FAQ: Prospective Residents

We are a professional, knowledgeable, and courteous real estate company providing residential property management company services. We work very hard to provide the highest quality resident services you’ll ever experience. Our credit builder program will give you credit for on time payments. Higher credit scores can save you money.

We answer the phone Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and are happy to answer any questions you have.
We comply with all federal, state, and local laws and will provide services without regard to the race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or
national origin of applicant/resident.
When your home needs service, we use professional vendors (painters, handymen, plumbers, carpet cleaners, etc).

Repairs are normally done on an appointment basis with you at your home.

We are available 24 hours a day to handle emergency maintenance
repairs. We provide you with an urgent maintenance call center that is available to you 24/7.

We give you a week from moving in to report any condition issues.

We accept credit and debit cards through our on line payment systems.

All deposits are kept in a state chartered FDIC insured bank.

If the property is listed on our website, it is still available. Since we receive applications 24 hours a day via website, we never know when a new application may come in. When you send in your application, we will email or call you within one business day to let you know the status of your application. If another application is ahead of you, you may choose to wait or receive a refund of any fees paid. Once we begin processing your application you will either get offered the property or be rejected. If someone ahead of you is approved and takes the property, your application is still good for any other property we manage.

Just call our office or email us to set up a showing. We will gladly work around your schedule. Sorry, for the safety of our staff, no showings will be
made after dark.

Yes, and we treat Section 8 applicants like anyone else. The applicant must still qualify under the guidelines outlined above.

We will consider Section 8 and add it to income. Some properties may take co-signers to qualify for lack of income in addition to lack of credit and
rental references.

When you turn in an application, we will:
Call your previous landlord references. Be sure to provide the names and telephone numbers (home & work preferred) of at least the previous two years’ worth of rental history from individuals not related to you.
Be sure to include your move-in and move-out dates and the exact house or apartment number. If you had a roommate on the lease contract, their name would be helpful as a point of reference, as well.
Verify your income source and level:
Your legal and verifiable monthly income should be at least 2.5 to 3 times the rental amount. If you are self-employed please provide your latest tax returns as well as 3 months worth of bank statements. Please contact of your references so they know we will be calling. If your employer is a large company that does not provide verifications, please provide at least one month’s pay stubs.
Pull a credit report for each applicant:
We use the credit report to tell us if you have a history of honoring contractual agreements and paying bills on time. If you have open collections to a previous landlord, your application will be automatically denied. If you have a low credit score (below 520) you will likely need to have a co-signer. Our credit score minimums are scaled depending upon the rent rate. For rent rates below $600 a month, we require a minimum of 520 with Experian. For rent rates of 600-875, we require a minimum of 600-650. For rent rates above 875 a month, our credit minimum is 650. We are a credit bureau reporting realty company with Rent Bureau, a subsidiary of Experian.

An application is required for each person over the age of 18 that will be living on the property you wish to rent. Apply at our website, www.renthuntsvillealabama.com There is a $30 per person application fee to cover the cost of the background check. (Only one application fee per lifetime) is required to The Equity Group while you live in our rentals. Only completed, signed, and fee paid applications will be processed.

It is critical that we have complete and accurate information from you to process the application. If we do not receive information back within one business day from first inquiry to your current/previous landlord or current/previous employer, it delays approval. It is our company policy to move to the next application if we are unable to verify your tenancy and employment references within one business day of application if there are other applications pending.

When you turn in an application, we will:

Call your previous landlord references. Be sure to provide the names and telephone numbers (home & work preferred) of at least the previous two years’ worth of rental history from individuals not related to you.

Be sure to include your move-in and move-out dates and the exact house or apartment number. If you had a roommate on the lease contract, their name would be helpful as a point of reference, as well.

Verify your income source and level:
Your legal and verifiable monthly income should be at least 2.5 to 3 times the rental amount. If you are self-employed please provide your latest tax returns as well as 3 months worth of bank statements. Please contact of your references so they know we will be calling. If your employer is a large company that does not provide verifications, please provide at least one
month’s pay stubs.

Pull a credit report for each applicant:
We use the credit report to tell us if you have a history of honoring contractual agreements and paying bills on time. If you have open collections to a previous landlord, your application will be automatically denied. If you have a low credit score (below 520) you will likely need to have a co-signer. We are a credit bureau reporting realty company with Rent Bureau, a subsidiary of Experian.

Check the courts for prior criminal and civil actions:
We obtain a national criminal history search to see if you have any felony convictions or domestic assault and abuse convictions. If there is a felony, drug conviction, or domestic assault and abuse conviction within the past 10 years, the application will be automatically denied.

Some properties will accept a co-signer if you lack either credit or rental references. If that is the case we will accept a co-signer that has verifiable income sufficient to qualify for both their living situation and for the property they are co-signing, and the co-signer must have a greater than 560 credit score. The co-signer must fully complete our application and pay the application fee, which is non-refundable.

Due to insurance costs and limitations, Independence Realty does not allow the following types of dogs in any of our properties: 1. Pit Bulls, 2. Rottweilers, 3. Chow Chows, 4. Doberman Pinchers, 5. German Shepherds, 6. American Stafforshire Terriers, 7. Wild dogs such as coyotes, wolves, and dingos, 8. Mastiffs, 9. Akita, 10. Bullmastiffs, 11. Presa Canario, 12. Malamutes, 13. Boxers, 14. Any dog that has any of the above breeds in their lineage.

As a general rule, pets will not be allowed in multi-family dwellings. If the property allows a pet, the applicant will pay an additional pet deposit and or a non refundable pet fee. Some properties that allow pets require additional pet fees per month, and those fees will be due with each months rent payment.

Pets must be spayed or neutered, and all pets must be properly vaccinated. The pet owner must keep the animal from causing damage or disruption and cared for in a safe and healthy manner. Service animals as described in the Americans with Disabilities Act are exempt from these fees but must still be cared for as listed above.

Nearly all of the lease rent rates we quote prices for are for 12 month terms. The length of a lease may vary. Discuss this question with a leasing agent.

We encourage you to use our on line systems to apply, pay deposits, sign leases and pay rent. However, if you must pay or lease sign in our office, you will need to bring certified funds (bank cashiers check or money order) in the amount of the deposit and any another payment for any rents due. When you come to pick up keys on the day you are scheduled to move in, you will need to bring certified funds for the first month’s rent (or the prorated portion thereof if you move in after the 1st of the month). We will also need to take a photocopy of your driver’s license or other form of identification so we know that you are who you say you are!

Resident Information and Forms

Thank you for choosing to rent a property through Independence Realty. Our goal is to provide you with the highest quality of residential services. Please let us know when you have questions or need assistance with your home or apartment.

Our property management team is available to assist you Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – Noon and 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.  If you have an after hours emergency, call our Urgent Maintenance Call Center (334) 758-0610, they are available anytime 24 hours a day, seven days a week for you.

Our goal is to improve our service by offering support and delivering tools that will ease communication between residents and the property management team. You will find online forms to report less than urgent maintenance issues and to pay rent.

You can get some answers to questions that are often asked by visiting our Residents FAQ’s.

Rent Billing Questions

If you have any questions regarding your rent statement, please contact our office 9-4 Monday through Friday, except for major holidays at (256)650-6262.

Contact Independence Realty 256-650-6262

Email: huntsvillebroker@yahoo.com 


Mailing Address:
Independence Realty, LLC
2315 Market Place SW Suite E
Huntsville, AL 35801

Independence Realty is dedicated to the principle of equal access for people with disabilities in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and HUD guidelines. Please contact us at huntsvillebroker@yahoo.com or call (256) 650-6262 should you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding any accessibility issues.

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