Resident FAQs

Before You Begin:
We are happy you are taking the first step towards becoming a resident with Home Ladder, where we value the resident experience as much as the home you are applying for. We understand moving can be complicated and stressful. Fortunately, Home Ladder is dedicated to reducing this stress by establishing clear expectations, providing timely communication, and delivering move-in-ready homes. Please review the application details below and contact us with any questions.

A non-refundable application fee of $49 per adult must be paid for each applicant before processing will begin. All prospective adult (18+) residents must complete an application, pay the $49 application fee, and submit supporting documentation to be considered for approval. All application fees are non-refundable.
Move-ins occurring on the 21st or later must pay the prorated rent and the next month’s rent prior to move-in.

All leases starting between February 1st and June 30th will be a 12-month term, and all leases starting between July 1st and January 31st will be an 18-month term.

Home Ladder will continue to accept and process applications until the Property Manager receives a signed lease and earnest deposit funds. Earnest deposits are non-refundable once a lease is signed.

We do not hold properties while applications are processed.

After approval, the security deposit must be delivered to our office by noon (12:00 pm) on the next business day.

Your application may be used for any of our available properties for up to 60 days after submission.

Home Ladder Rental Criteria:
1. LEASE TERMS
The lease must commence within 21 days of application approval.
12-month minimum lease term.
The lease must start Monday-Thursday and not on any federal/state holidays.

2. IDENTIFICATION
Applicants must be able to prove legal presence in the United States and provide at least one current, valid government-issued photo ID. Acceptable forms of identification include:
Valid & undamaged U.S. passport book or passport card
In-state, fully-valid driver’s license or enhanced driver’s license with photo
Certificate of Naturalization
Certificate of Citizenship
Government employee ID (city, county, state, or federal)
U.S. military or military-dependent ID
Current (valid) foreign passport
U.S. Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) – commonly used by a parent of a U.S. citizen child applicant
Trusted Traveler IDs (including valid Global Entry, FAST, SENTRI, and NEXUS cards)
Enhanced Tribal Cards and Native American tribal photo IDs
In-state, fully-valid learner’s permit with photo
In-state, fully-valid non-driver ID with photo
Temporary driver’s license with photo
State-issued Digital ID

3. INCOME
Average Effective Gross Monthly Income (“AEGMI”) for the household must be at least three (3) times the amount of the monthly rent.
In municipalities that require landlord participation in voucher programs, household must provide at least three (3) times gross income for the household’s portion of the rent. Additionally, voucher recipients are encouraged to review and understand all qualifying criteria, including deposit payment schedules and move-in date requirements before applying.
Documentation for W-2 Income must be provided by the applicant in at least one of the following ways:
One most recent month’s worth of paystubs that show the applicant’s name, employer, date range, and gross income amount.
Two most recent months of bank statements that show the applicant’s name, the date range of statements, and gross income deposited regularly into the applicant’s account.
Executed Job Offer letter signed by both applicant and applicant’s employer that states applicant’s name, position, employer’s name and contact information, start date, how much applicant is paid, and how the applicant is compensated.
W-2 Employment must be at “Arm’s Length” to the employer, or income will be underwritten following self-employment policies.
Additional Requirements for Executed Job Offer Letter as proof of W-2 Income
Applicant must also show proof of 3x the monthly rent in available liquid assets.
Job offer cannot be from temporary employment or staffing agency.
If an applicant owns 25% or more of a business, the applicant is considered self-employed. Documentation for Self-Employed Income must be provided by the applicant in at least one of the following ways:
Three month’s worth of paystubs that show the applicant’s name, business name, date range, and gross income amount.
Three most recent months of business bank statements that show the applicant’s business name, date range of statements, and regular payments to themself AND 3 most recent months of personal bank statements that show the applicant’s name, date range of statements, and regular payments to themself.
Last Year’s Personal Tax Return.
Verifiable savings of at least 3 years worth of rent may also be considered in lieu of income.
Documentation for Liquid Assets like stocks, bonds & savings must be provided by the applicant in the following way:
Two months of bank statements that show the applicant’s name, date range of statements, and amount of funds.
Documentation for Other Income like social security, pension, trust fund income, educational grants, etc, must be provided by the applicant in the following way:
Three most recent months of bank statements that show the applicant’s name, the date range of statements, and gross income deposited regularly into the applicant’s account.
Documents must show that the funds have been available to the applicant for at least 60 days.

4. CREDIT
A soft credit inquiry will be processed on each applicant.
Credit reports will be judged on total debt, monthly minimum payments, past due and collection accounts, recent bankruptcies, and payment history.
Unpaid collection accounts from utility companies associated with the subject property will be grounds for denial.
Open Collections, Charge Off, and Judgments to housing providers must be satisfied.
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy must be discharged over 90 days from the date of application submission.
Chapter 13 Bankruptcy must have an “order date” from the court that is at least one (1) year from application submission.
Applicants with adverse actions from a “payday loan” or similar establishment within a five-year period of application submission will be denied.
Applicants with garnishment/collection from a State Child Support Agency within a two-year period prior to the application submission will be denied.

5. CRIMINAL HISTORY
Applicants that are registered sex offenders will be denied.
Applicants must have no felony convictions less than five years old that involve violent crimes against persons or property, including but not limited to murder, arson, kidnapping, assault, bomb-related offenses, robbery or burglary, terrorism, OR that involve the manufacturing or distribution of drugs in any manner.
All other felony convictions must be more than three years old.
Conviction of any drug-related offenses involving possession only or alcohol-related offenses where no one was permanently injured or killed must be at least two years old.
Successful completion of any felony sentence at least two years ago and no new criminal activity for at least two years before this application is required.
No Applicant with outstanding warrants or crime awaiting trial will be accepted.
If the Applicant would like Home Ladder to review additional information regarding the felony conviction or the current arrest or warrant as part of their rental application, the Applicant is permitted to submit that information along with their application and it will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Please submit by emailing leasingsolutions@homeladder.com.
Applicants are encouraged to attach additional documentation or information to the application if they believe that documentation or information is relevant and necessary for the processing and evaluation of the application. Please submit by emailing leasingsolutions@homeladder.com.

6. RENTAL HISTORY
Rental history and/or previous home ownership will be verified for each applicant.
An application is not considered complete until all the addresses that were occupied by the applicant in the last two years are documented.
No more than (2) late Rent payments in a 12-month period.
No more than one (1) NSF Rent Payment in a 12-month period.
No non-compliance issues that resulted in non-renewal or eviction.
No applicants with prior or pending eviction within a 3-year period of application will be accepted.
No applicants with outstanding monies owed to an apartment community or landlord will be accepted.
Family references are not considered verifiable.

7. ANIMALS
All pets must be listed on the rental application.
A maximum of four pets may be allowed per home.
Pets must be licensed in accordance with all applicable government provisions.
A recent photo of the pet must be provided during the application process.
Any previous behavioral issues must be disclosed to Property Manager as a part of the application.
The manager and owner have full discretion on the approval of all pets.
Criteria for animals do not apply to qualified assistive animals.

8. QUALIFIED ASSISTIVE ANIMALS
Assistive animals require documentation as outlined by The A.D.A and HUD Guidelines FHEO-2020-01: https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/PA/documents/HUDAsstAnimalNC1-28-2020.pdf​
An individual seeking a reasonable accommodation for an assistive animal should provide documentation from a caregiver addressing that the animal provides support and alleviates one or more of the identified symptoms or effects of an existing disability.
If you do not have a Reasonable Accommodation form, you can download and use this one: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab2f6d5a2772c921cad6894/t/61fda1b95b392213aeba04d5/1644011961250/Verification_of_Disability_from_Medical_Provider_2020+(2).pdf
Such documentation will be deemed sufficient if it establishes that an individual has a disability and that the animal in question will provide some type of disability-related assistance or emotional support.
Appfolio is a web-based screening tool, and an individual’s disability or disability-related need for an assistance animal is not readily apparent or known to us.
In cases where Home Ladder becomes aware that a disability is readily apparent or known, but the disability-related need for the assistance animal is not, we still require documentation of the disability-related need for an assistance animal.
For more information about assistance animals, visit: HUD’s website​: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/assistance_animals

9. OCCUPANCY
Households with more than two persons per bedroom plus one additional person will be denied. Per city ordinance, households with three or more unrelated persons applying for homes in the City of Tempe will be denied.

10. GUARANTORS
Guarantor applications are not permitted.

11. SPOUSES
Arizona is a community property state and requires that married persons and their spouses all sign leases in excess of 1 year.

12. FALSIFYING INFORMATION
Providing false information may result in the denial of an application and possible termination of the lease agreement if discovered after move-in.
Application Fee: $49.00

Available Rentals

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Yes, but every roommate needs to get approval. You can do this using a rental application form. After filling out the form, pay the application fee, and wait for the screening results. Skipping any of these steps violates the lease and could lead to termination. Contact your property manager to commence this process.

No. If you need to change your locks, submit a request to your property manager. We’ll dispatch our locksmith and charge the invoice back to your account.

If we need to enter the property, we’ll notify you beforehand. There are many possible reasons for the entrance of managers or staff. For example, landlords may enter the home for emergency repairs. Also, they might allow insurance agents or inspectors to enter the property. Regular maintenance is preferably carried out when you aren’t away from home.

We require all residents to maintain liability coverage, but personal property coverage is optional.

You must be at least 18 years old to apply. If you’re 18+ years old, please click here to submit your application online.

Call the number on the listing directly or click here to contact us through the contact page. After receiving a request, we’ll quickly organize a property viewing. Our goal is to make sure you’ll find your dream home.

You may apply, but we require all applicants (or an appointed representative) to view the home before signing a lease agreement.

We aren’t able to waive any late rent fees. Our late charge policy complies with Fair Housing Laws. That means we have to treat all residents equally.

Proactive communication with your property manager is critical during these situations. Ultimately, if you cannot make payment, you should return possession of the home to avoid legal ramifications.

We give the tenant a 7 day notice 2. We file with the courts 3. We appear in court 4. We find new tenants. We also do whatever we can to mitigate this risk by having a comprehensive screening process for leasing.

We require a security deposit of one month’s rent to be paid in full. We reserve the right to charge an additional one-half month’s rent as an additional deposit.

Emergencies threaten human lives and/or cause property damage. For example, an uncontained water leak inside the home or an inoperable A/C unit during the hot summer months is considered an emergency. If you’re experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

The pet policy depends on the terms in each specific lease agreement. Landlord and property manager must approve all pets in writing.

Your rent is due on the first day of every month. If rent is not received by the fifth of the month, it’s considered late. We offer a variety of payment options. Pay online. Use Resident Login to view your account balance and pay your rent. Mail the rent directly to our office. Please indicate your address and unit number on the money order memo. Use PayNearMe to pay at Retail Cash Payments. Bank automation. ***Please note that cash payments aren’t accepted due to security reasons.