How Everwatch Property Management evaluates rental applications — our fair housing commitment, qualification standards, and the protections applicants are entitled to under applicable law.
Everwatch Property Management is committed to providing Equal Housing Opportunity and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair housing laws. Screening criteria are applied consistently to all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, disability, lawful source of income, or any other protected class recognized under applicable law.
Where federal, state, county, or local laws impose additional tenant protections or screening requirements, those laws shall govern.
Applications are processed in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
For properties located in jurisdictions where first-in-time or similar application processing requirements apply, including but not limited to properties located in the City of Seattle. Everwatch Property Management will process applications in strict compliance with applicable law. Applicants in covered jurisdictions will be evaluated in the order in which applications are received and completed, and the first qualified applicant will be offered tenancy.
For properties not subject to first-in-time requirements, applications may be evaluated based on the published screening criteria and overall qualification standards.
Each applicant eighteen (18) years of age or older must submit a separate application and pay any applicable screening fee.
An application is considered complete only when all adult applicants have:
Applications are generally processed in the order they are received and completed, subject to applicable federal, state, and local laws. See the Application Processing section below for jurisdiction-specific requirements.
Submission of an application does not guarantee approval, tenancy, or reservation of a property.
Applications will not be considered complete until all required information and documentation have been received from all adult applicants. Incomplete applications may be denied, withdrawn, or removed from further consideration.
Applicants must demonstrate sufficient income to meet the financial obligations of tenancy.
Everwatch Property Management does not discriminate based on lawful source of income. All lawful and verifiable sources of income will be considered, including but not limited to:
Combined gross household income should generally equal at least three (3) times the monthly rent. This guideline is applied flexibly in conjunction with compensating factors and is not used as an automatic disqualifier, particularly for applicants with lawful fixed or alternative income sources.
Applicants may be required to provide documentation, including:
Self-employed applicants may be required to provide:
Applicants should demonstrate a history of responsible tenancy. Factors that may be considered include:
Where rental history cannot be independently verified, additional supporting documentation may be requested.
Everwatch Property Management obtains consumer credit reports through a third-party consumer reporting agency as part of the screening process. Each applicant shall be individually evaluated based upon credit history, housing-related payment history, and overall financial responsibility.
Applicants should generally demonstrate a credit score of 650 or greater. No single credit score guarantees approval or denial. Applicants whose credit score falls below 650 will be individually reviewed based upon compensating factors, which are applied consistently and documented for each application. Compensating factors include:
The following may adversely affect an application:
Paid housing-related obligations may be considered as part of the overall application review.
Applicants with a bankruptcy that has not been discharged may be denied. Applicants with a discharged bankruptcy may be required to provide supporting documentation and demonstrate re-established creditworthiness and financial stability. A discharged bankruptcy shall not be used as an automatic basis for denial.
In addition to a credit score, Everwatch Property Management may consider:
Medical debt and student loan debt may be excluded from consideration where required or permitted by applicable law.
Criminal history is reviewed on a strictly individualized basis and only to the extent permitted by applicable law. Criminal history will not be used as an automatic disqualifier. Arrests that did not result in a conviction will not be considered.
Where legally permissible, factors that may be considered include:
Where local laws restrict or prohibit criminal history screening, the applicable law shall govern. For properties located in Seattle and other jurisdictions with specific criminal history restrictions, Everwatch Property Management will comply with all applicable local requirements.
Everwatch Property Management may offer conditional approval where permitted by law and supported by the overall application profile. Conditional approval may include:
Conditional approval does not guarantee tenancy, and all conditions must be satisfied within the timeframe provided.
Everwatch Property Management may permit qualified guarantors or cosigners when an applicant does not fully satisfy screening criteria. Guarantors may be required to:
Additional documentation and a security deposit may be required.
Certain properties may be subject to additional owner-approved screening standards. Any such additional criteria must be:
Nothing contained within these screening criteria obligates a property owner or Everwatch Property Management to approve an applicant who does not satisfy the minimum qualification standards established for the property, except where prohibited by law. Any exception to established screening Criteria must be approved by Everwatch Property Management and, where applicable, the property owner.
Pet policies vary by property. Where pets are permitted, applicants may be required to provide:
Additional deposits, pet fees, and pet rent may apply.
Service animals and/or emotional support animals (ESA) are not considered pets. No pet deposit, pet fee, or pet rent will be charged in connection with a verified ESA, assistance animal, or service animal.
Requests for reasonable accommodation involving assistance animals will be evaluated in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local fair housing laws. Applicants requesting a reasonable accommodation may be required to provide information permitted by law to support the request.
In compliance with RCW 59.18.030 and RCW 59.18.257, Everwatch Property Management will accept a comprehensive reusable tenant screening report when offered by an applicant, provided the report meets all statutory requirements, including:
When a qualifying reusable tenant screening report is provided, Everwatch Property Management will not charge an application screening fee as required by applicable law.
If an application is denied or otherwise subject to adverse action, the applicant will receive written notice stating the specific reasons for the denial, as required by RCW 59.18.257 and other applicable law. Where adverse action is based in whole or in part upon information contained within a consumer report, applicants shall receive all notices required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act, RCW 59.18.257, and other applicable federal, state, or local laws.
Any material misrepresentation, omission, falsification of information, alteration of documents, identity fraud, or submission of misleading information may result in the denial of the application. Discovery of materially inaccurate information after approval may result in withdrawal of approval prior to move-in, to the extent permitted by law.
Where federal, state, county, municipal, or other applicable laws impose requirements that differ from these screening criteria, the applicable law shall control and supersede any conflicting provision contained herein. Everwatch Property Management reserves the right to modify, interpret, and administer these screening criteria as necessary to comply with changes in applicable law.