Rental Application Approval Guidelines

Application

• Each household member age 18 or older must complete a separate application and pay a non-refundable $25 fee for processing each application and background check.
• You must fully complete all portions of the application or provide an explanation acceptable to Strong Blocks as to why all portions of the application are not complete.
• You must be at least 18 years of age.
• A government-issued photo identification must accompany each application. The applicant must be able to legally reside in the US for the duration of the lease.
• You must have a valid social security number or assigned ITIN number.
• Previous 3 years of housing history required (fill in the gaps even when not paying rent);
• If you misrepresent any information in your application or otherwise you will be denied. Verbal or stated occupants (at showing, in person, or another form of communication) different than application is also grounds for denial.
• If Strong Blocks is unable to verify any information on your rental application, including but not limited to, your prior rental history and your employment, you will be denied.

Income

• Your gross monthly combined household income must be at least 3 times the monthly rental amount; Unemployment insurance payments are not included in calculation.
• You must provide employer contact information for any jobs you would like to be considered.
• If you are approved for rent assistance, can verify your voucher amount, and are applying for a traditional rental unit, gross monthly household income must be at least 2.25 times the monthly rental amount. Rent to own program applicants receiving rent assistance are still required to earn 3 times combined monthly income. Rent assistance payments are added to income as part of the affordability calculation.
• You must provide proof of your income which is dated within the past 30 days.
• If you are self-employed, you must provide your most recent tax filing, including copies of any 1099s, to verify your income.
• If you are employed, you must have been employed at your current job for at least 4 months, changed jobs into the same field with combined employment from current job and prior job of at least 4 months and provide your prior employer's information, or, if recently graduated with a certificate program or degree requiring more than 12 months of education that is related to your current job of less than 4 months, you must provide proof of your degree or certification including date obtained and name of your certificate program or degree and proof of being hired or your first paycheck.

Rental History

• Current and prior landlords within the last 3 years required.
• Any negative reference from a landlord will cause you to be denied.
• No evictions filed, regardless of the outcome, during the last 3 years.
• No unpaid landlords in the last 7 years without proof acceptable to Strong Blocks of a payment plan in place.
• Any applicant with less than 12 months of history of being a signer of a lease shall be considered a first time renter and must have a qualified co-signer (must also get another adult to submit a complete application, fee, and backup docs that is approved).

Credit Check

• A credit check will be completed. Your credit score will not be a determining factor, only the amount of debt shall not interfere with payment of rent.
• No unpaid Utilities more than 90 days late without proof of a payment plan in place and the initial payment on the payment plan paid.

Criminal Background Check

• A national background check will be processed on all members of household age 18 or older.
• If any household member has been convicted of illegally manufacturing or distributing a controlled substance as defined in sec 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802) within the last 7 years you will be denied.
• If any household member has been convicted of any crime within the last 3 years that shows a demonstrable risk to tenant/staff safety and/or property you may be denied after consideration of the nature and severity of the crime, the age of the individual at the time of the conduct, and the amount of time that has passed since the criminal conduct occurred. Other factors may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Applicants shall provide any information or documentation that they would like Strong Blocks to consider regarding the conviction.
• If any household member is subject to a state lifetime sex offender registration program or has been convicted of any terrorism-related offenses you will be denied.
• Open Criminal Charges: If any household member has a pending criminal charge for a crime that shows a demonstrable risk to tenant/staff safety and/or property, the application may be placed on hold for review pending resolution of the case. This decision will be made after considering the nature and severity of the alleged conduct. Applicants may provide any information or documentation that they would like Strong Blocks to consider regarding the pending matter.

Pet Policy

• Household Pets
  Must complete a pet profile with https://strongblocks.petscreening.com/ (opens in a new tab) before any application is considered complete. Pet screening is a required part of the application process for all applicants. If you have a pet there is an additional pet application that is administered by a third-party animal screening tool. Additional fees may apply to pet owners - please read below for specific restrictions and requirements for dogs and cats.
  • DOGS
  • Records of shots, poundage, breed, tags, license, and registration are required to be provided yearly to Strong Blocks for all approved dogs;
  • Renters insurance coverage including the dog(s) and proper signage stating "Beware of Dog" or "Dog on Premises" will be required and paid for by resident prior to move in;
  • Pit bulls or similar breed of dogs will only be allowed if the resident or applicant is willing to pay for the significant additional costs including but not limited to fencing, signage, and property insurance coverage. These requests can be approved, but any applicant or resident requesting to live with a pit bull should be prepared for a significant up-front cost and monthly pet charges in addition to costs for signage and fencing.
  • CATS
  • Records of male cats being neutered, female cats being spayed, and all cats being declawed are required to be provided yearly to Strong Blocks for all approved cats;
  • Renters insurance coverage including the cat(s) will be required and paid for by resident prior to move in;
  • Up to 2 cats will be allowed as long as the cats have been declawed and spayed/neutered with a monthly pet rent for each cat plus a one-time non-refundable pet move in fee for each cat;
• ESA Pets
  Must complete a pet profile with https://strongblocks.petscreening.com/ (opens in a new tab) before any application is considered complete. Pet screening is a required part of the application process for all applicants. If you have an assistance animal, you will need to submit the required documentation through the same website.

Other Guidelines

• On units with multiple approved applications, trade lines on all credit reports, income, and reliability of income, and length of prior residency will be reviewed and considered to select the strongest application for placement.
• Emergency Assistance is not accepted for initial security deposit or rent payment
• A "Primary Applicant" shall be defined as the primary individual or individuals who are 1) applying for the unit; 2) making decisions on behalf of the household as it pertains to the lease; 3) serving as primary point(s) of contact for the household. A "Secondary Applicant" shall be defined as any adults applying to live in the unit who at the time of the application are not classified as a "Primary Applicant". A household must have at least one approved "Primary Applicant" to be qualified. All "Secondary Applicant" adults are required to be put on the lease. These applicants shall have the same requirements as the "Primary Applicant" except shall not be required to be approved for "Income" or "Rental History" sections above.

IMPORTANT: Until a lease is executed for the particular property, management will continue to accept applications. Even approval of an application does not guarantee placement unless a lease is executed. A subsequent application may be approved in a quicker time frame depending on the quality of the applicant in terms of credit, income, reliability of income, and length of prior residency. Applicants will be notified of their application results and placement once the application is complete and fully processed. All applicants must be well-qualified and meet certain financial and personal standards.

Applications are processed in the order they are received. The only exception is that preference is given to the households able to take occupancy soonest. Application approval time frame depends on the accuracy of the information provided.

If you are not the first completed and qualified application on a home, you will have the option to move your application to any of our other listings without needing to reapply. Once completed and approved, your application will be good with us up to 90 days from the date you applied.

All application status updates will be sent via email or text message. We will work as quickly as possible to review your information and provide our final decision.

DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION WITHOUT READING AND AGREEING TO THE ABOVE INFORMATION.

By submitting an application, you agree to all the terms of our rental criteria, you understand that you may or may not be awarded the home based on the first completed and qualified application in accordance with Federal Fair Housing Law, and you acknowledge that application fees are not refundable under any circumstance.

DATE STARTED USING: 9/3/2026
DATE ENDED USING: