Everything you need to know before renting a home.

Plan on verifiable gross income of at least 3 times the monthly rent. We add up the income of everyone on the application, so a couple can qualify together.

Gross means before taxes come out. Self-employment, commission, tips, child support, disability, retirement, and rental income all count. We just need documentation for it.

Yes, every adult applicant is screened. Credit is a factor, but it is not a deal breaker.

There is no single number that gets you in or keeps you out. Credit scores vary based on the homeowner, because each home belongs to an individual owner and that owner sets the requirement for their property. Strong income, steady employment, and a clean rental history carry real weight, and plenty of owners approve a lower score when the rest of the picture is solid.

We look at the whole report, not only the number. Medical debt is weighted lightly. Open collections from past landlords or utility companies are weighted heavily.

If your credit is not where you want it, tell us anyway. We may know a property whose owner will work with your situation.

So there are no surprises, here is what shows up in screening and weighs against an application:

• A recent eviction judgment
• Money owed to a previous landlord that has not been paid or settled
• Income or ID we cannot verify
• False information anywhere on the application
• Certain criminal convictions, reviewed case by case against the nature, seriousness, and age of the offense

Owners weigh these differently, and some will consider an explanation with documentation behind it. False information on the application is the one nobody overlooks.

We do not deny for source of income, for family size within occupancy limits, or for anything protected under fair housing law.

A filed eviction that was dismissed, or one that you settled, is not the same as a judgment against you. Tell us up front, bring the paperwork showing how it ended, and we will look at it honestly.

An unpaid judgment is the hardest one to get past, and most owners will not.

Approval varies by owner. Each home belongs to an individual owner, and it is the owner who decides whether that property participates in the voucher program. The listing will say, and we will confirm it for you before you apply.

Where a home does participate, voucher holders complete the same application and go through the same screening as everyone else. The income requirement is applied to your portion of the rent.

Sometimes, most often for students and first time renters with no credit history. A guarantor fills out an application, pays the fee, and needs strong credit plus income well above the standard requirement, usually around five times the rent.

A guarantor helps with thin credit. It does not fix a denial that is based on rental history. And whether a guarantor is accepted at all is the owner's decision.

Anyone over 18 years old who will live in the home needs to complete an application. That includes a spouse, an adult child, and a roommate who is not paying rent.

The home owner can make exceptions. An adult child still in school or a live in caregiver are the ones that come up most often. Ask us before you assume, and we will get an answer from the owner in writing.

• Government issued photo ID for each adult
• Your two most recent months of pay stubs. If you are self employed, last year's tax return plus your three most recent bank statements
• Contact information for your current and previous landlord
• Award or benefit letters for any income that does not come from a job

Clear phone photos are fine. Send everything at once, because a partial file sits and waits.

Approximately $50 per adult, and it is not refundable.

We run screening through MySmartMove.com and RentSpree.com. The exact amount is set by the screening service, so it can shift a little, and we will tell you the number before you submit. The fee covers the credit, background, and eviction search, and that cost is spent the moment the report is run, whether you are approved or not.

If you decide not to move forward, tell us before the screening is run and we will not process it.

Usually one to two business days once we have a complete file from every adult. The delay is almost always a previous landlord who has not called us back, so give your old landlord a heads up that we will be reaching out.

Yes, and we would rather you did. Call the office and we will set a showing. We do not ask for the application fee to show you a property.

A screening report generally stays good for about 30 days, so if the first home gets taken you can usually be considered for another one of our listings without paying again. RentSpree in particular lets you reuse your report while it is current.

Before you get keys, you pay the security deposit plus one full month of rent, along with any pet deposit. If you move in partway through a month, the prorated amount for those partial days is due on the first of your first full month.

Deposit and first month are paid by money order or certified funds. We cannot hold a home on a promise. Your lease controls how proration is calculated, so read that section before you sign.

Texas law gives the landlord 30 days after you move out and give a forwarding address in writing. Normal wear and tear comes out of the owner's pocket, not yours. Damage and unpaid rent come out of the deposit, with an itemized list.

Give the landlord your forwarding address in writing on move out day. Without it, the 30 day clock does not start.

In most of our rentals the tenant puts electric, water, gas, trash, and internet in their own name before move in day. A few properties include water or lawn care. The listing will say so, and the lease controls.

Bring your lease to AEP and to the City of Laredo Utilities Department to start service.

Most of our leases require it, with proof before you get keys. The common requirement is $100,000 in personal liability coverage, but the owner sets the amount, so check your lease for the exact number.

It usually runs $12 to $20 a month and it is the cheapest protection you will ever buy. The owner's policy covers the building, not your furniture.

It depends on the owner, and the listing will say. Where pets are welcome, the pet deposit generally runs $250 to $500 per pet.

How that money is treated is up to the owner of the home. It may be refundable, it may be non refundable, or the owner may skip the deposit and charge an increase in monthly rent per pet instead. Your lease will spell out which one applies to you.

Owners also set limits on the number of pets, and on weight and breed, usually because of their insurance.

Assistance animals are not pets. They are not charged pet fees or pet deposits, and they are handled under fair housing rules with the proper documentation.

This applies only to homes where the owner does not allow pets at all. In those homes, an unauthorized pet can carry a violation fee of up to $500, plus a set fee of $50 per day until the pet is removed from the property.

If you have a pet, or you are thinking about getting one, ask before you sign. It is a much shorter conversation than the one that comes after.

Twelve months is standard. Shorter terms are occasionally possible at a higher rent, if the owner agrees. We do not start new leases month to month.

Notify the landlord in writing as soon as you know, and make arrangements directly with them.

Keep in mind that you are responsible for the remaining months of the lease agreement unless you and the landlord reach a different agreement. Getting that agreement in writing is what protects you.

Military members have separate rights under the SCRA and Texas law. Leaving without notice ends up on your rental record and follows you to the next application.

Rent is due based on your lease agreement. Most are due on the first of the month, but some landlords set the due date mid month or on another day entirely. Look at your lease agreement for the answer, and follow the payment method it names.

If money is going to be short this month, call the landlord before the due date. A plan is something they can work with. Silence is not.

Notify the landlord. Put the request in writing, by text or email, so there is a record with a date on it. Your lease names who to contact and how.

If you have no air conditioning in the summer, no water, a gas smell, or anything actively flooding, call right away and say it is an emergency. Do not wait for a written reply.

Any modification to the property has to be approved by the landlord first, and the approval needs to be in writing. Always reference back to your lease agreement, because it spells out what is allowed and what is not.

Many landlords say yes to a mounted TV or a raised garden bed and no to paint colors. Anything done without written permission can come out of the deposit at move out, even if it looks good.