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Apply for a Home
Start your application here, pay the screening fee, and get a decision in two to three business days. Every applicant is evaluated against the same published standard.
The Process
Four steps, in this order.
Applications are reviewed in the order the fee is received, not the order the form arrives — so pay the fee to hold your place in line.
Tour the home
In person or by video. We don't accept applications on properties you haven't seen — it protects you and us.
Submit this form
Two minutes. It tells us who's applying, for which home, and when you want to move.
Pay the screening fee
$55 per adult, non-refundable. Paying opens your secure screening application, where you'll enter income, ID and rental history.
Get a decision
Two to three business days. Approved applicants have 48 hours to sign and pay the deposit to hold the unit.
Rental Criteria
What we look for — published, so you can check before you pay.
These criteria are applied identically to every applicant regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or source of income, including housing vouchers.
Income
Verifiable gross household income of at least 2.5× the monthly rent. Housing vouchers and other lawful sources of income count toward this. Self-employed applicants may substitute the two most recent tax returns.
Credit
Minimum score of 600. Scores between 550 and 599 may be approved with an additional deposit or a qualified guarantor. Medical collections are not counted against you.
Rental history
Two years of verifiable rental or mortgage history with no judgments for possession within the last three years, and no balance owed to a prior landlord.
Occupancy, pets and smoking
Two people per bedroom plus one. Most homes are pet-friendly up to two pets with a pet fee; breed and weight limits vary by property and insurer. All homes are non-smoking.
Before launch: have your broker and counsel confirm these criteria against current Maryland, Baltimore City and Montgomery County law — including source-of-income protections, criminal-record screening rules and any local cap on application fees. Then publish the final version here and in the screening application so the two always match.
Step 2
Start your application
This short form reserves your spot and tells us what you need. Once we have it, we email you a secure link to the full screening application.
Have ready for the next step
- Photo ID for every adult
- Two most recent pay stubs, offer letter, or voucher paperwork
- Two years of addresses and landlord contacts
- Pet details and vaccination records, if applicable
Step 3
Pay the application fee
$55 per adult applicant, charged once and non-refundable once screening begins. It covers the credit report, the nationwide criminal and eviction search, income verification and landlord reference calls. We do not mark it up.
| Charge | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| Application / screening fee Per adult 18 or older | $55 | At application |
| Holding deposit Credited to your first month's rent | $500 | Within 48 hrs of approval |
| Security deposit Capped by Maryland law | 1 month's rent | At lease signing |
| Pet fee Per pet, where pets are permitted | Varies by property | At lease signing |
Pay securely online
Card, debit or bank transfer. You'll get an emailed receipt immediately and your secure screening application within one business hour.
Pay $55 application fee Pay by phone: 443-392-1500Paying more than one applicant? Set the quantity on the payment page to the number of adults, or pay separately using each adult's own name and email.
Applicant Questions
The things people ask us most
How long does a decision take?
Two to three business days once the fee clears and every adult has completed the screening application. Delays are almost always a landlord who hasn't returned our call — giving us a second contact for each prior address speeds it up considerably.
Is the application fee refundable?
Not once screening begins, because the reports are ordered and paid for at that moment. If we cancel the listing before your screening is run, we refund it in full.
Can I apply for more than one property?
Yes. Tell us your order of preference in the notes and we'll apply your screening to all of them, so you only pay the fee once within a 30-day window.
Do you accept housing vouchers?
Yes. Source of income is a protected class in Maryland, and voucher income counts toward the income standard. Tell us the issuing agency and we'll coordinate the inspection schedule.
What if my credit is below the minimum?
Apply anyway and tell us the story in the notes. Scores between 550 and 599 are regularly approved with an additional deposit or a qualified guarantor. We'd rather read the explanation than guess from a number.
What happens if I'm approved?
You'll get the lease by email for electronic signature, plus a request for the holding deposit. You have 48 hours to sign and pay, after which we move to the next qualified applicant.
I have a disability and need an accommodation.
Call either office and ask for the property manager. We'll take the request in whatever form works for you and respond in writing. Reasonable accommodations and modifications are handled separately from the screening decision.
Not sure which home yet?
See what's available now and what's coming up in the next 60 days — then apply from the listing so we know exactly which one you mean.