Skip to main content

SCREENING CRITERIA

North Star Property Management does not make any decision based on race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender orientation, age (except in 55 or over or 62 or over communities), sexual preference, source of income, or the desire for subsidized housing. An approved application does not constitute a contract or lease agreement with the management company or homeowner. To process your application, please have prepared: 

  • Credit card for 1 screening fee per individual applicant (any adult over 18 residing in the home or visiting the home regularly or for periods over 2 weeks) 
  • Electronic copy of government-issued photo ID (other ID may be accepted for City of Portland properties) - Electronic PDF (no screenshots) copies of proof of income (2 most recent years’ tax records [1040, W2, 1099] or 2 most recent pay stubs). Unemployed applicants must show 10x the monthly rent amount in long-term verifiable assets or non-employment related income
  • Last 3 years’ rental history including address, landlord phone and email, and rent amount
  • Name, relationship, and date of birth of everyone applying with you, including children. Email and phone number of anyone over 18
  • Vehicle information and license plate
  • Employment information and supervisor contact information
  • If you have pets: name, breed, weight, and age

For approval, you must meet all of the following criteria. If one of the financial criteria is not met, your application may be considered with an additional security deposit. If more than one criteria is not met, your application will be denied. 

  • Income 3x the rent amount 700 or greater credit score with $0 past due or in collections, and no bankruptcies 
  • No evictions or past debt owed to a landlord 
  • No criminal history, to be considered on an individualized basis 

Applications will be denied if the screening shows: 

  • Any evictions or landlord debt due 
  • Past due/collections ≧ $1000 649 or lower credit score 2.49x or lower income-to-rent ratio bankruptcy discharged within the last 5 years criminal convictions or pending charges, to be considered on an individual basis 
  • Found in sex offender registry 
  • Found in terrorism/OFAC registry 
  • False or fraudulent information on the application 

First-come/first-served preference is given to applicants with complete applications that have viewed the property in person with our staff. Applicants must be able to enter a legal and binding contract. North Star reserves the right to check one or more rental or character references, including a current or prior landlord. Inaccurate or falsified information will be grounds for denial of the application. Some properties require a pre-approved application. In case of a pre-approval, application fees can be refunded at the applicant's request if the applicant chooses not to move forward with renting the property.

NOTICES TO APPLICANTS OF PROPERTIES WITHIN PORTLAND CITY LIMITS

Applicants may be required to have an income of up to 2 times the monthly rent. Applicants may provide any government-issued identification regardless of expiration date and may also provide any non-governmental identification or combination of identifications that would permit a reasonable verification of identity. Applicants may provide supplemental evidence to mitigate potentially negative screening results. Applicants have 30 days to appeal denied applications to correct, refute, or explain negative information forming the basis for denial. Applicants are also prequalified for any rental opportunities within North Star Properties for 3 months following the approval date and all screening fees are waived for 3 months following the approved appeal. Applicants under these circumstances will be required to certify in writing that no conditions have materially changed from those described in the approved application. 

OCCUPANCY POLICY 

Occupancy is based on the number of bedrooms in a property. (A bedroom is defined as a space within the premises that is used primarily for sleeping, with at least one window and a closet). Two persons are allowed per bedroom plus one for the house. A maximum of five occupants, for example, would be allowable in a two bedroom home. 

INCOME CRITERIA

Each applicant is required to qualify individually and multiple applicants' incomes may not be combined to reach the 3x requirement. The only exception to the income requirement is for a legal dependent (partner/spouse/child) of a qualified applicant or the caretaker of a qualified disabled resident applicant. Partner/spouse/caretaker must be screened and meet all other requirements including no evictions or prior landlord debt, and criminal history will be evaluated individually. If income data and/or information is neither available nor verifiable, the application will be denied. Monthly income must be equal to three times stated monthly rent. If income is less than two-and-one-half (2.5) times the monthly rent amount the application will be denied. Income between 2.5x and 3x rent requires an additional deposit. Two current verifiable pay stubs or tax records for the previous two years will be required. Personal 1099s, W2s, or 1040s count as tax records. Verifiable liquid assets of at least ten times the monthly rent amount may be provided as a substitute for employment income. Two statements showing assets not significantly depleting over the most recent 3 month period are required as proof (example: January statement and April statement). Verifiable assets or income may mean, but is not limited to: personal bank accounts, alimony/child support, personal trust accounts, social security, unemployment, welfare, grants and loans. Self-employed applicants will be required to show proof of personal income through copies of previous two years personal tax returns. Adjusted gross income is used to determine annual income on a personal tax return. No business assets, business bank accounts, or business income may be used to prove income, even for sole proprietors. Co-signers are not allowed. 

CREDIT CRITERIA 

A credit score of 700 or higher is required for approval. Any negative or adverse debt showing on consumer credit report may require additional security deposits for approval or may result in denial of application. Outstanding bad debt in excess of $100 on a credit report (i.e., slow pay collections, bankruptcies, repossessions, liens, judgments and wage garnishment programs) will require an additional security deposit. Outstanding bad debt in excess of $1,000 on a credit report ((i.e., slow pay collections, bankruptcies, repossessions, liens, judgments and wage garnishment programs) will result in denial. Three or more unpaid collections (not related to medical expenses) will result in denial of the application. A bankruptcy within the last five (5) years will result in a denial of the rental application. A bankruptcy within the last five (5) years and one (1) day to ten (10) years will require an additional deposit. An open bankruptcy that has not been discharged or dismissed will result in the application being suspended until discharge or dismissal of said bankruptcy. If a current credit report for the applicant is not available; is falsified in any way; or reflects false information; the application will be denied. Applicants with no credit history and/or no credit score must meet all other requirements and may be denied or required to submit additional information. 

EMPLOYMENT CRITERIA

Verifiable employment will be required if used as the primary source of income. However, North Star does not discriminate based upon an applicant’s source of income except as permitted by law. Self-employed applicants are required to submit the previous two (2) years’ personal federal tax returns. If employment history or income does not meet requirements, an additional security deposit may be required. If you are unemployed and an alternative source of income cannot be verified, application will be denied. 

INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS 

If you do not or have never lived in the United States, we may screen your application using an outside screening company that screens for international credit and criminal histories. Please complete the application to the best of your ability and we will be in touch with you and provide a separate background screening request and disclosure. There is no additional fee for this, but the screening results may take longer to receive. 

PREVIOUS RENTAL HISTORY 

Twenty-four months of verifiable contractual rental history from a current third party landlord or home ownership may be required (rental references ending 12 months prior to the date of application will not be considered current). If applicant is a current homeowner, mortgage payments must be current. An eviction on the rental history report will result in the denial of the application. Any monies owed to a previous landlord at any time may result in a denial of the application. Any adverse character reference, including one from a former landlord, may result in denial of the application. One or more 72-hour notices within one year or more than two within the life of the tenancy may result in denial of the application. One or more dishonored checks within the life of the tenancy may result in denial of the application. Rental history reflecting past due paid and unpaid rent may result in denial of the application. 

CRIMINAL CONVICTION CRITERIA 

Owner/Agent will conduct a search of public records to determine whether the applicant or any proposed tenant or occupant has been convicted of, or plead guilty to or no contest to, any crime. Any of the following may be grounds for denial of the rental application: (a) a felony conviction, guilty plea or no contest plea where the date of disposition, release or parole has occurred within the last seven years, or (b) a misdemeanor conviction, guilty plea, or no contest plea, involving crimes against persons, violent crimes, or financial or fraud-related crimes where the date of disposition, release or parole has occurred within the last seven years, or (c) any misdemeanor conviction, guilty plea or no contest plea, where the date of disposition, release or parole has occurred within the last three years. Pending charges or outstanding warrants for any of the above will result in a suspension of the application process until the charges are resolved. Upon resolution, if the property is still available, the processing of the application will be completed. No property will be held awaiting resolution of pending charges. Not with standing the foregoing, North Star will not consider a previous arrest of the applicant if the arrest did not result in a conviction. However, this does not apply if the arrest has resulted in charges for criminal behavior involving (a) a drug related crime; (b) a person crime; (c) a sex offense; (d) a crime involving financial fraud, including identity theft and forgery, or (e) any other crime if the conduct for which the applicant was convicted or charges is of a nature that would adversely affect: (A) property of the landlord or a tenant; or (B) the health, safety or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by residents, the landlord, or the landlord’s agent. When evaluating rental history, the landlord will not consider an action to recover possession against the applicant if the action (a) was dismissed or resulted in a general judgment for the applicant before the applicant submits the application; however, this does not apply if the action has not resulted in a dismissal or general judgment at the time the applicant submits the application; or (b) resulted in a general judgment against the applicant that was entered five or more years before the applicant submits the application. 

DENIAL POLICY

 If your application is denied due to negative and adverse information which North Star receives as part of its screening process, you may: Contact North Star Property Management to discuss your application. Contact the credit reporting agency to: Identify who is reporting unfavorable information and Request a correction if the information being reported is inaccurate.

If your application has been denied and you feel that you qualify as a resident under the criteria set forth above, you should write to our Equal Housing Opportunity Manager, PO Box 1673, Lake Oswego, OR 97035. Explain why you believe your application should be re-evaluated and request a review of your file. Your application will be reviewed within seven working days from the date your letter was received and you will be notified of the decision.