and employees may not:

  1. Refuse to rent, or negotiate for the rental of, or otherwise make unavailable or deny, a dwelling to any person because of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, familial status, sex or additional protected classes as instituted on a state or local level;
  2. Discriminate against any person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of rental of a dwelling, or in the provision of services or facilities in connection therewith, because of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, familial status, sex, or additional protected classes as instituted on a state or local level;
  3. Make, print, or publish, or cause to be made, printed, or published any notice, statement, or advertisement, with respect to the rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, disability, sex, or additional protected classes as instituted on a state or local level; or
  4. Represent to persons because of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, familial status, sex, or additional protected classes as instituted on a state or local level that any dwelling is not available for inspection or rental when such dwelling is in fact so available.

This Policy prohibits any form of harassment or discrimination based on any of the protected classes identified above. Words or conduct that are related to any protected category, and are offensive to a recipient or reasonable person, based on a person’s’ protected status, are prohibited and a violation of policy.

Applicants, residents, and employees are encouraged to report any violation of this Policy to a supervisor or other officer or manager of the Company for investigation and appropriate action. No retaliatory action will be taken against any person who reasonably and in good faith reports words or conduct which he or she believes may violate this Policy. No retaliatory action will be taken against any individual who in good faith assists or participates in any investigation, proceeding, or hearing relating to a harassment or discrimination complaint.

Any action taken by an agent or employee that results in unequal service, treatment, or behavior to applicants or tenants on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, sex, or additional protected classes as instituted on a state or local level may constitute a violation of state and federal fair housing laws.

The Law

When it comes to buying, selling or leasing a home or renting property, several state and federal laws were enacted to ensure the equal opportunity in housing for all people. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 prohibits all racial discrimination in the sale or rental of property. Moreover, the Fair Housing Act declares a national policy of fair housing throughout the United States, making illegal any discrimination in the sale, lease or rental of housing, or making housing otherwise unavailable, because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.

Other laws also impact the purchase, sale or lease of a home or renting an apartment. Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in places of public accommodations and commercial facilities. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act makes discrimination unlawful with respect to any aspect of a credit application on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age or because all or part of the applicant’s income derives from any public assistance program.

In addition, state and local laws often provide broader coverage and prohibit discrimination based on additional classes not covered by federal law.

As a home seller or landlord you have a responsibility and a requirement under the law not to discriminate in the sale, rental and financing of property on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. You cannot instruct the licensed broker or salesperson acting as your agent to convey for you any limitations in the sale or rental because the real estate professional is bound by law not to discriminate. Agents in a real estate transaction also are prohibited by law from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. They are prohibited from complying with a request from the home seller or landlord to act in a discriminatory manner in the sale, lease or rental. Moreover, a home seller or landlord cannot establish discriminatory terms or conditions in the purchase or rental, deny that housing is available, or advertise that the property is available only to persons of a certain race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national original.

As someone seeking to purchase a home or rent an apartment, you have the right to expect that housing will be available to you without discrimination or other limitations based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. This includes the right to expect equal professional service, the opportunity to consider a broad range of housing choices, no discriminatory limitations on communities or locations of housing, no discrimination in the financing, appraising, or insuring of housing, reasonable accommodations in rules, practices and procedures for persons with disabilities, and to be free from harassment or intimidation for exercising your fair housing rights.

IF YOU SUSPECT DISCRIMINATION

Despite our zero tolerance policy, much of the information regarding real estate and related matters in this Web Site is provided by third parties or via hyperlink to third party sites. As such, there may be an instance of potential discrimination by these third parties that we are not yet aware of. If you suspect discrimination by one of these sites, please contact our staff at team@heartpm.com

Complaints alleging discrimination in housing may be filed with the nearest office of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), or by calling HUD’s toll free number, 1-800-669-9777 (voice), or 1-800-543-8294 (TDD).

You can contact HUD on the internet at http://www.hud.gov/

Policies

Renter’s Insurance: Landlord is not liable for any loss to Tenant’s personal property due to fire, theft, water damage, or any other act of nature. Throughout the term of this lease and any renewal term(s), Tenant shall maintain Renter’s Property and Liability Insurance with a minimum of $100,000.00. Tenant’s renter’s insurance policy shall name Landlord as an additional insured. At any time during this lease Landlord may request, and Tenant shall provide, proof of the required insurance within five (5) business days.

Pet Policy: Below is our standard pet policy. Some homes do not allow pets at all. Other homes may have additional requirements, such as weight restrictions, animal type restrictions (no cats or dogs, if the owner has allergies), or a limit on the number of pets allowed if it’s below our standard.

  1. All pets must submitted to and screened by PetScreening.com.
  2. Limit of 4 pets per property
  3. Pet agreement will contain the following requirements: (If applicable) Tenant will have carpets professionally cleaned (no self-service rental machines) cleaned after move-out and before surrender of property. Tenant must turn in copy of invoice as proof of carpet cleaning. Tenant will have home professionally treated for fleas. Tenant must turn in a copy of invoice as proof of flea treatment.
    Note, these rules will still apply to you even if your pet(s) are ESA(s).
  4. The following dog breeds are not allowed: Akita, American Bandogge Mastiff, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Boerboel, Chow Chow, Doberman, English Bull Terrier, Kyiapso, Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Presa Canarios, Rottweiler, Staffordshire Terrier, Wolf Hybrid
  5. One of the following must be submitted for each pet: Color photo of the tenant AND the pet together in the same photo; entire pet must be visible in the frame OR Vet records indicating breed, age, weight of the pet along with the tenant’s name.