Rental Application Criteria

Thank you for your interest in a GEM Realty-managed home. Our goal is to provide a fair and transparent leasing process for every applicant. To be considered for tenancy, all prospective residents must meet the minimum screening standards outlined below. We strongly encourage you to review these criteria prior to submitting your application. Application fees are non-refundable, so please contact our office beforehand if you have questions regarding eligibility.

GEM Realty performs a full screening on each applicant age 18 and older. We do not accept reusable or portable resident screening reports.

All rental properties remain actively marketed and open to applicants until a security deposit has been received and a lease agreement has been fully executed. We may receive and evaluate multiple applications for the same property. Homes are offered on a first-approved, first-secured basis—the first applicant who is approved, pays the security deposit, and signs the lease will secure the home.

If another applicant secures the property before your screening process is completed, your approved application will remain valid for 60 days and may be transferred to any other GEM Realty property for which you qualify.

1. Rental History Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate:

12 months of verifiable rental history or homeownership
No prior evictions
No outstanding balances owed to a landlord or property manager
Proper notice provided to previous landlords

Applications may be denied if:

Rental history cannot be verified
There is evidence of lease violations, late payments, property damage, or poor landlord references
There is documented evidence of disruptive or non-compliant behavior at a previous residence involving the landlord or property management staff.

2. Employment & Income Requirements

A minimum of 12 months of current employment or income from a similar industry
Self-employed applicants must provide verifiable income (e.g., tax returns, bank statements)
Gross monthly income must equal at least 3 times the monthly rent
- For residents utilizing vouchers (e.g., Section 8), income must equal 3 times the resident’s portion of rent, not the total rent amount
Applicant must demonstrate the capacity to pay move-in costs, including first month’s rent and deposits, in full prior to occupancy

3. Credit Standard

Minimum 12 months of established credit history
No open or undischarged bankruptcies
At least 12 months of re-established credit following bankruptcy discharge
All accounts must be in good standing

Applications may be denied based on poor credit history, excessive collections, charge-offs, or judgments related to housing, utility bills, or other high-risk debt categories.

4. Criminal Background Criteria

A criminal background check is performed on each applicant and all adult occupants. The following convictions, measured from the date of disposition, may result in denial:

Offense Type	Felony	Misdemeanor
Crimes against persons or property	7 years	5 years
Drug-related offenses	7 years	5 years
Theft / Fraud / Check-related offenses	7 years	5 years
Prostitution-related	7 years	5 years
Weapons offenses	7 years	5 years
Cruelty to animals	7 years	5 years
Any other felony (traffic/DUI included)	7 years	N/A
Violent or terrorism-related offenses	Automatic denial regardless of date

Additional considerations:

Applicants on active probation or parole must have completed supervision at least 5 years prior to applying
Deferred adjudication, pre-trial intervention, and pending charges may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis

IMPORTANT: While we conduct thorough screenings, we cannot guarantee that all existing community residents have been screened under the same criteria.

Individualized Criminal Review Process

GEM Realty will conduct an individualized assessment if a denial is based solely on criminal history and the applicant requests reconsideration in writing. Supporting documentation may include:

Letters from employers, parole/probation officers, social workers, or counselors
Certificates of rehabilitation or treatment completion
Proof of stable employment
Personal statement addressing circumstances and rehabilitation

GEM Realty may request additional documentation and will notify applicants of the final decision in a reasonable timeframe.

5. Occupancy Limits

Occupancy is limited to two persons per bedroom plus one additional occupant, unless local or state regulations require stricter limits.

Important Occupancy Policies

No Smoking: Smoking inside any property is strictly prohibited. Violations may result in fines or eviction.
Inspections: Periodic inspections will be conducted at all occupied approximately every 6-8 months
Unauthorized Occupants: Only those named on the Lease are authorized to reside in the home. Unauthorized occupants could result in fines and/or eviction proceedings.

6. Identification

Each applicant age 18 or older must provide a valid government-issued photo ID prior to processing.

Providing false, misleading, or incomplete information is grounds for denial.

7. Pet & Assistance Animal Policy

GEM Realty utilizes PetScreening for all animals:

Pet profiles are required for all pets.
Service or Assistance animals are screened at no cost.
Standard pet profile fees apply and are paid directly through PetScreening. https://gemrealty.petscreening.com/

Pets: If you have a pet and it is approved, you will be required to pay a $100.00 - $400.00 Pet Administrative Fee per pet, upon move-in or upon the pet being added to your existing lease. This is a one-time non-refundable fee.

In addition to this fee, you will also have monthly pet rent fees ranging from 35.00-75.00 per pet. The amount of the pet fee, pet rent is determined based upon the "FIDO Score" that PetScreening.com assigns to your pet. This score is determined using a proprietary formula that takes into account things like pet age, weight, vaccination records, etc., and the score is expressed using the number of "Paws" that the pet gets, from 1 to 5, with 5 being the least risk pets. The monthly fees are non-refundable and do not apply to any damages caused by your pet(s) upon move out.

Pets - Not all homes accept pets, please contact the leasing agent to ensure you are applying for a pet-friendly home AND your breed and size of dog is approved.

Assistance Animals**

We require all pets and service animals to be screening using a 3rd PARTY PET SCREENING VENDOR https://nestfinders.petscreening.com. You will need to create an account, for pets there is a charge of $25 and for service animals, there is no fee.

GEM Realty complies with all Government Laws and Guidelines relating to Assistance Animals.
Online certificates, ID cards, registrations and letters purchased online are NOT accepted.
An Assistance Animal is a Reasonable Accommodation to the Lease and is not considered a pet, and therefore Pet Fees do not apply.

**As of July 1, 2023, House Bill 1725 introduced amendments to Virginia's Fair Housing Law making it a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act to provide fraudulent supporting documentation to evidence the existence of a disability or disability-related need for a person requesting a reasonable accommodation for an assistance animal. Such actions are punishable by monetary fines.

8. Application Fee & Processing

A completed application is required for every adult occupant
Non-refundable application fee is due at submission
Online applications accept debit/credit payments only
Standard processing time is 2–3 business days, contingent upon timely receipt of documentation and third-party verifications

9. LEASE ADMIN FEE:

A $150/ lease preparation fee will be due prior to administering the lease. We will reach out to you once your application is approved and ask you to pay the lease preparation fee within 24 hours. Once that fee is paid we will send you the lease for e-signature and will send you an accounting of the funds required to secure the property, including security deposit and any relevant fees. Once the lease is signed and those initial funds are paid we will take the property off the market.

***Please note that at any given time in the process up until we receive the required funds the property could be taken off the market and rented to another party, even if your application has been approved. ***

10. GEM RESIDENT ADVANTAGE PROGRAM:

The GEM Resident Advantage Program is mandatory and additional $39.95 per month.

The Resident Benefits Program is designed to provide convenience to our residents by providing several services and liability protections which waives the renters insurance requirement. The coverage protection is under Nest Finders Master Policy and applies to each home under management.

Coverage and Benefits:

All Residents are required by their lease to carry property damage liability coverage. To provide the required liability coverage and to keep the cost low GEM Realty has developed our GEM Resident Advantage Program. This program waives the renters insurance requirement and protects Residents and landlords from negligence acts. Residents receive the benefits of the coverage without additional applications, credit checks, or billing. The resident will be billed $39.95 monthly for the following coverage and benefits. If you feel you would like more coverage, You MAY acquire and use your own Renters Insurance, but the GEM Resident Advantage Program Price does not change, the liability provided in the GEM Resident Advantage Program is added as a courtesy.

Liability limits - $100,000

Personal contents - $10,000

Medical expenses - $3,000

Additional living expenses - $1,000

Deductible - $1,000

One Time Lock out service. If you are ever locked out of home, or lose a key GEM Realty will offer a One time locksmith dispatch to get you into your home.
Utility Valet Service- Free VIP assistance for fast set-up of utilities, internet, and cable.
Rental History Credit Reporting to Experian “RentBureau” Receive the benefit of positive credit reporting of your on-time rent payments to ExperianOnline resident Portal for Maintenance, Payments, and Paperless Statements. Residents have access to our resident Portal to submit maintenance requests, pay online via credit card or e-check, and to access documents such as lease, statements, and payment receipts.
No Fees for Rent Payments (excludes credit card transactions) No fees when rent is paid online with e-check through the resident Portal.
24-HOUR MAINTENANCE COORDINATION SERVICE: Submit work requests to our staff via an online portal. You will have the ability to upload photos to the portal and speak with our staff.
Residents can reach a live person after hours for emergency maintenance concerns.
One-Time Late Fee Forgiveness. You’ll be granted a one-time waiver of your Late Fee for late rent payment.
One- Time NSF Fee forgiveness
Vetted third party maintenance vendors. All of our vendors are professional, licensed and insured.

❖ HOME BUYING ASSISTANCE: Many of GEM Realty Group’s property managers are Licensed Real Estate Agents and/or Real Estate Brokers and offer discouonted fees for residents. Whether you are a first time home buyer or looking to invest in real estate, we will help get you there. Compensation for services shall be agreed upon in a separate agreement.

Notice: Residents are required to participate in the GEM Resident Advantage Program as a condition of their lease.

Residents are free to carry and encouraged to carry additional coverage for contents or insurance in addition to the Resident Benefit Program that they feel meets their needs.

Failure to Meet Criteria

Any applicant who does not meet the requirements outlined above may be denied. Meeting minimum standards does not guarantee approval if additional risk factors are identified during verification.

If you have questions or need clarification before applying, please contact our office. We look forward to helping you find a home you love through GEM Realty.

Statement From the CEO of GEM Realty

At GEM Realty, we are committed to serving our entire community with fairness, respect, and integrity. Every individual who interacts with our company—whether as an applicant, resident, property owner, or vendor—deserves to be treated equitably and without bias. We proudly uphold the principles of equal housing opportunity in every aspect of our operations.

GEM Realty does not discriminate against any person in the sale, rental, leasing, financing, or provision of housing services. All rental properties under our management are shown, made available, and leased to qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status, disability, source of income, sexual orientation, gender identity, or military/veteran status, in strict compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local fair housing laws.

We apply one consistent and objective screening standard to all applicants. GEM Realty accepts Housing Choice Vouchers and other lawful housing assistance vouchers at all eligible rental properties in Virginia.

To support our commitment to both resident comfort and legal compliance, all animals are processed through a third-party animal screening service. Service animals and emotional support animals are welcomed at all GEM Realty-managed homes, and no pet fees or deposits are charged once lawful verification is completed and approved.

Our mission is simple: provide quality homes, elevate communities, and ensure that every person has an equal opportunity to call a GEM Realty property home.

– Stephanie Michael, CEO & Principal Broker

GEM Realty