Renting With Us

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Each applicant must have an individual credit score of 600 or higher. If any applicant in a group falls below 600, the entire application will be declined.

Applications will be declined due to past-due balances, general collections, charge-offs, or bankruptcies filed within the past 5 years.

An "Unable to Score" status requires a qualified co-signer if all other criteria are met. Without an approved co-signer, the application will be declined. See the Co-Signers section for details.

Credit scores and monthly expenses are evaluated using reports from AppFolio, typically sourced from Experian. Reports or scores from outside sources such as Credit Karma cannot be accepted.

If your credit score changes within the 90-day application period, a new application and application fee will be required.

Gross income must be at least three times the monthly rent, while also maintaining an acceptable debt load based on your credit report.

Income must be reliable and verifiable. Investment income, including bank balances, stocks, day trading, and cryptocurrency, does not count toward qualifying income.

Accepted documentation:

• Standard employment: two most recent pay stubs showing the employer's name, applicant's name, pay rate, hours worked, pay period date range, and pay date
• New job: a offer acceptance letter signed by the applicant stating their name, start date, and anticipated monthly or annual gross income
• Job transfer: letter from your employer stating the applicant's name, transfer date, and expected monthly gross income
• Self-employment: the applicant's tax returns from the last two years, including Schedule C
• Social Security or pension: official benefit letters stating the applicant's name, benefit amount, and effective date range

Documentation that cannot be accepted:

• Bank statements
• Venmo, PayPal, Apple Cash, or similar payment apps
• Screenshots of pay stubs
• Unsigned job offer letters
• W-2s for standard employment verification
• Transcripts from payment platforms such as Lyft or Uber (PDF copies from your platform's support team showing your name, pay amount, and date range are accepted)
• Bank statements showing pension or Social Security deposits (an official letter from the SSA or pension controller is required)

A general rule: if income is not reported for tax purposes, it cannot be accepted as verified income.

Helpful Links:

Documentation Examples

Obtain Social Security Benefits Letter

Applicants must have been employed with the same employer for at least 12 continuous months in the job they will hold while living in the residence. Time at previous employers does not count toward this requirement.

Applicants who meet all other requirements but do not meet the employment length requirement have two options: provide a qualified co-signer, or if the credit score for the applicant (or group average) is 700 or higher, pay a double security deposit in place of a co-signer.

At least one adult in the group must meet both the income and employment requirements independently. If only one applicant has a qualifying source of income and employment and the other adult household member does not, a co-signer will be required, even if the qualifying applicant can meet the full income and debt obligations of the household alone.

Do not have someone submit a co-signer application unless we have requested one. Co-signers are only permitted in specific situations, including: credit report returns "Unable to Score," applicant does not meet the employment length requirement, full-time student applicants, or group applications where one adult does not have qualifying income or employment but meets all other criteria.

A co-signer must: pay the standard application fee, have a credit score of 680 or higher, be actively employed with the same employer for at least 12 months (may not be retired), have gross income at least three times the rent and a manageable debt load based on expenses from the credit report and the applicant's rent, have no past-due balances, collections, or charge-offs, and have no bankruptcies. Co-signers may not also be a co-applicant.

A co-signer cannot compensate for an applicant's income (except for full-time students), a credit score below 600, or past-due balances, collections, or charge-offs on an applicant's credit report.

Common reasons include: did not meet income or debt-load requirements, was not actively employed, or is retired. In cases where a co-signer's shared expenses with a partner inflate their apparent debt load, both individuals may apply as co-signers. Each must submit their own application and pay the application fee.

Full-time students may use a qualified co-signer to take responsibility for rent payments during their lease. This shifts the income requirement to the co-signer, assisting students who may not have sufficient income or who return "Unable to Score" on their credit report during their enrollment period. This is the only situation where a co-signer may compensate for an applicant's income.

An official letter from your academic institution confirming full-time enrollment (at least 12 credit hours) for the full lease term must be submitted with your application. To obtain this letter, contact your institution's admissions office, student affairs office, or registrar's office.

Transcripts, class schedules, certificates of enrollment, acceptance letters, and emails (such as welcome or acceptance messages) are not accepted. Applications submitted without this letter will be declined.

Yes. Students must still meet all other application requirements, including a credit score of 600 or higher (or an "Unable to Score" status), no past-due balances, collections, or charge-offs, and satisfactory background and eviction check results.

No. This option is only available when all applicants listed on the lease are full-time students. If any applicant is not a full-time student, the standard application process applies.

Applicants must provide at least 4 years of rental history with their application. Providing additional history beyond this is encouraged, as it gives us a more complete picture of your renting background.

To complete verification, you must include contact information for each previous landlord — specifically, an email address. Our rental software will send a verification form directly to each landlord. If your landlord uses a third-party verification service, you will need to work with them to ensure the verification is completed through our email form instead.

If you currently live with family or friends, or have never rented independently, you are still required to provide residential history for the applicable period. For each address where you lived with family or friends, provide the property owner's name, phone number, and email address so that a verification form can be sent to them directly. When completing your application, select the Rent option for these entries and enter the owner's contact information in place of a landlord's.

Background history searches are conducted as part of the application process. Findings related to forgery, assault, drug-related offenses, or other significant results may impact eligibility.

Evictions within the past 7 years will result in disqualification. Poor responses from current or past landlords may also lead to disqualification.

Yes. Inappropriate, aggressive, or rude behavior during the application process may result in denial.

Occupancy is limited to two persons per bedroom, with no more than three unrelated individuals per unit.

Before bringing any animal into the residence, contact our office to confirm whether the property allows pets and any applicable restrictions. Then complete an animal profile at fultonmo.petscreening.com, providing vaccination records and veterinarian information. Notify us once your profile has been submitted. Incomplete profiles will be declined. Any necessary fees and pet rent will be applied to resident account, and once paid the animal would be permitted.

No. Wait until you are notified to complete the PetScreening process, as the service charges a fee for standard pet owners. There is no fee for Service Animals, Emotional Support Animals, or applicants without pets.

If a household pet is approved, a non-refundable pet fee of $300 per pet and a monthly pet rent of $20 per pet will apply. A maximum of 3 pets per residence is permitted, subject to property-specific restrictions. PetScreening-approved assistance and service animals are not subject to standard pet fees. Permitted quantity of pets, fee amounts, and pet rent may vary by property, please check with a leasing agent for further details.

The application fee covers the cost of obtaining background and credit reports processed through AppFolio. The fee is non-refundable.

Applications are valid for 90 days from the date of submission and can be applied to any property we manage during that period.

Yes. Co-signers must also pay the standard application fee, as a separate report is run for each applicant.

If your application contains an error such as an incorrect Social Security Number, a new application with the correct information and a new application fee will be required.

With an approved application, showings are generally available on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM. For occupied units, at least 24 hours notice is given to current residents.

No. Employment and rental verification is completed via an email form sent directly to your employer or landlord. If your employer or landlord uses a third-party service such as The Work Number, you will need to work with them to ensure verification is completed through our email form.

The process follows these steps:

1. Submit your application on the listing page after reviewing the requirements. Missing details or documents will cause delays or declines.
2. We carefully review all applications and notify you of the decision. Initial processing typically takes 3 to 5 business days.
3. Once approved, we will work to schedule a showing for you to view the property.
4. After the showing, you will let us know if you would like to move forward with the leasing process.
5. For properties with multiple interested applicants, we select the most qualified candidate. For properties listed but not managed by us, the owner has the option to review the application before proceeding.
6. Your application is valid for 90 days and can be applied to any property we manage during that time.

Submitting an application does not guarantee approval or property availability. Application fees are non-refundable.

Initial processing typically takes 3 to 5 business days and may take longer during high-volume periods. After the initial response, our team typically responds to messages within 1 to 2 business days. For all application-related inquiries, contact us at leasing@fultonmo.com. Using a single point of contact ensures your messages are tracked and responded to in a timely manner.

Yes. If your application is approved, we will reach out to schedule a showing for the property you applied to. At that time, you can also let us know if there are other properties you would like to be considered for. If you find another property you would like to tour within the 90-day window of application submission, email us at leasing@fultonmo.com with the address, and we will follow up about next steps.

Yes. Showings are only scheduled with an approved application.

Leases run for 12-month periods, unless otherwise stated in the property listing description.

We do not hold units. A signed lease agreement and paid security deposit allow a maximum of seven days before the lease begins based on unit availability. After this period, rent payments must commence and residents are required to have insurance and utilities activated in their name. This policy may not apply to properties listed but not managed by our company.

Our standard security deposit is typically equal to one month's rent. The exact amount may vary depending on the results of employment length and credit check. Please feel free to inquire if you are unsure.

Utilities are generally not included in most of our rentals. If any utilities are included, this will be clearly indicated in the property listing details. 

For average utility costs, you can typically contact the utility provider listed on the property listing page. For a directory of local utility providers, visit fultonmo.com/utility-services.

Yes. All residents are required to maintain renter's insurance with a minimum coverage of $100,000. For guidance on obtaining a qualified policy, we recommend consulting a licensed insurance agent. For properties we manage, you are also able to purchase insurance through AppFolio.

For single-family homes, residents are typically responsible for lawn care unless otherwise stated in the lease. Lawn care is usually included for multi-family residences.

Most of the properties we manage do not accept HUD/Section 8 vouchers. Please refer to the property listing description for specific details, or contact us at leasing@fultonmo.com with questions.

Approved applicants will be contacted to schedule a showing. After the showing, you will confirm your interest. For properties with multiple interested applicants, the most qualified candidate is selected.

A letter sent via AppFolio will outline the decision in detail. The same criteria are applied to all applicants uniformly. Additional deposits, co-signers, or upfront payments cannot be accepted in place of meeting the application requirements.

In group applications, our system typically notifies only the applicant whose information led to the denial. If you are unsure of the reason for a decline, connect with the other applicants for clarification.

A declined applicant may be removed from the group application. However, the declined individual is not permitted to reside in the home. Anyone 18 or older who has not been approved through the standard application process and added to the lease may not reside in the residence.

No. Some properties are in high demand. Another applicant may complete their process and secure the property before you do. Occasionally, a property may be removed from our site without prior notice. Your 90-day application remains valid for any other available property during that period.