Application Guidelines & Criteria

Equal Housing & Non‑Discrimination

Home Works Property Management complies with the federal Fair Housing Act and the Maryland Fair Housing Act. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, source of income, or military status. Reasonable accommodations and modifications are available upon request.

Income & Employment

  • Minimum income standard: 2.7× the applicant’s required share of monthly rent. If a housing subsidy (e.g., Housing Choice Voucher) pays part of the rent, we apply the 2.7× standard only to the tenant’s portion of rent.
  • Example: If the contract rent is $2,000 and your share is $200, the income threshold is 2.7× $200 = $540/month.
  • We accept all lawful, verifiable sources of income (wages, self‑employment, pensions, Social Security, SSI/SSDI, child support, alimony, lawful subsidies, etc.).
  • Paying additional rent up‑front is never required to qualify. Applicants may optionally prepay rent (e.g., several months) at their election; such prepayment does not alter screening criteria or the security‑deposit cap.

Credit

  • Minimum credit score target: 590.
  • We review credit holistically. Lack of traditional credit, thin credit files, or use of lawful subsidies will not be the sole basis for denial. When a subsidy covers 100% of rent, minimum credit thresholds will not be used to deny otherwise qualified applicants. 

Rental History

  • We verify recent rental history (e.g., the last 12 months) using ledgers, payment receipts, or verifiable landlord references.
  • We may consider eviction judgments for possession entered within the past 5 years, along with context. We do not consider Failure to Pay Rent filings that did not result in a judgment, shielded records, or cases sealed/expunged by court order. As per Maryland Law.

Criminal History

  • We do not consider arrests or charges that did not result in conviction, and we do not consider sealed/expunged records.
  • We consider convictions only, case‑by‑case, evaluating the nature, severity, and recency of the offense,conduct since the offense, and the relationship to resident safety and property protection. We do not impose blanket bans based solely on any criminal record. 

Animals (Pets & Assistance Animals)

  • Many homes are pet‑friendly (limits and pet rent/fees may apply).
  • Assistance animals are not pets. We do not charge pet deposits, pet fees, or pet rent for assistance animals, and breed/size limits do not apply to assistance animals. 

Identification & Verification

  • We accept SSN or ITIN and government‑issued photo ID (including U.S. or foreign passports/consular IDs),etc as per Maryland Law 

Cosigners

  • Cosigners (if permitted) must meet the same standards as applicants. For subsidized tenancies, any income multiple applies only to the tenant’s share of rent.

Consumer Reports & Adverse Action (FCRA)

  • If we deny, condition approval (e.g., require a cosigner), or change terms based in whole or part on a consumer/tenant‑screening report, we will send a written adverse action notice identifying the consumer reporting agency and your rights to dispute and obtain a copy.

General 

  • No smoking or vaping inside or on the property.