Tenant Selection Criteria

Every application is evaluated against the written standards below, in the order listed, and every applicant is held to the same standards. We are an equal housing opportunity provider. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, or any class protected by the Illinois Human Rights Act — including source of income. Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) are welcome.

1. Application Process

• Each person 18 or older who will live in the unit must complete an application and show government-issued photo ID.
• Applications are processed in the order received; the first applicant who meets all criteria is offered the unit.
• Screening happens in two steps: income, references, and application information are reviewed first. For applicants who meet those criteria, a screening report — credit, eviction, and criminal history together — is obtained with written authorization.
• Showings may be rescheduled with advance notice. Applicants who fail to appear for a scheduled showing without notice ("no call, no show") will no longer be considered.
• Providing false or incomplete information is grounds for denial.

2. Documents to Have Ready

Bringing these to your showing speeds everything up. Every applicant 18 or older provides the same items:

• Photo ID: any valid government-issued photo ID (state ID, driver's license, or passport from any country).
• Proof of income, matched to your income source(s): employment — 2 recent pay stubs (we will also send a written verification of employment to your employer) or an offer letter; self-employment — most recent tax return and 2–3 months of bank statements; Social Security, SSI/SSDI, or retirement — current award or benefit letter; child support — the order plus evidence of receipt; Housing Choice Voucher — your voucher paperwork showing your portion of the rent. Account numbers and unrelated transactions may be redacted.
• Landlord references: names and phone numbers for your current and prior landlords (collected on the application).
• Optional — reusable tenant screening report: if you have a screening report prepared within the last 30 days that we can verify directly with the screening company at no cost, and it covers everything our screening consistently uses, no screening fee will be charged (765 ILCS 705/25). We may ask you to certify in writing that nothing material has changed, and we may still process our own screening at our own expense.

3. Income

• Verifiable income from any lawful source — employment, self-employment, Social Security, SSI/SSDI, retirement, child support, housing assistance, and others — is counted equally.
• Gross household income must be at least × the applicant's portion of the monthly rent. For voucher holders, this standard applies only to the portion of rent the applicant pays, not the full rent.
• A stable income history of approximately months is required. Employment income is verified by written verification of employment (WVOE) or recent pay stubs; other income by award letters, benefit statements, or bank statements.

4. Rental History

• No court-entered eviction judgments within the last years. Eviction filings that did not result in a judgment, and records sealed by law, are not considered.
• Rental history and references from current and prior landlords will be verified where available.
• Unpaid balances owed to prior landlords may be grounds for denial.

5. Credit & Debt

The screening report includes a credit review. There is no minimum credit score — we look at payment behavior relevant to renting, not the number itself. The following may be grounds for denial, or for a conditional approval (a co-signer or an additional deposit):

• Unpaid balances owed to landlords or utility providers.
• A pattern of recent collections, charge-offs, or serious delinquencies. Medical debt is never counted.
• Monthly debt obligations large enough that, after paying them, income no longer reasonably covers the applicant's share of the rent.
• An active bankruptcy that has not yet been discharged.

A discharged bankruptcy, older or isolated issues, a thin credit file, or problems explained by a one-time event are considered in context and are not automatically disqualifying.

6. Criminal History (Convictions Only)

Criminal history is obtained as part of the screening report described above and is evaluated only against the standards in this section. We never consider arrests that did not lead to conviction, juvenile records, or records that have been sealed or expunged. The following are presumptively disqualifying, subject to the individualized assessment below:

• A current obligation to register under the Sex Offender Registration Act of any state.
• A conviction within the last years for a violent offense against a person or property — including homicide, sex offenses, aggravated assault or battery, armed robbery, kidnapping, or arson.
• A conviction for the illegal manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance (42 U.S.C. § 3607(b)(4)).

Individualized assessment: Before a final decision based on criminal history, we consider the nature and severity of the offense, how much time has passed, the applicant's age at the time, and any evidence of rehabilitation. Applicants may submit mitigating information within business days of being notified, and it will be considered before the decision is final.

7. Occupancy, Deposit & Other Policies

• Security deposit: .

8. If an Application Is Denied

Applicants receive written notice of the decision. When a decision is based in whole or in part on a consumer/screening report, the notice identifies the screening company and explains the applicant's right to a free copy of the report and to dispute its accuracy, as required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.