Rental Criteria – Single-Family Homes
DFW Property Management.com is committed to Equal Housing Opportunity. We comply with the Federal Fair Housing Act, Texas law, and all local housing laws. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), disability, familial status, national origin, or age.
This page explains how we evaluate applications for single-family homes. Each listing indicates which criteria apply; if you are applying for an apartment or student-focused property, please use our Apartments criteria.
Scope of this page
This page applies to most single-family rentals we manage, including:
Detached houses
Individually owned townhomes
Individually owned condos
Small multifamily (duplex, triplex, fourplex) — unless a specific listing says otherwise
Quick eligibility snapshot
Household gross income ≥ 3× monthly rent (verifiable).
Preferred FICO 600+; tiered deposits below 600; < 500 not approved.
2–5 years of verifiable rental history (or acceptable homeownership docs).
No guarantors/co-signers for single-family homes.
Standard background screening; convictions only considered (individualized review).
No smoking or vaping on the premises.
Pets may be allowed case-by-case (fees/restrictions apply).
Application fees are non-refundable.
What you need to apply
We begin screening only after we receive a complete application from every adult (18+) in the household:
Government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, or passport).
Three (3) recent pay stubs that match deposits on your bank statements.
Landlord contact details for the last 2–5 years (professional sources only).
$65 application fee per adult (non-refundable).
We evaluate applications as one household. If any co-applicant does not qualify, the entire household is denied.
Detailed criteria
Identification
Provide a valid, current government-issued photo ID and an SSN or ITIN (or acceptable screening alternative). For single-family homes we must be able to complete standard screening; if we cannot complete screening, we cannot approve.
Income & employment
Your household’s combined gross monthly income must be at least 3× the monthly rent. Provide three (3) recent pay stubs that match deposits on your bank statements. We verify employment with employer/HR.
Income Verification & Anti-Fraud (pay stub ↔ bank deposit match)
Pay-stub amounts must align with bank deposits (minor differences for deductions are fine).
Wallet-app screenshots (CashApp/Venmo/Zelle/PayPal) are not accepted as primary proof of wages.
If paid by paper check, provide images of canceled checks and bank statements showing those deposits.
Self-employed / 1099 must show verifiable net income (gross deposits alone aren’t enough). Provide one of:
Two (2) years of federal tax returns (Form 1040 with all schedules), or
A CPA-prepared 12-month Profit & Loss plus six (6) months of business bank statements, or
Two (2) years of 1099s plus six (6) months of bank statements showing matching deposits.
Applications without proof of net income will be denied.
Guarantors/co-signers are not accepted for single-family homes.
Credit history (household rule + tiers)
We review your full credit profile. We do not average scores—the lowest credit score among adult applicants sets the household’s tier and required deposit. If your credit file is frozen, please unfreeze it; if we cannot retrieve your report, we cannot complete screening.
Single-Family Credit Tiers (and deposit multipliers)
≥ 600 → Standard deposit.
580–599 → May be approved with a 1.25× deposit.
540–579 → May be approved with a 1.5× deposit (no housing-related derogatories).
500–539 → May be approved only with a 2.0× deposit and all of the following:
No housing-related derogatories (no open landlord/utility collections or unpaid broken leases),
No evictions in the last 5 years,
24+ months of positive rental history or prior homeownership with on-time mortgage history,
Income ≥ 3× monthly rent
Below 500 → Not approved.
At any tier, open landlord/utility collections or housing judgments must be paid or on a written payment plan before approval.
Rental history (2–5 years) & deposit mapping
Provide at least two (2) years and up to five (5) years of verifiable rental history from professional landlords (family/friends aren’t accepted). If you owned a home within the past 2–5 years, see Homeownership below.
Length of verifiable rental history → required deposit (subject to credit tier):
24+ months positive history → Standard deposit
12–23 months positive history → 1.5× deposit
0–11 months or no prior rental history → 2.0× deposit
Homeownership in lieu of rental history
If you owned your home within the past 2–5 years, we treat that as positive housing history when you provide:
A recorded deed/title or closing disclosure/settlement statement, and
12–24 months of mortgage statements showing the account in good standing (or a lien release/payoff letter if paid off), and
Recent property-tax and homeowners-insurance declarations (and HOA statement if applicable).
Homeownership verifies housing responsibility, not income. It does not reduce our income or credit requirements.
How we verify rental history (and handle “homestead” flags)
Professional landlords (apartments/PM companies): verified via the company’s published phone/email; tenant ledger preferred.
Private owners: provide at least two of: full signed lease (all pages); 6–12 months of bank statements/canceled checks showing rent paid to the owner; move-in/move-out inspection or deposit receipt.
If county records show the address as homestead during your tenancy, we treat that as a verification flag and require stronger proof and owner-of-record match.
If we cannot verify your rental history, we treat it as no history and apply the deposit rule above.
Falsified information (friend/family posing as landlord, forged docs) → automatic denial.
Common rental-history denial triggers
- Eviction filed or completed within 5 years (older may be considered if fully paid and 12+ months positive history since)
- Broken lease within 5 years with unpaid balance
- Owing money to a landlord
- Falsified or unverifiable landlord info
- 3+ late rents in any 12-month period
- 2+ NSF/returned payments in any 12-month period
- Material lease violations (unauthorized occupants/pets, damage, criminal activity).
Criminal history (individualized review)
We consider convictions only (not arrests) and evaluate nature, severity, and time elapsed. Evidence of rehabilitation and recent positive rental history is considered.
Typical look-backs: 7 years violent/person crimes, arson, robbery, burglary of habitation • 5 years non-violent felonies involving property/fraud/drug distribution/manufacture • 3 years misdemeanors involving violence, property damage, or drug distribution. Applicants required to register as sex offenders are not eligible.
Occupancy
Guideline: two (2) persons per bedroom, plus one additional occupant, subject to the home’s size/configuration and local codes.
Smoking & vaping
To protect the property and future residents, smoking and vaping are not allowed anywhere on the premises (inside the home, garage, patios, or common areas).
Application completeness & accuracy
Every adult (18+) must submit a complete application with ID, required documents, and the fee before we begin processing.
We evaluate the household as one file; if any co-applicant fails, the entire household is denied.
Incomplete, false, or unverifiable information—including altered pay stubs, unverifiable employment, or friends/relatives posing as landlords/employers—results in automatic denial.
Fees, deposits & move-in timing
Application fee: $65 per adult. Application fees are non-refundable.
Administrative fee: $150 per lease, due at signing.
Security deposit: due within two (2) business days of approval.
First month’s rent: due at move-in. If the lease starts mid-month, the first payment is a full month and the second month is prorated.
Initial payment method: For the items above (first month’s rent, security deposit, any non-refundable pet fees, and the administrative fee), payment must be made by cashier’s check. We do not accept online payments, money orders, personal checks, cash, or other forms for initial move-in funds. Starting with the second month, rent may be paid online through the AppFolio Resident Portal (the portal may charge transaction fees).
Deposit Determination Rule (no stacking): Your required security deposit is the higher of (a) your credit-tier requirement, (b) your rental-history requirement, or (c) any special condition we publish (for example, assets-based approval). We do not add them together.
Holding homes: We can usually hold a home up to 14 days from approval or vacancy (whichever is later), subject to owner discretion. If a hold extends beyond 14 days, rent may begin on day 15.
Assets-Based Approval (Income Exception Only)
Prepaying rent or offering a larger deposit does not replace screening. If your only deficiency is insufficient current income, you may request an assets-based approval after meeting all other standards below:
Credit: ≥ 580 (per SFR tiers) and no housing derogatories or evictions in 5 years
Criminal: Must meet our criminal-screening standards
Liquid assets: Verifiable U.S. balances equal to the full lease term’s rent plus the required security deposit (recent statements/CD/T-bill statements)
Funds at signing: Full lease term’s rent prepaid and a 2.0× deposit
All other criteria: Identification, housing history/homeownership docs, and anti-fraud rules still apply
Equity in real estate or other non-liquid assets does not qualify. This option cannot cure credit-floor, eviction, criminal, or fraud disqualifications.
FAQs
- Do you accept guarantors? Not for single-family homes.
- No credit history? You may be considered if other factors are strong, but FICO < 500 is not approved.
- How are multiple applications handled? We lease to the most qualified applicant based on this page and readiness to move.
- Need help with the application due to a disability? Please request an accommodation.
Pets & Assistance Animals
Some homes allow pets with owner/HOA approval. All pet rules, fees, restrictions, and documentation requirements are published here: Pet Criteria.
Assistance animals (service animals & ESAs) are not pets and are accepted without pet fees or pet rent in compliance with applicable law. See the Pet Criteria page for details and documentation steps.
Legal notices & accommodations
If we deny or conditionally approve based on a consumer report, we will provide an adverse-action notice with the reporting agency’s details and your rights to a free copy and to dispute inaccuracies. By applying, you acknowledge you have reviewed our tenant selection criteria and that application fees are non-refundable.
Questions or requests for accommodation: (682) 200-6700.
Last updated: September 22, 2025