Here’s how to lease your next home efficiently!
Most Landlords prefer a one year lease. Finding a 3 month or 6-month lease is going to be difficult, because of the costs involved in putting the home back on the market, after a short-term lease.
Here are what the landlord requires from you to lease his/her home to your family:
- Last 2 months paycheck stubs for all working adults.
- Credit score should be above 600 for each active adult applicant. If the credit score is 500 and above, landlords prefer a double or one-half times the security deposit to secure the home.
- The combined Income for a couple must be 3 – 4 times the monthly rent. (Example: If the Home Rent is $1500, your combined income must be above $4500 – $5,000)
- No bankruptcies or foreclosures for the last 3 years.
- A single photo of an 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of white paper with both yours and your husband’s Driver License and Social security card (all 4 ID’s place on one sheet)
- If you are relocating from out-of-state, please email me your employment letter to the job you are transferring to in and around Houston.
- Photo of your pets (cats, dogs). No exotic pets (snakes, scorpions, other reptiles) allowed. Dogs must not be too large and heavy or have a previous bite history.
The landlord will ask for 1-month security deposit (equal as first-month rent amount) and first-month rent for move-in.
Application fees vary between $35 to $55 per adult. Married couples may get a concession in application fees, but this is left to the landlord. Application fees can be paid by PayPal or as a money order or cashier’s check. Personal checks are not accepted.
It’s always advisable to see at least 4 homes. Keep a couple of back up home choices in case the home you really like gets leased to another family.
It is advisable to start looking for homes 20 – 22 days prior to move-in. Anything earlier, may not get approved, because the landlord prefers a 2-week turn-around between leasing homes.
If it’s near that time (20 – 25 days away) to start looking for your next home, please give me, Jacob David, a call at 281-546-8433 or email me: jackdave72 at gmail.com