Below, you will find our requirements and policies for our residents
as well as our rental application / screening process.
Tenant Selection Criteria
Putnam Properties is an Equal Opportunity Housing Provider. We fully comply with all federal, state, and local fair housing, civil rights, and equal opportunity laws. All applicants must be 18 years of age or older. Here are criteria that all of our applicants must meet. We run tenant screening reports on all applicants.
Application
Your application must be filled out completely and accurately. An incomplete application may be rejected or not processed. Any misstatement, misrepresentation, or omission made on your application, whether discovered before or after you move into the building, is grounds for denial of an application or termination of an existing lease. Information must be legible and verifiable. If information given on the application cannot be verified, this is a basis to reject an application.
Business Relationship
The relationship between Putnam Properties and our tenants is a business one. A courteous and businesslike attitude is required from all parties. We reserve the right to reject an application if, at any time during the application and lease-up process, an applicant is verbally or physically threatening or abusive, uses profanity, is disrespectful, is hostile or argumentative, or generally displays an attitude or conduct that causes management to believe that we would not have a positive business relationship.
Occupancy Limits
The maximum number of residents per unit is equal to two people per bedroom. (We consider exceptions if a household member is one year old or younger.) Any person proposed to be added to a unit must be approved by management before moving into the unit.
Credit
Your application may be denied if your credit report contains negative information that is directly relevant to your fitness as a tenant (examples include owing amounts to prior landlords, owing amounts to utility companies, or a heavy debt burden with high collections activity). Credit scores on their own are not considered in deciding whether to approve your application. Credit scores are considered when determining security deposit amounts, but in no event will the security deposit exceed 1.5 times the monthly rent. If an applicant lacks a credit history, this will not result in a denial, but the required security deposit will be 1.5 times the monthly rent and/or we will require a credit-worthy guarantor. If you would prefer to not have a guarantor, you may provide information or documents at the time of application that you believe we should consider as to why you should not have a guarantor. This process is known as an individual assessment. If you would prefer that option, please submit any documents you believe we should consider, at the time you submit your application.
Criminal History
We do not reject applications based criminal convictions with the following outcomes: diversion programs (participation or completion), deferral of judgment programs (participation or completion), stays of adjudication, continuances for dismissal, continuances without prosecution, vacated convictions, expunged convictions, stays of imposition of sentencing where applicant complied with terms of the stay, and juvenile adjudications. We do not reject applications for a criminal conviction where the crime is no longer illegal in Minnesota.
For arrests, we do not reject applications based on arrests. However, if there is an active charge, and the charge is for crime that would result in denial if it were a conviction, the charge must be resolved before we make a decision to accept or deny your application.
Applicants with convictions for manufacturing or distributing illegal drugs will be denied, regardless of the age of the conviction. The following convictions will result in rejection of an application for 10 years from the sentencing date: Murder (1st to 3rd degree), 1st degree manslaughter (Minn. Stat. 609.20 Subds. 1, 2, 5 or similar non-Minnesota statute), 1st degree arson, 1st degree criminal sexual conduct (Minn. Stat. 609.342 Subds. 1(b), 9(g) or similar non-Minnesota statute), 1st degree assault, Aggravated robbery, Kidnapping (Minn. Stat. 609.25 Subd.2(2) or similar non-Minnesota statute). All other felony convictions will result in rejection of an application for 7 years from the sentencing date. All gross misdemeanor, misdemeanor, and petty misdemeanor convictions will result in rejection of an application for 3 years from the sentencing date.
We will reject the applications of lifetime registered sex offenders and registered sex offenders. If you are a registered sex offender, but not a lifetime-registered sex offender, you may provide information or documents at the time of application that you believe we should consider as to why you believe we should apply an exception to this screening criteria. This process is known as an individual assessment. If you would prefer that option, please submit any documents you believe we should consider, at the time you submit your application.
Housing History and Eviction Actions
Applicants must have a positive housing history for the immediately preceding 12-month period. We require the name and last known telephone number of each landlord/property manager/mortgage or contract for deed holder for each address you have had for the last three years. Roommate and family-member references are not acceptable. If you do not have a positive rental history for the preceding 12-month period, you may provide information or documents at the time of application that you believe we should consider to explain your lack of positive rental history. This process is known as an individual assessment. If you would prefer that option, please submit any documents you believe we should consider, at the time you submit your application.
The refusal of a prior landlord to give a complete reference or the provision of a negative reference is grounds for rejection. Negative references include items such as evictions, lease non-renewals, household safety/health/housekeeping violations, lease violations, pest-control issues, unpaid rent, etc. In the case of first-time renters or renters who, because of age or other reasonable explanation, have less than 1 year of positive housing history, we may approve the application if the lease is guaranteed by a credit-worthy guarantor.
We will reject your application if you have an eviction action judgment on your record, where the judgment was entered less than 3 years ago (these are cases where the landlord won the eviction action, a judgment was entered against you, and/or the landlord did or could have gotten a writ of recovery).
We will reject your application if you have an eviction action on your record that was settled was less than 1 year ago.
We will not reject your application if you have an eviction action on your records that was dismissed because you won the case.
Income Requirements
Applicants must have monthly income or benefits that are 2.5 times the amount of the monthly rent. To be counted as household income or benefits, amounts must be verifiable, reliable, and predictable.
Photo Identification and Application Process
Prior to viewing a unit and/or applying for a lease, all adults will be required to show valid government-issued photo identification.
Payment of the Security Deposit (an amount equal to the first month’s rent) and a $45.00 application fee is required at the time your application is approved. Each adult must complete an application and pay an application fee. The apartment will not be held until the security deposit is paid in full. THE APPLICATION FEE IS NON-REFUNDABLE. The return of security deposit will be addressed in the lease and addenda, and will be handled in accordance with Minnesota law.
Each applicant must provide the two most recent months of paystubs from his/her employer. If relying on other sources of income, the applicant must provide the two most recent months of account or benefits statements from that source. If the applicant is relocating to the area or starting a new job, the applicant may provide a copy of an offer letter in lieu of paystubs.
Please fill out the application clearly with blue or black ink only.
All applications are processed by Rental History Reports, located at 7900 W. 78th St., Suite 400, Edina, MN 55439; (888) 389-4023.
