Rental Criteria for Homes Outside of Portland City Limits

Occupancy Policy:

1.      Occupancy is based on the number of bedrooms in a unit. (A bedroom is defined as a habitable room that is intended to be used primarily for sleeping purposes, contains at least 70 square feet and is configured so as to take the need for a fire exit into account.)

2.      The general rule is two persons are allowed per bedroom. Owner/Agent may adopt a more liberal occupancy standard based on factors such as size and configuration of the unit, size and configuration of the bedrooms, and whether any occupants will be infants.

General Statements:

1. Current, positive, government-issued photo ID that allows Owner/Agent to adequately screen for criminal and credit history will be required.

2. Each applicant will be required to qualify individually or as per specific criteria areas (but for income, which is at the discretion of the landlord)

3. Inaccurate, incomplete or falsified information will be grounds for denial of the application.

4. Any applicant currently using illegal drugs will be denied. If approved for tenancy and later illegal drug use is confirmed, termination shall result.

5. Any individual whose tenancy may constitute a direct threat to the health and safety of any individual, the premises, or the property of others will be denied tenancy.

6. Applicants have the right to a refund of the screening charge paid in conjunction with this application and recover damages as set forth in ORS 90.295(5) and (6)(b).

Income Criteria:

1.      Monthly income should be at least 3 times stated rent*, and must be from a verifiable, legal source. If applicant’s monthly income is between two and a half and three times the stated rent, applicant will be required to pay an additional security deposit equal to a half month's rent, or provide acceptable co-signers. Income below two and a half times the stated rent will result in denial, unless an acceptable co-signer is provided.

2.      Twelve months of verifiable employment will be required if used as a source of income. Less than 12 months verifiable employment will require an additional security deposit or acceptable co-signer.

3.      Applicants using self-employment income will have their records verified through the state corporation commission, and will be required to submit records to verify their income, which records may include the previous year's tax returns.

IMPORTANT! Housing Assistance

*If applicant will be using local, state or federal housing assistance as a source of income, “stated rent” as used in this section means the portion of the rent that will be payable by the applicant and excludes any portion of the rent paid through the assistance program, please note;

  • All documents must be current, valid and pre approved by your case manager for the dwelling you are applying for, this includes but is not limited to; Award certificate, letter, contract and/or all other verifiable documentation that must be submitted with the rental application in order to be considered complete.

Rental History Criteria:

1.      Twelve months of verifiable contractual rental history from a current unrelated, third-party landlord, or home ownership, is required. Less than twelve months verifiable rental history will require and additional security deposit or acceptable co-signer.

2.      Three or more notices for nonpayment of rent within one year will result in denial of the application.

3.      Three or more dishonored checks within one year will result in denial of the application.

4.      Rental history reflecting any past due and unpaid balances to a landlord will result in denial of the application except for unpaid rent, including rent reflected in judgements or referrals of debt to a collection agency, that accrued on or after April 1, 2020, and before March 1, 2022.

5.      Rental history including three or more noise disturbances or any other material non-compliance with the rental agreement or rules within the past two years will result in a denial

Eviction History Criteria:

Five years of eviction-free history is required except for general eviction judgements entered on claims that arose on or after April 1, 2020 and before March 1, 2022. Eviction actions that were dismissed or resulted in a judgement for the applicant will not be considered.

Credit Criteria:

1.      A minimum 600 credit score is required. Credit score below 600 will result in denial of the application.

2.      Ten or more unpaid collections (not related to medical expenses) will result in denial of the application.

Rent Well Graduates:

If applicant fails to meet any criteria related to credit, evictions and/or rental history, and applicant has received a certificate indicating satisfactory completion of a tenant training program such as “Rent Well”, Owner/Agent will consider whether the course content, instructor comments and any other information supplied by applicant is sufficient to demonstrate that the applicant is sufficient to demonstrate that applicant will successfully live in the complex in compliance with the Rental Agreement. Based on this information, Owner/Agent may waive strict compliance with credit, eviction and/or rental history screening for this applicant.

Fair Housing Laws:

Landlord has a non-discrimination policy as required by federal, state or local law and does not discriminate against any applicant because of the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, marital status, familial status or source of income of the applicant.

Criminal Conviction Criteria:

Upon receipt of the Rental Application and the screening fee, Owner/Agent will conduct a search of public records to determine whether applicant or any proposed resident or occupant has a “Conviction” (which means: charges pending as of the date of the application; a conviction; a guilty plea; or no contest plea), for any of the following crimes as provided in ORS 90.303(3): drug related crime; person crime; sex offense; crime involving financial fraud, including identity theft and forgery; or any other crime if the conduct for which applicant was convicted or is charged is of a nature that would adversely affect property of the landlord or a tenant or the health, safety or right of peaceful enjoyment of the premises of residents, the landlord or the landlord’s agent. Owner/Agent will not consider a previous arrest that did not result in a Conviction or expunged records.

If applicant, or any proposed occupant, has a Conviction in their past which would disqualify them under these criminal conviction criteria, and desires to submit additional information to Owner/Agent along with the application so Owner/Agent can engage in an individualized assessment (described below) upon receipt of the results of the public records search and prior to denial, applicant should do so. Otherwise, applicant may request the review process after denial as set forth below, however, see item (C) under “Criminal Conviction Review Process” below regarding holding the unit.

A single Conviction for any of the following, subject to the results of any review process, shall be grounds for denial of the Rental Application.

A) Felonies involving: murder, manslaughter, arson, rape, kidnapping, child sex crimes, or manufacturing or distribution of a controlled substance.

B) Felonies not listed above involving: drug-related crime; person crime; sex offense; crime involving financial fraud, including identity theft and forgery; or any other crime if the conduct for which applicant was convicted or is charged would adversely affect property of the landlord or a tenant or the health, safety or right of peaceful enjoyment of the premises of residents, the landlord or the landlord’s agent, where the disposition has occurred in the last 7 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, where the date of disposition has occurred within the last 5 years.

D) Misdemeanors not listed above involving: theft, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, property crimes or any other crime if the conduct for which applicant was convicted or is charged would adversely affect property of the landlord or a tenant or the health, safety or right of peaceful enjoyment of the premises of residents, the landlord or the landlord’s agent, where the disposition has occurred in the last 3 years.

 E) Conviction of any crime that requires lifetime registration as a sex offender, or for which applicant is currently registered as a sex offender, will result in denial.

Criminal Conviction Review Process:

Owner/Agent will engage in an individualized assessment of the applicant’s, or other proposed occupants convictions, if applicant has satisfied all other criteria (the denial was based solely on one or more convictions) as required by local, state and federal law, and:

(1) Applicant has submitted supporting documentation prior to the public records search; or

(2) Applicant is denied based on failure to satisfy these criminal criteria and has submitted a written request along with supporting documentation.

Supporting documentation may include:

I) Letter from parole or probation office;

II) Letter from caseworker, therapist, counselor, etc.;

III) Certifications of treatments/rehab programs;

IV) Letter from employer, teacher, etc.

V) Certification of trainings completed;

VI) Proof of employment; and

VII) Statement of the applicant.

Landlord will also perform and individualized assessment, if no supplemental information is received as required by any local, state or federal law. Owner/Agent will:

                (A) Consider relevant individualized evidence of mitigating factors, which may include: the facts or circumstances surrounding the criminal conduct; the age of the convicted person at the time of the conduct; time since the criminal conduct; time since release from incarceration or completion of parole; evidence that the individual has maintained a good tenant history before and/or after the conviction or conduct; and evidence of rehabilitation efforts. Owner/Agent may request additional information and may consider whether there have been multiple Convictions as part of this process.

                 (B) Notify applicant of the results of Owner/Agent’s review within a reasonable time after receipt of all required information.

                 (C) Hold the unit for which the application was received for a reasonable time under all the circumstances to complete the review unless prior to receipt of the applicant’s  written request (if made after denial) the unit was committed to another applicant.

 

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