Applicant Frequently Asked Questions
Rental Application FAQs: Questions Answered
Find clear answers about applying for a Rice Real Estate & Property Management rental home, required documents, income review, screening, pets and animals, application decisions, and move-in requirements.
Application Fee
$65 for each adult applicant. Application fees are non-refundable.
Who Applies
Every proposed occupant age 18 or older submits a separate application.
Income Standard
Combined documented gross monthly income must equal at least three times the rent.
Screening
SmartMove by TransUnion authorization is requested after initial review.
Start With the Questions That Apply to You
These answers summarize the application process. The full Rental Criteria page controls when more detail is needed.
Before Applying
Application Basics
Review the rental home, application fee, and separate application requirement before you submit an application.
Do I need to view the rental home before applying?
Yes. Applicants are expected to review the interior and exterior before applying. You may use an in-person showing, a live video showing, or an available YouTube video tour. This gives you a chance to evaluate the home’s condition, layout, features, and location before paying a non-refundable application fee.
How do I apply for a Rice Real Estate & Property Management rental home?
Start the online rental application through the application portal. Each adult applicant must complete their own application using their own email address. After the initial application review, SmartMove by TransUnion will email the applicant to authorize credit, background, and eviction screening.
How much is the application fee, and is it refundable?
The application fee is $65 for each adult applicant. Application fees are non-refundable because Rice Real Estate & Property Management incurs costs when processing rental applications.
Who must complete a rental application?
Every proposed occupant age 18 or older must complete and sign their own separate rental application using their own email address. Minor children are listed as occupants but are not screened as adult applicants.
Can I submit an application for my partner, roommate, friend, or family member?
No. Each adult must submit their own application and personal information. An application submitted using another person’s identity or information will be declined. Materially false, misleading, or unverifiable information may also result in decline under the published Rental Criteria.
What makes an application complete?
An application is complete when each required adult application, supporting document, and screening authorization has been received. Missing documents or an unanswered SmartMove request may delay review. A complete application may be processed before another application that is still incomplete.
Contact Rice Real Estate & Property Management to request a reasonable accommodation. You may also use the Reasonable Accommodation Request page.
Income and Documents
Preparing a Complete Application
Clear, current, and verifiable documents help Rice Real Estate & Property Management review the application without unnecessary delays.
What is the minimum income requirement?
The combined documented gross monthly income of the adult applicants who will be financially responsible under the lease must equal at least three times the monthly rent. The same published income standard is used regardless of the applicants’ relationship, marital status, or household composition.
Can income from more than one adult applicant be combined?
Yes. Verifiable gross monthly income from adult applicants who will be financially responsible under the lease may be considered together when applying the income requirement.
What types of income may be considered?
Applicants may submit reliable documentation for employment income, self-employment income, retirement income, benefits, support payments, or other income they want considered. The documents must allow Rice Real Estate & Property Management to verify the amount and source.
Which documents should I prepare before applying?
Applicants should prepare the information and documents that apply to their situation, including:
- Previous addresses and landlord contact information
- Emergency contact and vehicle information
- A recent paystub, hire letter, or other reliable income documentation
- The most recent checking account statement with the applicant’s name visible
- Recent savings, retirement, or other reserve-account statements, when available
- Household pet records when the property allows pets and a pet will be requested
Applicants may black out bank account numbers. A screenshot showing only a current balance is not enough.
What should a self-employed applicant provide?
A self-employed applicant should prepare three recent business bank statements and the last two years of federal tax returns with filing confirmation. Additional documents may be requested when reasonably needed to verify income.
Can I upload missing or additional documents after applying?
Yes. Use the Applicant Document Upload page to submit missing or additional supporting documents. Include information that allows the documents to be matched to the correct applicant and rental home.
Screening and Decisions
How Applications Are Reviewed
Complete applications are reviewed under the published threshold requirements and documented scoring process.
21-Point Scoring Card
See the Factors Used During Applicant Scoring
After a complete application meets the published threshold requirements, Rice Real Estate & Property Management uses a documented 21-point scoring card. The card summarizes the employment, credit, debt-to-income, payment-history, cash-reserve, residential-history, and rent-or-mortgage-history factors considered during scoring.
The scoring card is a visual summary. Applicants should review the full Rental Criteria and Application Requirements for the complete qualification standards, required documents, and application procedures.
Review the full Rental CriteriaWhat is SmartMove by TransUnion?
SmartMove by TransUnion is the screening service used for credit, background, and eviction screening. After the initial application review, SmartMove sends the applicant an email requesting authorization. The applicant must complete that authorization before the screening portion can move forward.
What does Rice Real Estate & Property Management review?
Rice Real Estate & Property Management first reviews complete applications under the published threshold requirements. Applications that remain eligible are then evaluated using a documented 21-point scoring card. The review considers the applicant’s current field of employment, credit report, debt-to-income ratio, payment history, verifiable cash reserves, length at the previous residence, and recent rent or mortgage payment history.
Review the full Rental Criteria and Application Requirements for more detail.
What happens when more than one application is received?
Rice Real Estate & Property Management may process multiple applications. If more than one application is received, the rental home may be offered first to the eligible applicant with the highest score. A complete application may move forward before an incomplete application.
How long does the application review take?
Review time depends on whether all applications and documents are complete, whether SmartMove authorization is finished, and how quickly income, rental history, or other information can be verified. Missing documents, unanswered requests, or information that needs clarification may extend the review time.
Will I be contacted if more information is needed?
An applicant may be contacted when clarification or additional documentation is reasonably needed before a final decision can be made. Responding promptly helps prevent avoidable delays, but it does not guarantee approval.
What happens if my application is declined or approved with conditions?
The applicant will receive an adverse action notice with more information. The notice may identify information from the screening provider or other application-related items that affected the decision.
Rice Real Estate & Property Management applies its published Rental Criteria consistently to similarly situated applicants and without regard to a characteristic protected by applicable fair housing law.
Household, Pets and Animals
Occupants, Household Pets, and Accommodation Requests
Every applicant household must complete the pet and animal documentation that applies to its situation. When the household will have no household pets and no assistance animals, each applicant age 18 or older must individually complete and submit a separate No-Pet and No-Animal Affidavit. Complete one Household Pet Affidavit for each household pet, and submit one Reasonable Accommodation Request for each assistance animal. Each pet or assistance animal needs only one profile on file with Rice Real Estate & Property Management, regardless of how many applicants are in the household.
Does every adult occupant need to apply?
Yes. Each proposed occupant age 18 or older must complete and sign their own rental application using their own email address. A roommate, partner, family member, or friend may not submit an application for another adult.
What is the general occupancy guideline?
The general guideline is two people per bedroom, plus one additional person for the rental home. Occupancy is reviewed using the property’s bedroom sizes, overall size and configuration, applicable building or safety requirements, and the circumstances of the proposed household. The guideline is applied without regard to familial status or the age or gender of children.
What pet or animal documentation does the household need to complete?
When the household will have no household pets and no assistance animals, each applicant age 18 or older must individually complete and submit a separate No-Pet and No-Animal Affidavit. One applicant cannot complete this affidavit for another applicant or submit one affidavit for the entire household.
Complete one Household Pet Affidavit for each household pet. Submit one Reasonable Accommodation Request for each assistance animal. Each pet or assistance animal needs only one profile on file with Rice Real Estate & Property Management, regardless of how many applicants are in the household. Do not submit duplicate profiles for the same pet or assistance animal.
Start with the Rental Application Pet and Animal Affidavit page to access the correct form.
What documents should I prepare for a household pet?
For each household pet, prepare a recent pet photo and available veterinary records showing the pet’s name, age, weight, breed, and current vaccinations. Complete one Household Pet Affidavit for each pet. Household-pet approval depends on the property’s approved Household Pet Policy. Start through the Rental Application Pet and Animal Affidavit page.
How is a disability-related animal request handled?
A disability-related assistance-animal request is not processed as a household-pet application. It is reviewed separately through the reasonable accommodation process based on the facts of the request and applicable fair housing requirements.
Submit one request for each assistance animal through the Reasonable Accommodation Request page. Each assistance animal needs only one profile on file with Rice Real Estate & Property Management.
Do non-U.S. citizens use different rental standards?
No. The same published income, credit, rental-history, and scoring standards apply. An applicant or proposed occupant age 18 or older who indicates that they are not a U.S. citizen may be asked to complete a supplemental form for identity, documentation, lease-term, and emergency-contact information that may not be available through the standard application.
Approval and Move-In
What Happens After Approval
Approval is followed by time-sensitive holding, lease, insurance, payment, and utility steps before keys can be released.
What happens after my application is approved?
Rice Real Estate & Property Management will provide the approval instructions and required next steps. Approved applicants must complete the holding-fee requirement, lease documents, move-in payments, renter’s insurance, utility setup, and any other required move-in items before keys are released.
How quickly must the holding fee be paid?
If the first approved applicant does not pay the holding fee within 24 hours of approval, the rental home may be offered to the next approved applicant. Follow the approval instructions carefully because the deadline is time-sensitive.
Is renter’s insurance required before move-in?
Yes. All residents must maintain renter’s insurance with at least $100,000 in personal liability coverage. A rental home with a pool requires at least $500,000 in personal liability coverage. Rice Real Estate & Property Management must be listed as an additional interest before keys are released.
How is rent prorated when the lease starts during the month?
Rent is prorated using a 30-day month. A lease that starts on or after the 15th requires the first month’s prorated rent and the full second month’s rent at move-in.
Are there move-in administrative fees?
Yes. The published Rental Criteria lists a $100 non-refundable rekey fee and a $100 lease administration fee due at move-in. The approval and lease instructions will identify the complete amount due for the specific rental home.
What is the Resident Benefits Package?
Rice Real Estate & Property Management’s Resident Benefits Package is a mandatory $35 monthly program for residents. It includes resident services such as preventative HVAC-filter replacement during Quality Assurance visits, access to the 24/7 repair portal, one eligible ACH or dishonored-check fee waiver per lease term, optional rent-payment credit reporting, renter’s insurance and utility concierge services, mobile-app access, rental-history verification, and homebuying assistance.
The $35 monthly Resident Benefits Package charge is included in the Maximum Total Periodic Rent (MTPR) shown for the rental home.
What does MTPR mean?
Maximum Total Periodic Rent (MTPR) is the single monthly amount that combines base rent with all mandatory recurring fees for a rental home. Under Nevada AB 121 and NRS 118A.200, rent must be presented as one figure that includes mandatory fees charged in addition to base rent, subject to limited utility exceptions.
For a Rice Real Estate & Property Management rental home, MTPR includes the base rent, the $35 monthly Resident Benefits Package, and any other mandatory recurring fee that applies to that specific home. MTPR is a rent-disclosure requirement. AB 121 does not establish statewide rent control or set the rental rate. Review the property listing, approval terms, Rental Criteria, and lease for the MTPR that applies to the specific rental home.
Who sets up the utilities?
Approved applicants are responsible for setting up electric, gas, and water service. Other services may include cable, internet, satellite, or phone. Follow the move-in instructions for the required start date and proof of service.
Can residents smoke or vape inside the rental home?
No. Rice Real Estate & Property Management rental homes are non-smoking properties. Smoking and vaping are not permitted inside the home.
Can I review a sample lease or Resident Handbook before applying?
Yes. Applicants may review the sample lease and the Resident Handbook. The actual lease for an approved applicant may include property-specific terms, addenda, and updated requirements.
Applicant Resources
Application Links in One Place
Use the page that matches your next step in the Rice Real Estate & Property Management application process.
Ready for the Next Step?
Review the rental home and Rental Criteria, gather the required documents, and submit a separate rental application for each applicant age 18 or older. Then complete the pet and animal documentation that applies: a separate No-Pet and No-Animal Affidavit from each applicant age 18 or older when the household will have no household pets or assistance animals, one Household Pet Affidavit for each household pet, or one Reasonable Accommodation Request for each assistance animal.
