Fair Housing
All our Brokers adhere strictly to all requirements of the Fair Housing laws and the National Association of REALTORS® Code of Ethics. We provide professional services to all people and do NOT discriminate based on applicants' race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We embrace equality and inclusivity, honoring individuals and respecting differing perspectives to reach common goals for the betterment of all. Racism and discrimination have no home in North Carolina.
Application Information
Cost:
The application fee is $35 per application. (Everyone over the age of 18 must apply)
The application fee is non-refundable for any reason.
Incomplete applications will be denied and the application fee is non-refundable.
The Application Process:
We can usually process a rental application in 5-7 business days from the date of submission. Applicant will need to provide all proper documentation to complete the application - ID, Proof of Income, and Successful Rental Verification History.
We contact previous landlords for rental verifications. We reserve the right to deny tenancy based on the inability to contact any rental references provided.
We will verify employment and pay information with the applicant's employer. We reserve the right do deny tenancy if we are unable to verify employment or properly verify income
Self-employed applicants must provide most recent tax return and three month's bank statements
Proof of earnings from social security, child support, alimony or spousal support must be documented
We will obtain a credit report
In some instances, multiple applications may be submitted for the same property. Submission of your application does not guarantee the applicant the home, even if the home was available when the application was submitted. Homes may be rented to the first approved applicant who pays the reservation fee. A reservation fee will not be accepted until the rental application has been approved
What do you need for a rental application?
- Application Fee
- A valid email address is required for every person applying for a property
- Personal Information: Full Name, SS#, DOB, Phone Number all of your basic information including your contact information, a government-issued ID, and emergency contact
- Your current address (rental or owner)
- Previous residence 7 years
- Proof of Income and work status (employed, unemployed, or retired) add any additional income that you receive and make sure that the total monthly income amount is accurate
- Information for one of your nearest relatives along with a personal reference
- Any pet and/or vehicle information
- Your application will not be processed until all supplemental information has been submitted
- You will be contacted immediately upon determination of approval or denial
Tenants' responsibilities
• Keep the rental unit clean (including toilet, sinks, and baths) and as safe as conditions permit
• Dispose of trash and garbage in a clean and safe manner
• Pay the rent as promised and otherwise comply with the lease
• Not damage (or knowingly let anyone else damage) or remove any part of the property
• Comply with any duties imposed by local building and housing codes
• Replace batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors as needed and tell the landlord if a detector needs to be repaired
• Leave the unit clean at the end of the lease and in as good condition as when you moved in, except for reasonable wear and tear. [Note: It is important at the beginning of your lease to note the condition of your apartment on a checklist and ask the landlord to initial it. That way, you will not be held responsible for damage that existed when you moved in.] for more information please read The NC Questions and Answers on: RENTING RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE
Military Tenants
Q: I am a military technician and I signed a 1-year lease for quarters in North Carolina. May I terminate my residential lease early?
A: North Carolina General Statute § 42-45 allows military technicians to seek early lease termination in the following cases: • The service member receives permanent change of station orders to depart 50 miles or more from the location of their current residence; • The service member is “prematurely or involuntarily released or discharged from active duty with the United States Armed Forces;” or • The service member is deployed for 90 days or more.
Q: Under North Carolina law, how do I exercise my right to terminate and when will my lease end?
A: You must give your landlord written notice of your intent to terminate, along with a copy of your military orders or a letter from your Commanding Officer verifying the reason for the need to terminate the lease. If you receive permanent change of station orders to relocate at least 50 miles away, are prematurely or involuntarily discharged, or are released from active duty, your lease will terminate 30 days after the landlord receives your written notice. If you are being deployed for 90 days or more, after you landlord receives the written notice, your lease will terminate 30 days after the next rental payment is due, or 45 days after the landlord received the notice, whichever is shorter. For example, if rent is due on the 1st of the month, and you provide written notice to terminate on January 5th, the lease can terminate as early as 30 days after February 1st, or 45 days after January 5th, whichever comes first. In this case, 45 days after January 5th is shorter.
Q: My landlord also required my spouse's signature on the residential lease; does either law release my spouse from the lease as well?
A: Under the SCRA, yes. The SCRA is clear that termination by a service member terminates the obligations of a spouse and any other military dependent that may have signed the lease as well. N.C.G.S. § 42-45, however, does not address that issue. If a spouse signs a lease on behalf of the service member, such as by using a power of attorney, then the lease is covered to the same extent as if the service member signed the lease. However, if the civilian spouse signed a lease in his or her own capacity and the service member did not, there is no protection under either statute.
Q & A T E N A N T S E C U R I T Y D E P O S I T S
Q: How much security deposit can a landlord charge?
A: If your agreement with the landlord is to rent his property on a week-to-week basis, your deposit may not exceed the equivalent of two weeks' rent. If you're renting on a month-to-month basis, your deposit cannot be more than 1 1/2 months' rent. And, if your rental period is greater than month-to-month, your deposit cannot be more than two months' rent
Q: Can my landlord charge me a “pet fee”?
A: Yes. In addition to the security deposit, your landlord may also charge you a non-refundable fee if you plan to keep a pet in the property or on the grounds. The “pet fee” can be any “reasonable” amount that the landlord wishes to charge. If your pet damages the property, the landlord may also keep all or a portion of the security deposit as necessary to repair the damage in addition to keeping the pet fee.
Q: What happens to my security deposit while I'm a tenant?
A: To ensure that your security deposit is safe during the period of your tenancy, State law requires the landlord or property manager to keep it in a “trust account.” A trust account is simply a bank account designated as “trust” or “escrow” that does not contain any of the landlord's or broker's personal funds. The trust account must be maintained in a licensed and insured depository institution authorized in North Carolina. Within 30 days following the beginning of your lease term, the landlord or agent must notify you in writing where your security deposit has been placed (typically, this notification is given in the lease). If your security deposit is moved to a different bank or savings and loan during your tenancy, you must be notified in writing of the new location.
Q: What will happen to my security deposit at the end of my lease term?
A: If you stay for the entire lease term and you have paid all rent due, the landlord (or agent) may deduct from your security deposit only the actual cost of repairing any damage which you have done to the property. You cannot be charged for damage caused by “ordinary wear and tear.” What constitutes “ordinary wear and tear” must be determined on a case-by-case basis. For example, if you are the most recent tenant in the property, the landlord cannot charge you to replace such items as carpet, plumbing, or appliances which need replacement because they are old and worn out. In fact, you cannot be charged for even contributing to the normal wear and tear of such items. On the other hand, if you caused the item to wear out because of your mistreatment of it, you may be charged for the amount of unusual wear which you caused (but not the entire cost of replacement). Ordinarily, costs for routine cleaning and maintenance (painting, carpet cleaning, etc.) may not be deducted from your security deposit. However, if you leave the property so filthy that unusual or extraordinary measures are necessary to clean or restore the premises, the landlord may deduct the cost of such cleaning from your security deposit.
Q: What will happen to my security deposit if I vacate the property before the end of my lease?
A: In addition to any physical damage which you may have caused to his property, the landlord may also deduct from your security deposit any actual damages caused by your moving out of the property before the end of your lease term; however, they may not charge you a “termination fee” or impose any other penalty or forfeiture of deposit for your early termination and must use their best efforts to fill the vacancy as soon as possible. For example, your rent is $600 per month and you move out of the landlord's property two months before the end of your lease. If it takes the landlord one month to re-rent the property, $600 may be deducted from your security deposit as lost rent for the period during which the property was vacant. The landlord may also use the security deposit to recover any reasonable fees or commissions charged by a licensed broker to re-rent the property.
Q: What will happen to my security deposit if, for some reason, I am unable to pay my rent?
A: If you fail to fulfill your obligations under the lease, including your obligation to pay rent, the landlord or agent may evict you from the property. The court proceeding is known as “summary ejectment.” In addition to having you removed from the property, the landlord or agent may recover from you any unpaid rent, late fees, and, of course, the cost of repairing any physical damage which you may have caused to the property—but not damage due to ordinary wear and tear. In addition, if you leave behind any of your personal property (furniture, clothing, etc.), the landlord may also recover from you the cost of storing your property. If your security deposit will not cover the landlord's damages for unpaid rent, physical damage to the property, and storage of your personal property, you will be liable for payment of any remaining costs. If a civil judgment is entered against you by the court, it could adversely affect your credit rating.
Q: Is there a deadline by which the landlord or agent must return my security deposit?
A: Within 30 days after the termination of your tenancy, the landlord or agent must send you either a full refund of your deposit or a written itemized accounting of any deductions along with any remaining refund amount. Where the full amount of damage cannot be determined within 30 days, the landlord or agent must send you a written interim accounting of deductions claimed, followed by a final accounting no later than 60 days following the end of the tenancy. So, it is important to give your landlord or agent a full forwarding address. If you cannot be located, the landlord or agent must hold any refund due for at least six months in their trust account. If the landlord or agent fails to refund your deposit or make the required accounting, you can sue for recovery of the deposit and reasonable attorney fees. The failure to make the accounting as required under the Act is a forfeiture of the landlord's right to retain any portion of the deposit.
