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Screening Policy and Lease Guidelines

Patos Property Management is the exclusive agent and representative of the property owner and does not, in any respect, have any fiduciary or agency responsibilities to the applicant. We do business in accordance with Federal Fair Housing law, all Federal, State, and Local laws are followed, and each application is processed without regard to the race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, sexual orientation, national origin, or any other protected class of applicant.

Our staff of professionals are regularly trained and educated on the latest Local, State and Federal statutes pertaining to rental regulations.

GENERAL

Applicants must meet the minimum requirements set forth in this document. Each prospective occupant 18 years of age and older must complete an application and pay the non-refundable application fee of $50.00 (each) to cover the cost of screening prospective tenants according to the minimum screening criteria provided below.

Patos Property Management does not accept comprehensive, reusable tenant screening reports.

Patos Property Management will not accept applications until after the applicant or an agent for the applicant has physically inspected the interior of the premises to be leased.

COMPLETE APPLICATION

Once you have toured the inside of the property, an application will be considered complete for processing when all of the following have been received by Patos Property Management:

  1. A completed and signed application with payment for each prospective tenant or occupant over the age of 18.
  2. A copy of each applicant’s valid driver’s license or other government-issued photo ID
  3. A completed No Pet or Pet Profile at https://patospropertymgmt.petscreening.com

Once we receive the above documents and payments, we will discontinue soliciting additional applications until the screening process is complete.

If any of the above items are missing or not complete, we will continue marketing and soliciting new applications until all the above items are received.

PROCESSING

Applications are processed in the order received. Processing will normally be completed within 1-2 business days; however, it may take longer if complications arise such as difficulties contacting past landlords or employers.

All information on the application is subject to verification. Applications may be denied if the information is false or not verifiable.

In the event additional information is needed to process your application, you will be notified of what we need and have 72 hours to provide that information to Patos Property Management or the screening company. If the information is not provided on time, the application may be rejected or considered incomplete.

If Application is Approved...

Once approved, you will be notified by phone or e-mail, and we will schedule a lease signing appointment. Each adult applicant must review and sign the lease and provide the initial move-in funds no later than one week from approval, unless otherwise agreed in writing. The prospective tenant will also be required to deposit 25% of the first month’s rent as a deposit to secure the unit. So long as the prospective tenant pays move-in costs as required, this deposit will be credited towards the prospective tenant’s first month rent or security deposit. If move-in costs are not paid as required, the prospective tenant will forfeit this deposit.

The offer to lease will be considered rejected by the applicant if the lease is not signed and fees not paid as required.

If Application is Conditionally Approved...

If minimum criteria are not met but there are mitigating circumstances, you may be approved with certain conditions attached such as an approved co-signor or an increased security deposit.

A requested co-signer may submit their application and sign the co-signer agreement to accept full financial responsibility along with the applicant.

In lieu of a co-signer, and at the landlord’s discretion, the applicant may pay an increased security deposit, payable at lease signing, up to the maximum allowed by law.

Once you have been notified of approval with conditions, you will have 24 hours (unless otherwise agreed in writing) to accept the conditions.

If application is Denied...

You will receive an adverse action letter that will advise you of how to contact the screening company to discuss the results on your screening report. This letter will advise you of how to obtain a copy of your consumer credit report and the organization to contact for more information and/or to dispute the accuracy of information appearing in the consumer report.

PET/ANIMAL POLICY

All applicants with or without an animal, including disability-related assistance animals in the home, are required to complete a No Pet or Pet Profile by following this link: https://patospropertymgmt.petscreening.com

This process ensures we have formalized pet and animal-related policy acknowledgments and more accurate records to create greater mutual accountability.

If the property owner agrees to allow a pet, the applicant could pay an additional security deposit, and/or non-refundable one-time fee, and/or monthly pet rent non-refundable fee. Verifiable disability-related assistance animals are exempt from this pet policy.

SECURITY DEPOSIT

The security deposit amount varies from property to property and must be paid at the time of lease signing. The amount of the required Security Deposit is listed on the online rental listing.

Patos provides this form as a convenience for emotional support animals and service animals. The landlord will approve service and emotional support animals consistent with the Federal Fair Housing Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Washington State Law Against Discrimination, and local fair housing laws.

MOVE-IN & OUT ADMINISTRATION FEE

As part of the required move-in funds, Patos Property Management will collect a non-refundable Move-In & Out Administration fee. The applicable fee is listed on the online rental advertisement.

MOVE-IN FUNDS

Move-in funds typically consist of Security Deposits, non-refundable move-in & out administration fee, first full month’s rent, and any prorated portion of a partial month, unless otherwise agreed.

Payment in full must be made at lease signing in the form of a Cashier’s Check or Money Order. Personal Checks will not be accepted unless received at least 10 business days before the move-in date so that it has time to clear the bank.

CONDITION

We believe we have a higher-than-normal standard in the preparation of our rental units, but our standards may or may not be equivalent to your standards.

If you see something that you don't like, or something that you would like added, please make your written request during the application process; we will gladly present it to the property owner.

If the property owner grants our request, the modification will be made prior to you taking occupancy or otherwise annotated on the rental agreement. Just prior to your move-in date, a condition report will be completed noting the existing condition of the property.

Please contact Patos Property Management via e-mail at info@patospm.com should you need a disability related reasonable accommodation to complete the application process or if you need additional time to communicate in English. We’ll be glad to assist as needed.

MINIMUM SCREENING CRITERIA

Applications are processed on a point system and scored based upon factors including, but not limited to rental history, income, employment, criminal and eviction history, resident/credit score and legal events.

If your application does not meet our minimum qualifications, an additional security deposit may be required. Please note you'll also be required to complete a profile for acknowledgment of not having or having pets on the property. Please visit https://patospropertymgmt.petscreening.com to complete the profile that matches your needs.

RENTAL HISTORY

  1. A minimum of 12 months of verifiable residence history from a third-party landlord is required.
  2. First time renters with no established credit may be conditionally approved requiring a co-signer and/or increased security deposit. A rental history demonstrating residency, but not by a third party, may require an increased security deposit or an approved co-signer.
  3. Any Unlawful Detainer or Eviction could result in denial.
  4. A rental history indicating past due amounts of rent or an unsatisfied money judgment to a previous or current landlord will result in denial.
  5. A rental history reflecting significant damage to the leased premises may result in denial.
  6. Rental history reflecting multiple complaints may result in application denial.

INCOME

Your monthly gross income from a legal source must be at least 2.5 times the monthly rent. We do combine all adults' income. And/Or, the monthly rent amount and all reported monthly debt amounts must not exceed 50% of the combined monthly gross income from a legal source(s). If the monthly income is less than 2.5 times or above 50% R&DTI, then an approved co-signer or qualified roommate will be required.

  1. All income must be verifiable and sustainable. If income is from W-2 employment, current employment must be verifiable.
  2. Self-employed applicants are required to provide the last two years of federal income tax returns and 12 months’ bank statements or the last 12 months of audited financial statements.
  3. Section 8 vouchers or other rent subsidies are not considered income but rather a reduction in rent and are acceptable provided all other screening criteria are met by the applicant.
  4. Alternative sources of income such as Social Security income, unemployment payments, and child support may be considered as income.
  5. If a co-signer is required, the co-signer’s verifiable monthly income shall equal at least 4 times the stated monthly rent with all credit lines in good standing.

CREDIT

All information showing on the credit report is subject to verification, including previous address and places of employment.

  1. All applicant(s) must have a combined average resident score of 675 or above. Similar to FICO or Vantage, TransUnion's ResidentScore is in a range of 350 to 850.
  2. Credit accounts or trade lines must be open for a minimum of six months and in good standing.
  3. If you have an open bankruptcy, we consider this a legal event, and the application will be denied.

CRIMINAL BACKGROUND

As part of our criminal background screening, we will be reviewing the following: History of criminal behavior such as drugs, sex offense, robbery, assault, active warrants, etc.

If you are a registered sex offender or were convicted of domestic violence, this will result in the denial of the application.

Felony convictions may result in the application being denied.

Any felonies involving persons or property within the prior 7 years will result in the denial of the application.

We look forward to receiving your application or hearing back from you with any questions!