Looking for a place to live can be a drag. It gets especially depressing when you find the perfect place only to get denied or find that there is already a list of applicants ahead of you. If you’re looking for a place to live, here is some inside information on how the application process works and how long it takes. Use this information to be prepared and win your space!
FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED
At Prestige Property Management we process applications on a first come, first served basis. This means we process applications in the order in which they are received. We do this to ensure that we are complying with Fair Housing standards and not showing any bias in our application process. However, there is a caveat to the first come, first served standard…
First come, first served means the first COMPLETE application is the first to be processed.
EVERY adult over the age of 18 years old that is going to live in the property has to fill out a separate application.
ALL the applications for a property must be submitted to be considered complete and for processing to begin.
DOCUMENTS YOU PROVIDE
Once your applications are submitted and processing begins, you can expect to hear from our office manager with a request to provide your income and employment verification. You will need to submit recent pay stubs, an offer letter, or another approved form of verification for income and employment. This is where you can make gains in the application process. Be prepared! Find out what documents are needed and what will be accepted and have them ready. Then, you can submit that information with your application or immediately upon request. (To find out our rental requirements, go here.) If you wait to send them, another applicant can “move ahead”of you in line if they submit their information first.
OTHER REQUIRED INFORMATION
The next step in the process is landlord and rental history verification. This step can take time and can hold you up. You may want to call your landlord and let them know that we will be contacting them. Let them know the importance of their quick response to our inquiry. This will not guarantee that they will respond immediately or that your application will be the first to be completed, but it might help, so it is worth giving it a try.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Finally, it is important for you to know the market trends. Right now, the Boise market is moving very fast, both in rentals and in real estate. Properties are in high demand. That means you have to move fast or lose out. We will never require that you see a property before you apply or apply before you see a property. It is up to you in what order you would like to proceed. However, depending on the time of year and the market trend, it may be in your best interest to apply before you see the property. Our applications are available online, so you can submit one at any time. Worst case, you may pay an application fee for a property that you don’t like as much as the pictures or that someone else ends up leasing before you. But even then, you can have that application transfer to another available property (…managed by us. We cannot use or transfer applications from any other property management company). Submitting an application is the best way to give yourself the best chance at snagging the property you like.
The only way to lose out on the property you like is to not apply at all. Even if you think it is a long shot, we encourage you to apply. No, we are not just trying to get your application fee. We are trying to give you a chance at an amazing property and we know that you have absolutely no chance at getting it if you don’t apply. Things can change and turn out really differently sometimes…Some people take a long time to provide the necessary verification to complete an application. Some people’s plans change at the last minute. Some people change their minds before lease signing. The bottom line is: a property is available until the lease is signed. Until then, it’s fair game. Throw your hat in the ring and go for it!
Want to know if you qualify before you apply? Go here.
