Screening Criteria

At Habitate, LLC we are working with our renters, property owners, the City of Portland, neighbors, and other landlords to maintain the quality of Portland’s neighborhoods. We want to make sure that our renters are good neighbors, maintain our properties appropriately, and do not use our rental properties for illegal activity. To this end, we have a robust and thorough screening process.

We have a two part application process: we do have an fillable pdf we need back from each applicant. On this pdf - we do not need your SSN - you can simply use 999-99-9999.

Our online screening agency (My Smart Move/TransUnion) will require a SSN.

Please review our list of criteria. If you feel you meet our criteria, please apply.

Once a household has passed the application process, we will send a lease for online signatures. If there are additional interested candidates for the home/apartment we do ask that the lease is signed within 24-hours of being sent.

Please note that we provide equal housing opportunity - we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, national origin, familial status, marital status, age, sexual orientation, or source of income.

For properties in the City of Portland, we will process fully complete applications in the order defined by PCC 30.01.086. For properties in all other cities, we will process the first completed application we receive.

We will accept the first applicant for any given vacancy who meets our screening criteria.

Our screening criteria are as follows:

1.) A Complete Application: One complete application for each adult - 18 years or older - who will live in the unit. If a line is not filled in, we will need you to provide the missing information before we will begin the screening process.

2.) Form of ID: We require a photo I.D. or combination of identifications which allow us to verify the name and birth date of an applicant. Listed below are examples of the forms of ID that we accept:

A government issued photo ID or Passport
Evidence of a Social Security Number (SSN Card)
Valid Permanent Resident Alien Registration Receipt Card
Immigrant Visa
Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
Non-immigrant Visa

3.) A $40 Application Charge Per Applicant This charge covers the costs of the screening process and is paid directly to our Screening Provider at the time of screening. This charge is not refundable.

4.) Rental History Verifiable by Unbiased Sources: For us to review your rental history, we need you to provide us with information about your current and your previous landlord. If your rental history does not include at least two landlords, or you are related by blood or marriage to one of the two landlords you list on your application, we will, at our option, require a qualified co-signer on your rental agreement. Qualified co-signers must meet all applicant screening criteria except prior rental history.

It is your responsibility to provide us with the information needed to contact your current and previous landlords. We reserve the right to deny your application if, after making a good faith effort, we are unable to verify your rental history.

5.) Sufficient Income/Resources: For all properties located outside the City of Portland, we require that the household has a gross income of 3x the monthly rent.

For properties located within the City of Portland ONLY: we are required to follow the Rental Housing Application and Screening Minimum Income Requirement Table required by PCC 30.01.086.D.2.a-b (see below.) If the monthly Rent amount is below the amount listed in the following table for the number of bedrooms in a Dwelling Unit, we will require an Applicant to demonstrate a monthly gross income of 2.5 times the amount of the Rent.

If the monthly Rent amount is at or above the amount listed in the following table for the number of bedrooms in a Dwelling Unit, we will require an Applicant to demonstrate a monthly gross income of 2 times the amount of the Rent.

# of Bedrooms Rent Amount

0 $1,232

1 $1,320

2 $1,584

3 $1,829

4 $2,040

5 $2,251

We must be able to independently verify the amount and stability of an Applicants income. Some of the ways we may verify income may include review of pay stubs, direct contact with your employer, verification of governmental assistance, child or other support payments, or through tax records.

If the Applicant is employed by others, we’ll need copies of their last three pay stubs and three months' proof of any other regular income.

If the Applicant is self-employed, we’ll need a copy of last year’s tax return or three months of bank statements and three months' proof of any other regular income.

If the Applicant is not employed but has some other form of income, we’ll need three months' proof of this income.

6.) Adequate Credit Worthiness: We will review an Applicant or a Co-Signer’s credit history. An Applicant or a Co-Signer’s credit history for the past five years must be free of eviction judgments, financial judgments, collections actions, and bankruptcies. An Applicant will not be rejected for medical or education/vocational training debt.

For Properties Within the City of Portland, All Applicant and Non-Applicant Tenants will be denied rental if:

1.) Misrepresentation: You misrepresent any information on the application. If material misrepresentations are found after a rental agreement is signed, your rental agreement will be terminated.

2.) Drug Convictions: You have been convicted, or have a pending charge, for the manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance under Oregon law within the last five years.

3.) Other Convictions: You have been convicted, or have a pending charge, of any felony or misdemeanor in the last five years if that felony or misdemeanor is for conduct that is:

A drug related crime, excluding marijuana charges. (As we all know this is legal now and past marijuana convictions should be removed from everyone’s record.)
A person crime;
A sex offense;
A crime involving financial fraud, including identity theft and forgery; or
Any other crime if the conduct for which the applicant was convicted or charged is of a nature that would adversely affect:
- Property of the landlord or a tenant; or
- The health, safety or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises of residents, the landlord or the landlord’s agent.

4.) Complaint Levels: Your prior landlords report significant complaint levels of noncompliance activity including but not limited to:

Disturbance of the neighbors' peace
Reports of gambling, prostitution, drug dealing, drug possession, or drug manufacturing
Damage to the property beyond normal wear
Reports of violence or threats of violence against neighbors or landlords
Allowing persons not on the lease to reside on the premises
Failure to give proper notice when vacating the property

5.) Previous Landlord's Summary: Your previous landlord would not be inclined to rent to you again based on your behavior or the behavior of others you allowed on the property during your tenancy.

Additionally, for Properties Within the City of Portland, Applicants will be denied rental if:

6.) Poor Credit: Your credit check shows accounts that are not current. Occasional credit records showing payments within 30 to 59 days past due will be acceptable, provided you can justify the circumstances. Records showing payments past 60 days are not acceptable.

7.) Other Credit Issues: In the last five years you have had any unpaid collections, an FED judgment against you, a bankruptcy, or any judgment against you for financial delinquency. An applicant will not be rejected for medical or education/vocational training unpaid collections or delinquencies.

For Properties Outside of the City of Portland, Applicants will be denied rental if:

1.) Misrepresentation: You misrepresent any information on the application. If material misrepresentations are found after a rental agreement is signed, your rental agreement will be terminated.

2.) Drug Convictions: You have been convicted, or have a pending charge, for the manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance under Oregon law within the last five years. Excluding marijuana charges. (As we all know this is legal now and past marijuana convictions should be removed from everyone’s record.)

3.) Other Convictions: You have been convicted, or have a pending charge, of any felony or misdemeanor in the last five years if that felony or misdemeanor is for conduct that is:

A drug related crime, but not including convictions based solely on the use or possession of marijuana;
A person crime;
A sex offense;
A crime involving financial fraud, including identity theft and forgery; or
Any other crime if the conduct for which the applicant was convicted or charged is of a nature that would adversely affect:
- Property of the landlord or a tenant; or
- The health, safety or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises of residents, the landlord or the landlord’s agent.

4.) Complaint Levels: Your prior landlords report significant complaint levels of noncompliance activity including but not limited to:

Disturbance of the neighbors' peace
Reports of gambling, prostitution, drug dealing, drug possession, or drug manufacturing
Damage to the property beyond normal wear
Reports of violence or threats of violence against neighbors or landlords
Allowing persons not on the lease to reside on the premises
Failure to give proper notice when vacating the property