Rental Criteria

Rental Application Fee Disclosure Statement

As part of your rental application, a rental application fee may be collected to facilitate a screening and background check.

This Rental Application Fee Disclosure Statement outlines certain information related to your rental application fee.

You are notified of and acknowledge and agree to the following:

1. Prior to paying the rental application fee, you have received a copy of the Disclosure Statement and the Screening Criteria.
2. Your application will be judged based on the attached Screening Criteria.
3. We have disclosed the rental application fee to you, including in any advertisement and postings related to the available rental unit and the actual rental application fee charged is consistent with those disclosures.
4. In the event the rental unit that you applied for is not available, you agree that we may place you on our waiting list for no more than 30 days.
5. The screening process for our rental units includes a review of the referenced Screening Criteria.
6. The rental application fee listed consists of the below charges. Applicant acknowledges that we may incur such costs which are reasonable and necessary to complete the screening and background check process.
   1. $15.00 – 1 Credit, 1 criminal, 1 eviction screening
   2. $15.00 – Rental history verification, employment and income verification
7. You will be provided with any paperwork or copies of electronic correspondence generated as a result of the screening process, to the extent permitted by State and Federal Law. In the event that you are not approved for a rental unit, you will receive a notice explaining the reason(s) along with a list of resources that you may use to assist with future application processes. Any correspondence related to this Disclosure Statement will be mailed to the current address provided by the applicant via US Mail.

Within thirty (30) days of receipt of a denial, the applicant may, if he or she believes the City Ordinance has been violated, file a written complaint with the City Manager or the City Manager’s Designee, addressed to : City Manager, City of Grand Rapids, 300 Monroe Ave NW # 1, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, Attention: Rental Application Fee Ordinance Complaint.

DISCLOSURE OF AGENCY: Michigan law requires real estate licensees who are acting as agents of Landlords or Tenants of real property to advise the potential landlords or tenants with whom they work of the nature of their agency relationship. LIVING SPACES PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LLC IS A LANDLORD’S (OWNER’S) AGENT. A Landlord’s agent, under an agreement with the Landlord, acts solely on behalf of the Landlord.

Screening Criteria

Living Spaces Property Management LLC is an equal opportunity housing provider, adhering to Federal, State and Local regulations which prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, family status, and national origin.

1. APPLICATION: An application must be completed in its entirety and in all truthfulness to be considered and approved. Incomplete applications will be denied. Any attempt to mislead or to provide intentionally false information will result in denial of application.
2. APPLICATION FEE: An application fee of $30 per applicant must be submitted with the application for it to be considered. Bounced application fees result in denial of the application. The application fee covers the cost of a credit/criminal background check and cannot be refunded after the report has been ordered whether the application is approved or denied.
3. AGE OF APPLICANTS: Applicants must be at least 18 years of age. Everyone 18 or older who intends to reside in the premises must apply separately and pay separate application fee. Those under the age of 18 who will be living at the premises must be listed on the application as occupants.
4. INCOME: Combined income for all potential leaseholders must be verifiable and at least three times the monthly rent for at least 6 months prior to application.
5. CRIMINAL HISTORY: Applicants must be free of felony convictions within the last five years and have no more than one felony per applicant. Certain and/or several misdemeanors could be grounds for denial of application as well.
6. CREDIT HISTORY: The credit report we use is provided by TransUnion SmartMove and includes Income and Assets, Past Due Amounts, and a credit score—along with the factors affecting the score. It also includes a Summary of Accounts, and a breakdown of Accounts with a history of late payments. Our software then makes a four-tiered recommendation based on this information. At least one applicant must pass at least one of the top two tiers. We do not accept cosigners.
7. RENTAL HISTORY: Positive rental history is required. Rental references must be verifiable—family and friend references are insufficient to qualify as positive rental history. Unacceptable rental references include but are not limited to evictions or eviction filings, lease violations including disturbances, unauthorized pets or occupants, property damage, late payments, or money owed to previous landlords. Any of these could be grounds for denial of application.
8. PETS: Our pet policy varies by property. Where pets are allowed, additional application processes apply along with breed and weight restrictions and additional pet fees.

DISCLOSURE OF AGENCY: Michigan law requires real estate licensees who are acting as agents of Landlords (Sellers) or Tenants (Buyers) of real property to advise the potential landlords or tenants with whom they work of the nature of their agency relationship. LIVING SPACES PROPERTY MANAGEMENT  LLC IS A LANDLORD’S (OWNER’S) AGENT. A Landlord’s agent, under an agreement with the Landlord, acts solely on behalf of the Landlord.