Resident FAQ’s
Future Residents / Applicants
There are 2 ways to apply for one of our beautiful properties.
- Apply online (fastest and easiest).
- Apply in-person at our office:
- First Property Management 6170 Shallowford Rd. Suite 102 Chattanooga, TN 37421).
All applicants must provide the following, in addition to filling out the application:
- Non-refundable deposit ($55)
- A copy of the your Driver’s License
- A copy of your Social Security
- Copies of your paycheck stubs for two most recent pay periods
- Copies of your last two months bank statements
If this is a relocation, then a letter from your employer on their letterhead stating your annual salary or estimated yearly earnings will suffice. If you are self-employed, please provide copies of last two years tax returns.
Income Qualifications
- A demonstrated ability to rent
- Applicants must make 3 times the monthly rent in gross (pre-tax) income. That can come from one or more sources.
- Note: We reserve the right to adjust this minimum based on the number of applicant’s liabilities.
- We accept Housing Assistance Programs or Section 8 Vouchers on select properties. They will be identified as accepting Section 8 in the property description.
Other Qualifications
- No applicant can have an eviction, collection, or judgement from a previous landlord in the last 7 years.
- No applicant can have filed for bankruptcy within the last 12 months.
- No applicant can have a felony conviction or misdemeanor conviction for narcotics or assault/battery.
- A criminal background check will be conducted. It should not reveal any violent felonies, history of multiple misdemeanors, or violent misdemeanor offenses that could lead to safety issues for the home or the neighbors near the home.
- Favorable rental history – Including not currently bound to an existing lease longer than 30 days.
- Favorable work history
Credit Qualifications A credit report will be obtained on all applicants to verify credit ratings. Income plus verification of credit history will be entered into a credit scoring model to determine rental eligibility and security deposit levels. This credit scoring model will include positive and negative payment history for lines of credit, usage of credit, credit history, credit availability, inquiry history, and student loans. Unfavorable accounts which will negatively influence this score include, but are not limited to:
- Collections
- Foreclosures
- Charge-off
- Repossession
- Absence of credit
- Current delinquency
The following, will result in automatic denial of the application:
- Debt to a previous landlord
- Bankruptcies within the last 12 months
- Evictions within the last 7 years
Generally, yes. Every resident goes through our proprietary Resident Screening Process and decisions are made on a case by case basis.
There is a non-refundable charge of $55 per applicant to check income and credit.
- Guarantors are considered in the same fashion as applicants and would also pay the same.
Before move-in, we require the following:
- Deposit (the same as first month’s rent on approved credit, subject to conditions)
- One full month’s rent*
- Other applicable fees (pet deposits, garage deposits, etc…)
* A full month’s rent is required for the first month. If move-in occurs during the month, the prorated rent will be applied to your second month.
We accept Housing Assistance Programs or Section 8 Vouchers on select properties. They will be identified as accepting Section 8 in the property description.
Yes. Rental payment history is reported to the 3 major credit bureaus. On time payments may help your credit score, while delinquent payments could impact your score negatively.
After all required documentation is provided and your application submission is complete, please allow up to 3 business days to expect a response to your application.
All people over the age of 18 who will be living in the unit must fill out an application and pay the application fee.
- A co-signer is a person that will NOT be living in the property but will only serve as a responsible party that is willing to pay rent themselves if that is ever required.
- It is also important to consider that a Cosigner must meet their own set of approval criteria.
- They must be able to provide proof of income that is 3 times the amount of the rent.
- Keep in mind that a Cosigner is agreeing to be held liable for the total amount of rent of the property and not just the portion of a single individual or roommate.
- Please note: A cosigner’s sole purpose is to act as that of a responsible party and provide documented proof of income. An applicant can only request to add a Cosigner when ALL other criteria have already been met. It is only meant to help raise the proof of income in order to comply with the minimum income to rent proportion required for a specific property.
Many of our properties are pet friendly (case by case basis). Pets are allowed in some of the properties that we manage, but not all of them. The listings for the properties will indicate if pets are allowed or not. However, FPM, does not allow the following breeds in our properties due to insurance limitations:
- Pit Bull Terriers
- Staffordshire Terriers
- Rottweilers
- German Shepherds
- Presa Canarios
- Chows Chows
- Doberman Pinschers
- Akitas
- Wolf-hybrids
- Mastiffs
- Cane Corsos
- Great Danes
- Alaskan Malamutes
- Siberian Huskies
If you are planning on applying to a property that allows pets, but you have one of the above breeds, your dog will not be allowed per FPM restrictions. There is a refundable pet deposit fee of $350 required per large animal. If you have any questions regarding a specific property, please contact us for more information.
Feel free to contact us (423-475-RENT) with any additional questions.
There are 4 ways to submit rent payments:
- Pay online through the Resident Portal (recommended)
- Pay via CashPay at one of many local retail stores (e.g. Walmart)
- Mail your check/money order to our office
- First Property Management 6170 Shallowford Rd – Suite 102 Chattanooga, TN 37421
- Drop off payment at our office (You can leave it with our front desk or drop in in the rent slot on the office door.)