Rental Criteria

Application Fee $25.00 per Adult

Your application to rent from Carter Realty will be screened to see if it meets the following guidelines. Please read these guidelines before turning in your application. If your application is denied or you decide not to rent from us, the application fee is non-refundable.

Rental Application: Click here to download a Rental Application (Adobe PDF format).

I. OCCUPANCY POLICY

• Occupancy is based on the number of bedrooms in a unit. A bedroom is defined as a space within the premises that is used primarily for sleeping, with at least one window and a closet for clothing
• Two persons are allowed per bedroom.
• Exceptions are made for children under age two. Children under age two are allowed as a third occupant when the child resides with the parent or other adult(s) maintaining proper legal custody.

II. APPLICATION PROCESS

Steps to become a resident at a Carter Realty Management property. 

• Each adult applicant must see the inside of the unit (or delegated agent thereof, as specified in writing) prior to application.
• Complete the application on the designated form. 
• Pay your non-refundable credit/screening fee of $40.00 dollars. 
• Once you have been approved, you will be required to pay the amount of the refundable security deposit. 
• Be prepared to wait two business days for the information on your application to be verified. 
• Once the application is approved and signed by both parties, any and all advance deposits will be forfeited if no rental agreement is executed. You are encouraged to read the rental agreement at the time of application. 
• You have 24 hours to bring in the deposit money. Units will not be held more than two weeks.
  
  III. DISABLED ACCESSIBILITY
  
  Carter Realty Management allows existing premises to be modified at the full expense of the disabled person, if the disabled person agrees to restore the premises to the pre-modified condition. Carter Realty Management requires: 
  
• Written approval from the landlord before modifications are made.
• Written assurances that the work will be performed in a professional manner.
• Written proposals detailing the extent of the work to be done.
• Documents identifying the names and qualifications of the contractors to be used.
• All appropriate building permits and required licenses made available for landlord inspection.
  
  IV. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
• Positive identification with a picture will be required. 
• A complete and accurate application listing the current and at least one previous rental reference with phone numbers will be required (incomplete applications will be returned to the applicant).
• Each applicant will be required to qualify individually.
• Applicants must be able to enter a legal and binding contract.
• Incomplete, inaccurate or falsified information will be grounds for denial.
• Any applicant currently using illegal drugs or reporting a conviction for the illegal manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance shall be denied.
• Any individual who may constitute a direct threat to the health and safety of an individual, the complex, or the property of others, will be denied.
  
  V. INCOME REQUIREMENTS
• Monthly household income should equal 3 times the stated monthly rent.
• A current paycheck stub from the employer will be required if we are unable to verify income over the phone.
• Verifiable income will be required for unemployed applicants. (Verifiable income may mean, but is not limited to; Bank Accounts, Alimony/Child Support, Trust Accounts, Social Security, Unemployment, Welfare, Grants/Loans)
• Self employed applicants will be required to show proof of income through copies of the previous years tax returns.
• If monthly income does not equal 3 times the stated monthly rent, a security deposit equal to a full month's rent, qualified roommate or co-signer will be required.
• You will be denied if your source of income cannot be verified.
  
  VI. EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS
• 1 year of verifiable employment will be required. 
• Self employed applicants will be verified through the state. A recorded business name or corporate filing will be sufficient to meet employment requirements.
• A security deposit equal to a full month's rent will be required when employment does not meet the requirements. 
• You will be denied if you are unemployed and an alternative source of income cannot be verified.
  
  VII. RENTAL REQUIREMENTS 
• 1 year of verifiable rental history from a current third party landlord is required for apartments and plexes. Single family home rentals require 2 years rental history (Rental references ending 12 months prior to the date of application will not be considered current)
• Home ownership is verified through the county tax assessor. Mortgage payments must be current.
• Home ownership negotiated through a land sales contract is verified through the contract holder. 
• Seven years of eviction free rental history will be required.
• Two or more 72 hour notices within a 1 year period will result in denial.
• Rental history demonstrating residency, but not third party rental history, (EXCLUDING SINGLE FAMILY HOMES) will require a security deposit equal to a full month's rent.
• A co-signer will be required when rental history does not meet third party rental criteria EXCLUDING SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, but residency can be verified with parents, student housing or military housing.
• Rental history reflecting past due rent or an outstanding balance will be denied. (A security deposit equal to a full month's rent will be accepted when past due rent has been paid and no additional negative information has been documented)
  
  VIII. CREDIT REQUIREMENTS
• Good credit will be required 
• Outstanding bad debt exceeding $100.00 on a credit bureau (ie., Slow pay, Collections, Bankruptcies, Repossessions, Liens, Judgments & Wage Garnishment programs) will require a security deposit equal to a full month's rent.
• Ten or more unpaid collections (not medical related) reported from the credit bureau will result in denial. Utility collections will result in denial.
• Bankruptcies filed within one year from the date of application will be denied.
  
  IX. CRIMINAL CONVICTION CRITERIA
• Upon receipt of the rental applications and screening fee, landlord will conduct a search of public records to determine whether the applicant or any proposed tenant has been convicted of, or pled guilty to or no-contest to, any crime.
• A conviction, guilty plea or no-contest plea, ever for: any felony involving serious injury, kidnapping, death, arson, rape, sex crimes and/or child sex crimes, extensive property damage or drug-related offenses (sale, manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to sell) class A/Felony burglary or class A/Felony robbery; or
• A conviction, guilty plea or no-contest plea, where the date of disposition, release or parole have occurred within the last seven years for: any other felony charges; or
• A conviction, guilty plea or no-contest plea, where the date of disposition, release or parole have occurred within the last seven years for: any misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor involving assault, intimidation, sex related, drug related (sale, manufacture, delivery or possession) property damage or weapons charges; or
• A conviction, guilty plea or no-contest plea, where the date of disposition, release or parole have occurred within the last three years for: any class B or C misdemeanor in the above categories or any misdemeanors involving criminal trespass I, theft, dishonesty, prostitution shall be grounds for denial of the rental application. 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 an appropriate unit is still available, the processing of the application will be completed. No unit will be held awaiting resolution of pending charges.
  
  X. DENIAL POLICY
  
  If your application is denied due to negative and adverse information being reported, you may;
• Contact Background Investigations at (615) 883-1880 to discuss your application.
• Contact the credit reporting agency to; 
• Identify who is reporting unfavorable information

Request a correction if the information being reported is incorrect

If your application has been denied and you feel that you qualify as a resident under the criteria set out above, you should do the following;

Write to our:
Equal Housing Opportunity Manager 
Carter Realty  
202 Donelson Pike Nashville, TN 37214

Explain the reasons you believe your application should be reevaluated and request a review of your file. Your application will be reviewed within 7 working days from the date your letter was received and you will be notified of the outcome.

Pets/Smoking/Fees/Additional Rules
If the property you have applied for takes a pet, our usual fee is $125.00 and a deposit of $125.00, unless otherwise stated. Certain breeds of dogs (Pitbull, Doberman, Rottweiler) are not accepted due to insurance limitations on liability. Each unit has a smoking preference, so smoking may not be allowed inside the unit you are applying for. Some properties may be subject to the restrictions of a homeowners association. Please speak with the leasing agent for specifics. Fox Management, Inc. may charge a non-refundable move-in fee. This fee is for administrative expenses, contract processing, re-keying and move out inspections.