Tenant Resources
Prospective Tenants
The perfect place for the potential tenant
Okay! So you have decided to look for a new place for you and your family to live. Now that you have begun the search it is important to remember this; landlords are looking for a tenant who will pay their bills on time, maintain a clean and well-kept home and have steady employment with a reasonable income to justify the rent. We require that applicants, or their representative make an appointment to view the property in person with our showing representative. In some cases, a video tour can serve as the official showing. Most of our homes and apartments have a brief video tour right on the marketing ad on our website.
Great! Now you have found that perfect place. It looks like you're ready to apply for the property. The best way to apply is to visit our rental page and find the property you wish to apply for. This is the quickest and most efficient way to apply. If you do not feel comfortable submitting an application online you may simply click on the link below and you can view our rental application. Print an application out for you and any other adults that will be living with you. Accurately and completely fill out the entire application and submit via fax, email or in person to our office. Note: We require a $45.00 application process fee which is non-refundable. Cal West retains the right to increase the application fee amount at any time without notice.
Resources & Tools
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Policies on Qualifying Applicants
Cal West Property Management has a few policies and procedures that you should keep in mind before we accept your application.Instructions For Submitting An Application
If you feel you are qualified for the property after reading the attached Rental/Lease Policies, please follow these instructions:
- The easiest way to apply is to visit our website at www.calwestrents.com, locate the homes for rent icon on our home page and locate the property you wish to apply for. Click the button that reads view details and then click the button that reads apply online. You may also complete a paper application and return it to our office during normal business hours, Monday through Friday. To download the paper application click here.
- The application fee is $45.00. All adults over the age of 18 must apply. This fee is non-refundable. If you prefer to complete the paper application(s) you must submit your paperwork during normal business hours. We accept cash or money orders as payment for the application fee. NO PERSONAL CHECKS ACCEPTED.
- Please include current copies of your last 2 pay stubs or if self-employed then 2 years tax returns plus financial statements for the last quarter. We must be able to verify your income in order to process your application. If you cannot verify your income as stated above, please contact our office for other acceptable options.
- If your application is complete and accurate, your references return calls promptly, and you have included the correct amount of money with your application, it will be processed. If you qualify, we will contact you to arrange an appointment to sign the rental agreement. We prefer to have the agreement signed within 48 hours of acceptance. Be prepared to provide the move in funds in the form of cashier’s check, money order, or ACH direct payment on, or before, your signing date.
- This application fee does not guarantee approval. Your Application Will Not Be Processed Without the Correct Funds Attached!
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Rental /Lease Policies
THE FOLLOWING POLICIES ARE ESTABLISHED TO ENSURE THAT ALL PROSPECTIVE APPLICANTS MANAGED BY CAL WEST – H.M.S. PROPERTY MANAGEMENT WILL BE TREATED EQUALLY.
Please read the following policies. If you feel you meet the guidelines for qualifying, we encourage you to submit an application. Only one application will be processed at time. Applications will be processed in the order received. An incomplete application will not be considered.Fair Housing
Cal West Property Management Property Management adheres strictly to all requirements of the Fair Housing Laws. We do not discriminate against any applicant for reasons of race, color, religion, Sex (gender), Sexual Orientation, Marital status, national origin (including language use restrictions), Ancestry, Familial status (households with children under age of 18) Source of income, physical or mental disability (including HIV or AIDS), Medical condition (cancer/genetic characteristics), Age.
Megan’s Law Notice
The California Department of Justice and local law enforcement authorities maintains a database of the locations of registered sex offenders and will respond to consumer inquiries.
Please refer to California Megan's Law Website. -
Applicants
- Each person 18 years of age or over, or emancipated minors must fill out and sign an application; only applicants and their minor children may reside in the property.
- Acceptance of a co-signer is not normal policy and is subject to individual approval or denial by the owner.
- To be processed and considered; applications must be accompanied by a non- refundable processing fee.
- The application will NOT be considered with missing or false information.
- Any applicants with past evictions will not be considered.
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Credit Criteria
Cal West Property Management will obtain a credit report for each applicant and co-signer 18 years or older and emancipated minors. Credit reports supplied by applicants WILL NOT be accepted.The following will cause an application to be denied.**24 hrs. allowed to address disputed items on credit report**
- Any collections with an outstanding balance that has not been paid in full and proof provided
- Unsatisfied judgments or liens
- Unlawful detainers within the last 5 years.
- Non discharged bankruptcies or bankruptcies less than 5 years old.
- Having more than 2 - 60 days late payments on any account opened or closed within the last 3 years.
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Income Criteria
- Applicant’s gross monthly income must be three times the amount of monthly rent.
- Income will be verified from copies of the prior months pay stubs provided with the application (offer letters are acceptable).
- Self-employed applicants must provide the most recent 2 years of tax returns, plus financial statements for the last quarter.
- Proof of earnings from social security, child support, alimony and /or spousal support must be documented.
- Unverifiable income will NOT be considered.
- Overtime earnings will not be considered unless proven earnings over a 2 year period is provided and is expected to continue.
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Identification
Photo ID not required until the actual signing of the lease. -
Landlord Verification
Applicants must provide landlord references covering 5 years of tenancy when applicable, complete with contact phone number, email, previous, and current resident addresses.
Applicant's references will be confirmed. If negative or questionable information is reported by current or previous landlord, the applicant may be declined. The property manager may contact you to gather additional information depending on the results of these references.
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Condition Of Move In
Once an offer to rent is accepted by future tenant, lease must be signed within 48 hours. Security deposit and first months rent must be supplied in cashiers check and/or money order within that time frame so as to secure the unit. Hours for lease signing are Monday through Friday between 9:30AM and 4:00 PM.
All utility and garbage accounts must be transferred into residents’ name as of date of possession (when applicable).
Possession will be offered when Cal West – H.M.S. determines the property is ready for rental unless prospective tenant is provided written instructions otherwise.
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Pet Policy
Additional deposit may be required on all pets.
*Cal West reserves the right to change the qualification standards that are currently listed.
Resources
Current Residents
Resources to Make Your Stay Comfortable
For our current residents we have a complete set of tools and procedures to make your stay with us more comfortable and rewarding. Log into your Resident Portal to submit maintenance requests and pay your rent conveniently online.
Did you know that you can now pay your rent and submit maintenance requests online through your Tenant Portal? It's fast, easy, and secure, so why wait? Don’t have an account? Click here
Links and Resources
Resources & Tools
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Helpful Tenant Tips
Tenants often suffer because they are not aware of their rights. Our company pays attention to the ever changing landlord tenant laws in order to protect our clients from liability. If you have questions about your rights, check this link Landlord Tenant Law
It's a common misconception that owners do not want their tenants to contact them when they have a maintenance issue. Many issues that occur around a home do not require a major expense but if neglected, could become a much larger problem. If it is causing an inconvenience to you it's possible that the landlord would be willing to repair the item. It's just as important to the landlord in most cases that the home remains occupied and in good condition. Don't fear retaliatory actions from the landlord. Report the problem. I think you'll find most landlords appreciate your diligence with regards to the care of their home.
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Move-out
Before you vacate a property the following steps should be taken:- Provide Cal West with a 30-day notice. You can create your own or use the form provided here Notice To Vacate. The day you give the notice is the day the 30 days will begin. You can give your notice any day of the month. For example, if you give your notice on June 16th, your last day at the property would be approximately July 15th.
- At some point during that 30 days leading up to vacancy, provide Cal West with a forwarding address and contact Cal West if you have questions about a prorated amount of rent.
- Cal West will provide you with an inspection form that will give you an option to have a pre-inspection walk through with one of our agents. The purpose of this inspection is for the agent to review tenant responsibilities for repairs, cleaning, etc... in order for you to receive the maximum amount back from your security deposit. This inspection is best performed prior to the last day of tenancy to allow you time to make necessary repairs. We recommend a minimum of 5 days prior to vacancy for this inspection.
- Upon vacating the property, you need to return all keys and any remotes (if applicable). Cal West has 21 days to return the security deposit. If the forwarding address is not provided this will hold up the return of your security deposit.
- The security deposit will be mailed to you. We do not allow tenants to come by the office to pick up their check.