Rental Application Criteria
Everything we screen for is on this page, in full, before you spend a dollar. Read it, check yourself against it, and apply with confidence.
Our criteria
We apply the same written criteria to every applicant on every property. Nothing on this list is applied to one person and waived for another.
| What we require | The standard |
|---|---|
| Credit score | Minimum 600 |
| Eviction history | No evictions in the last five years |
| Debts to prior landlords | No outstanding debts owed to previous landlords |
| Income | Gross income of at least 3 times the rent, applied within Tacoma’s income to rent limits |
| Employment history | 12 months |
| Age | Every applicant must be 18 or older |
| Viewing | The property must be viewed before you apply |
| Application fee | $50 per adult, non-refundable |
| Pet profile | Required for every applicant at petscreening.com, including applicants with no pets |
Every adult 18 and over who will live in the home submits their own application and pays their own fee.
How the income requirement really works
The plain rule is gross income of at least 3 times the rent. Two things change that number in your favor, and both are law.
Inside Tacoma city limits, the ratio is capped. Under Tacoma Municipal Code 1.95.035.C, if the unit rents below HUD Fair Market Rent, a landlord may require no more than 3 times the rent in income. If the unit rents at or above Fair Market Rent, the maximum is 2.5 times. On a Tacoma home at or above Fair Market Rent, our requirement is 2.5 times, not 3 times.
If you have a voucher, the subsidy comes out first. Under RCW 59.18.255, any housing subsidy must be subtracted from the rent before an income to rent ratio is applied. If the rent is $1,800 and your voucher covers $1,200, the ratio is applied to your $600 portion, not to the full $1,800. That is not a courtesy, it is the law, and it changes the qualifying math substantially.
Your rights in our screening process
We think publishing this makes us easier to trust, not harder.
You must be told what we check before you pay
Under RCW 59.18.257, we give you written disclosure of what will be screened, the criteria that can lead to a denial, the name of the consumer reporting agency we use, and your right to dispute what that agency reports about you, before we collect any screening fee.
Source of income is protected
Under RCW 59.18.255, a landlord may not refuse to rent to you because of your source of income, and Section 8 is squarely included. So are Social Security, disability payments, veterans benefits, child support and other lawful income. Penalties for violating this run up to four and a half times the monthly rent plus fees.
Washington’s fair housing protections are broader than the federal ones
Under RCW 49.60.222, the Washington Law Against Discrimination adds creed, marital status, sexual orientation including gender expression and gender identity, citizenship or immigration status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, and use of a trained dog guide or service animal, on top of the federal protected classes of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status and disability.
Assistance animals are not pets
A service animal or a reasonable accommodation assistance animal is not subject to pet fees, pet rent or pet deposits, and it is not subject to breed or weight restrictions. Every applicant still completes a pet profile at petscreening.com, including applicants with an assistance animal, because that is how the accommodation documentation is collected. See our pet policy.
You may ask to pay move-in costs in installments
Under RCW 59.18.610, on your written request, the landlord must allow the security deposit, non-refundable fees and any last month’s rent to be paid in three equal monthly installments on a lease of three months or longer, or two installments on a shorter lease. There is no fee and no interest for choosing installments. Ask for it in writing.
Inside Tacoma, your total move-in cost is capped
Under RCW 59.18.610, on your written request, the landlord must allow the security deposit, non-refundable fees and any last month’s rent to be paid in three equal monthly installments on a lease of three months or longer, or two installments on a shorter lease. There is no fee and no interest for choosing installments. Ask for it in writing.
Red Roof’s standard deposit practice is one month’s rent plus $300, subject to local law limits. That figure would exceed the TMC 1.100.040 cap on a Tacoma unit once the $50 application fee is counted. Confirm the exact deposit and fee schedule used for units inside Tacoma city limits before this page goes live.
Before you apply
View the home
01
We require it, and it protects you from paying a fee for a home you would not have taken.
Gather your documents
02
Photo ID, proof of income for the last two months, and contact information for your current and previous landlords.
Complete your pet profile at petscreening.com
03
Everyone does this, pets or not.
Check yourself honestly against this page.
04
If something on your record will come up, tell us in the application. Context you give up front helps you far more than context we discover later.
Apply online
05
We respond within 24 hours.
If we deny your application, you will be told the criteria the decision was based on, and you have the right to dispute what the reporting agency says about you.
Application questions
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The minimum is 600. We also require no evictions in the last five years, no outstanding debts to previous landlords, 12 months of employment history and gross income of at least 3 times the rent, applied within Tacoma’s income to rent limits. Every adult 18 and over applies separately and pays a $50 non-refundable application fee.
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No. The $50 per adult application fee is non-refundable, because it pays for the screening that is run on your file. Under RCW 59.18.257 you must receive written disclosure of what is checked, the criteria for denial, the reporting agency used and your dispute rights before that fee is collected.
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Very likely, and it is unlawful to refuse you because of the voucher under RCW 59.18.255. The voucher amount is subtracted from the rent before the income to rent ratio is applied, so you qualify against your portion of the rent rather than the full rent. Bring your voucher paperwork when you view the home.
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Ask in writing. Under RCW 59.18.610 the landlord must let you pay the security deposit, non-refundable fees and any last month’s rent in three equal monthly installments for a lease of three months or longer, or two for a shorter lease. No fee and no interest may be charged for choosing installments.
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No. Assistance animals and service animals are not pets. They are not charged pet fees, pet rent or pet deposits, and breed and weight restrictions do not apply to them. You will still complete a profile at petscreening.com, which is how the accommodation documentation is collected and reviewed.
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Because it prevents you from paying a non-refundable fee for a home you would have walked away from in person. Photos and video help, but they do not tell you about the street, the light, the noise or the neighbors. It is a rule that costs us applications and saves applicants money.
Ready to apply?
See what we have available, view the home, and apply online. We respond to every applicant within 24 hours. Questions first? Call 253.222.3387 or email support@redroofrentals.com.