Application Processing Policy
Ellicott Development Company and the property owners for whom it provides management services are equal opportunity landlords. We comply with the Federal Fair Housing Act and New York State Department of Human Rights Law. We do not discriminate against any person because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, familial status, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military status, creed, marital status or source of income.
We welcome all persons to apply to become a tenant (or if applicable, a purchaser*) but present the below criteria in an attempt to inform the applicant of the requirements so that they can make an informed decision of whether they believe they can qualify as a tenant. Each adult over the age of 18 must submit an application, regardless of marital status. Each applicant is subject to a criminal/credit check and shall be charged for such check in an amount up to $20.00. Approval shall be based on the below rental criteria.
REQUIRED SUPPORTIVE DOCUMENTATION:
- signed and acknowledged Fair Housing notice
- signed residential lease application
- payment of criminal/credit check fee
- valid driver’s license or another form of photo ID for each application submitted
- verifiable proof of income (minimum 1 month of paystubs or 2 years of tax returns if self-employed/1099 and bank statements)
- *prospective purchasers are not required to sign an exclusive broker agreement nor provide pre-approval for a mortgage loan
RENTAL CRITERIA:
- INCOME HISTORY AND VERIFICATION: Applicants must be able to prove a combined monthly income of at least 3 times the monthly rent in writing. All legal sources of income, including but not limited to unemployment, child support and Social Security Income can be counted if verified in writing. If you are a full-time student, you will be required to have a co-signer.
- CREDIT HISTORY: in order to determine credit worthiness, each applicant’s FICO score will be obtained. Credit history cannot have any outstanding balances to utility companies or active bankruptcy that has not been discharged. Applicants must have a credit score of 650 or higher and must have excellent income and rental history. Scores below 650 can sometimes be approved with conditions, such as providing a co-signer. Applicants that have a non-existent credit rating may result in denial or require a co-signer. Applicants with an open bankruptcy will automatically be denied. All information showing on the credit report, except for eviction history, is subject to verification, including previous address and place of employment. Credit reports supplied by applicants will not be accepted if they are more than 30 days old.
- CO-SIGNERS: co-signers must have a credit score of no less than 650 and provide income statement of at least 3 times the monthly rent amount.
- RENTAL HISTORY AND VERIFICATION: two years of good rental history is required. If applicant has no prior rental history, a co-signer will be required, unless applicant owned a house previously and otherwise qualifies under the standards set forth herein.
- EMPLOYMENT HISTORY AND VERIFICATION: minimum 1 month of paystubs or 2 years of tax returns if self-employed or 1099 are required. If applicant is a company, the lease must be personally guaranteed by an individual.
- CRIMINAL BACKGROUND SEARCH: Ellicott Development Company and its affiliates follow the rules and regulations provided for in HUD guidance issued on April 4. 2016 in regard to the use of criminal records by providers of housing. Since each applicant has differing history, Ellicott Development Company and its affiliates require that an application be submitted before a determination can be made. We welcome all to apply. All felony convictions within the last 7 years will be considered at the discretion of management except the following offense which is cause for automatic denial:
- Felony drug distribution and/or manufacturing
- ANIMAL CRITERIA: all Ellicott Development Company properties are pet-friendly. Pet type, size and breed information are required with application, and if the application is approved and a lease is signed, additional insurance will be required.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
Applications can be completed in person or online. Landlord will check your credit report, employment references and rental references to confirm that our rental criteria are met. If an applicant meets the criteria, the application will be approved. This process can take 1-5 business days, depending on the availability of references. In the event of multiple and equally qualified applicants, Landlord subscribes to a “first in, first approved” policy. Delay in processing because of unverifiable references will cause Landlord to consider the next applicant submitted. Landlord will rent the apartment to the first applicant that meets our criteria. A property is not considered rented until the lease is fully executed and all required move-in funds are paid to Landlord.
If applicant’s application is approved, the applicant will have 2 business days to confirm the intent to rent the apartment by signing the lease and paying the security deposit. If the lease is not signed within 48 hours of delivery, Landlord reserves the right to start accepting applications for the apartment. The security deposit shall be in the form of a money order, check, online payment or cash.
If the application is denied, the criminal/credit check fee will not be refunded. If your application was not accepted due to your credit or criminal background check, applicant shall be mailed an Adverse Action Notice, which shall include:
- the name, address and phone number of the consumer reporting agency that provided the report
- a statement that the decision to reject the application was the landlord’s and not related to the consumer reporting agency
- information detailing an applicant’s right to argue the accuracy or completeness of the report. It should also let the applicant know that the applicant can get a free report from the same consumer reporting agency if the applicant requests one within 60 days of receiving the Adverse Action Notice
If you have any other questions please contact your leasing agent
or call our leasing office at, 716-854-0060.
Fill out our Residential Lease Application
