Application Process
Attention: We DO NOT advertise on craigslist nor Facebook Marketplace! Do NOT send money to anyone asking you before you receive a lease, DO NOT KEEP ANY KEYS OR LEAVE THE DOOR UNLOCKED.
Now that you've found the right home, learn more about our application process.
Contact us if you have any questions, we'd be happy to help!
Due to the volume of inquiries we receive, please be patient and allow our staff 24-48 hours to respond.
Step 1 - MANDATORY FEES *READ BEFORE YOU APPLY*
In order to provide transparency about our MANDATORY fees, here is what to expect:
- APPLICATION FEE: $75.00 PER adult (non-refundable) the fee covers the administrative cost of screening, interviewing references, etc.
- ADMINISTRATIVE FEE: $200.00 (non-refundable, upon signing)
- PAPER CHECK FEE: $15.00 per check (excluding any security deposit and/or 1st payment)
- ONLINE PAYMENT PROCESSING FEE: (set by AppFolio, & subject to AppFolio changes). As of July 2025, their online processing fee:
- eCheck (from bank account): $2.49 per transaction
- Credit Card: 2.99% of the total amount per transaction
- Debit Card: $9.99 per transaction
- RENTLY SMART LOCK: $10.00/month (if applicable to the unit)
Step 2 - Submit an Application
*Management reserves the right to modify the acceptable types of documentation or deny any documents that cannot be Verified. Some properties may have their own specific requirements, that may be more strict than the company's policies, it is up to the property owner's discretion.*
All applicants must have actually viewed the property before applying. Each adult over the age of 18 is required to complete their own and SEPARATE online application. Anyone 18 and over that will be living on the property is considered an applicant and needs to complete an application. Please let us know if only certain adults will be financially responsible on the lease. For minors under 18 years old, we require their names to keep a count of occupants. *Only two person maximum per bedroom permitted.*
- TWO (2) different government issued photo IDs for each adult (U.S. state/federal issued ID)
- Each adult applicant will need to provide us with an email address, so that an online application can be sent to them. The application includes authorizing the background check per individual.
- $75 PER adult (non-refundable application fee)
*Please note that the application fee is NON-REFUNDABLE and DOES NOT GUARANTEE APPROVAL. The fee covers the administrative cost to offset the screening, time and effort to interview references, license fees, etc.*
Proof of Income:
- In general, we require that gross monthly income to equal 3x the rental rate of the home and that all forms of income must be verifiable.
- Effective May 2022, we will be requiring all applicants complete their Income Verification through AppFolio's Income Verification screening (partnered with Experian) as part of their application. This secure screening will reduce the time involved requesting your files if you are missing them from your application and reduce fraudulent submissions. If you DO NOT complete this Income Verification screening, it may delay your application review. If you are unable or refuse to complete the online Income Verification check, then we may require that your credit score is equal to or greater than 720 and require 2x the security deposit. (CMC Real Estate Group and Manage It ATL DOES NOT store your bank information collected during this Income Screening process.) If you have any questions, please contact our office.
Co-Signer/Guarantors:
- If your application requires a co-signer/guarantor, this person will be signing the lease agreement along with you and they will become legally responsible for the rent along with you. No more than 1 co-signer per applicant will be considered. The co-signer/guarantor must pass the same application and screening process, pay an appropriate application fee, meet all the same requirements as the applicant, have a strong credit rating and verifiable income of at least 5 times the rent.
Corporate/Company Guarantors:
- If your employer/company is guaranteeing the lease, we will have to review on a case-by-case scenario & need to review if the company is well established and willing to put down a greater amount of security deposit (to be determined after a review of your application).
Employment Verification:
- Some employers use a third-party company to verify your proof of employment and thus a fee. Any fees required by third-party companies will be applicant’s responsibility.
Credit History
- If you have a credit freeze on your credit report account, it is your responsibility to contact the credit bureau to lift the freeze. If we run the credit report as unsuccessful the first time, you may be responsible for the fees associated with running another credit report.
- Poor credit will NOT necessarily disqualify you from renting, but we may require a higher security deposit and/or co-signer. If you are aware of any negative reports on your credit history, we advise you provide an explanation with your application for consideration. This will help expedite your application.
- Previous evictions or dispossessory actions may result in an application denial.
- Where applicable, you may be required to pay a Credit Approval Fee from the following table:
If the rental's monthly base rent is more than $2,000/month:
Average Credit Score | Credit Approval Fee |
|---|---|
650-850 | $0 |
620-649 | $200 |
600-619 | $300 |
<599 | Automatic denial |
Average Credit Score | Credit Approval Fee
650-850 = $0
620-649 = $200
600-619 = $300
<599 = Automatic Denial
If the rental's monthly base rent is less than $2,000/month:
Average Credit Score | Credit Approval Fee |
|---|---|
620-850 | $0 |
590-619 | $200 |
570-589 | $300 |
<570 | Automatic denial |
Average Credit Score | Credit Approval Fee
620-850 = $0
590-619 = $200
570-589 = $300
<570 = Automatic Denial
*For multiple applicants, your scores may be averaged.
Rental History or Homeownership:
- We will verify any previous rental history with your past or current landlord/property manager. If they are non-responsive to our office, you can assist us by reaching out to them and encouraging them to respond & cooperate with our interview. Any unsatisfactory findings may result in requiring additional security deposit or application denial. If you previously owned your own home in Georgia or another state, please provide address and verifiable legal ownership documents.
Pets/Animals
***Effective March 31, 2021***
A welcoming environment is paramount to all of our residents. To help ensure ALL of our residents understand our pet and animal-related policies, we use a third-party screening service called PetScreening and require EVERYONE to complete a profile (No Pet/Pet/Animal). This process ensures we have formalized pet and animal-related policy acknowledgments and more accurate records to create greater mutual accountability.
Please get started by selecting a Profile category on our landing page: manageitatl.petscreening.com
- All pets/animals are subject to approval and discretion of the Homeowner. While majority of Homeowners NOT DOT allow for pets, an exception may be made if you have a strong application. A pet photo, breed, and weight must be submitted with your application.
- Failure to report all pets/animals/service animals may result in either your application being denied or TERMINATION of the lease and a pet fee. *Up to 2 pets per household is allowed*. If homeowner only allows small pet, max weight is 20 lbs, otherwise max weight limit of 35 lbs per pet. The animal's adult size weight is considered regardless of animal's size at time of application.
- There are certain dog breeds restricted by the homeowner's insurance that will require additional Owner approval. Please indicate type of breed on your application.
- There is both a non-refundable one-time $250 Pet Fee per pet and monthly $30 Pet Fee Rent per pet as additional rent for approved applications.
- Support animal(s): documentation on support animals including signed letter from physicians regarding the support animal’s purpose/duties.
- Fish tanks are limited to 20 gallons, and predator fish, such as piranhas, are restricted. Birds must be caged at all times. No other animals, reptiles, or insects are permitted, including but not limited to, livestock or farm animals, exotic or jungle animals, pigs, skunks, ferrets, monkeys and/or snakes.
Real Estate Agent
- If you are working with a licensed real estate agent, please indicate their information on your application.
COMPLETE APPLICATION
**Please note that ALL supporting documents must be received in order to be considered. Any application missing all the required documents will be considered INCOMPLETE and possibly REJECTED. Any misstatements or omissions made on your application may be grounds for DENIAL or TERMINATION of the lease. If information given on the application CANNOT BE VERIFIED, it may be DENIED.**
Step 3 - Application Review
Once you have submitted ALL required documents, our team will be able to begin the formal screening. We will only review COMPLETE application(s) with the team.
Please note that you are granting us permission to contact your previous/current employer and listed references. We may need to ask you additional questions during our review. If there are any delays in verifying your details on your application (i.e. getting in touch with your previous landlord reference), it may take the team longer to complete the review. Thank you for your cooperation & patience.
Multiple Applications:
Selection is NOT based on “first come, first serve” basis. Multiple applications are often received for the same rental. Since our property management company legally represents the Homeowner of the property, we will process all approved applications based on the criteria we deem most beneficial to the Owner. In the instance you have an approved application, but lose a property to a more beneficial application, we will gladly transfer your application to another rental home we manage. Your approved application is good for approximately thirty (30) days.
Step 4 - Approve or Reject
Once the team has completed a complete review of your application, we will promptly inform you of our decision within five (5) business days, sooner if possible.
If you are Approved, we will send you written approval with your new lease terms including required fees such as security deposit amount (based on your credit review), the rent amount (full month's rent), and/or any additional fees.
Property Reservation Fee: If the property is NOT move in ready within the next fourteen (14) days, you may pay a Reservation Fee in the amount of $500.00. This payment must be in the form of a certified cashier's check. The fee is refundable within the first forty-eight (48) hours, but if you change your mind after 48 hours, the fee is nonrefundable. We are taking the property off the market for you and losing out on other renters who may have been interested in the rental. The Reservation Fee will be applied to your first month's rent. If for any reason the property is NOT ready within 10 days of your Move In date (i.e. not habitable), then we can either find you another comparable rental or refund you your Property Reservation Fee at that time.
Security Deposit: The amount of security deposit required varies depending on your application. Upon Move Out, an itemized statement of any outstanding balances or move out charges may be deducted from the security deposit.
Admin Fee: All approved applicants will be responsible for a $200 administrative fee.
If you are denied, we will send you written notice of our decision. If you were denied based on your credit background check, we may also issue you a Adverse Action Letter to notify you of the reason for denial. Per Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you have the right to a copy of your screening report & dispute any findings with the credit bureau where your report was generated from. If you need more information, let us know.
Step 5 - Signing and Payment
During this stage, we will prepare your lease contract and any exhibits (no additional revisions allowed after this point).
Real Estate Agent:
- If you are working with a licensed real estate agent, they must have a valid & active real estate license and you must include their information in your application. Attention Agents: We will need your real estate license number #, and a completed & signed W-9 tax form from your brokerage for any commissions.
Once you have received the lease, you have TWO (2) BUSINESS DAYS to sign & pay the Property Reservation Fee. Only secured forms of payment (cashier’s checks from a bank) are accepted forms of payment for the security deposit.
If you are in the process of reviewing a lease, please DO NOT SIGN, unless you fully understand the terms of the contract agreement. We encourage you to take your time, review the lease, ask us questions, BEFORE SIGNING. Signing the lease is a legal binding contract and we want to make sure YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THE TERMS.
PAYMENTS:
*PLAN ACCORDINGLY DURING HOLIDAYS! Most banks are closed on Federal holidays so you should plan on obtaining your cashiers’ check in advance. We will NOT be able to make exceptions if you DO NOT have funds ready before your Move In date.*
Once we confirm receipt of payment, we will remove the rental off the market.
If the lease agreement is signed, but the funds have not been received in the 48-hour window, the agreement may be considered expired. The rental is then returned to the market for other prospecting applicants, and all fees forfeited. If lease is signed and funds have been received, but you've changed your mind or can no longer occupy the unit, you have 48 hours to change your mind. After 48 hours, any funds paid are forfeited. The fees are retained as liquidated damages, it being acknowledged and agreed that the same is reasonable pre-estimate of Owner's damages for not seeking to rent the Property to others during this time period and not a penalty.
Step 6 - Get Ready to Move In
We only hand over keys during our office business hours in order to support any issues that arise during your move in.
Assisted Move-In Fees:
- Rush Move-In Office Fee (3-5 business days from approval notice) $150.00
- Late Move-In Office Fee (agent waiting 30+ minutes) $100.00
- WE DO NOT ALLOW MOVE IN DURING WEEKEND/HOLIDAYS. (This way we can ensure we're able to assist you if there are any Move In issues).
All other office fees or rents must be paid IN FULL at least 5 business days prior to Lease Start Date.
UTILITY SETUP:
- Contact the utility companies (electricity/water/gas) to start services BEFORE your Lease Start Date. Send us your utility confirmation email as proof that you have started services. Let us know if you need a list of utility providers for the home. We will NOT be able to provide you with keys if you HAVE NOT provided this proof.
Renter's Insurance:
All renters must have an active and valid renter's insurance before taking occupancy & maintained during their lease term. We require at minimum $100,000 in liability coverage. Please have our property management company "CMC Real Estate Group" listed as Additional Interest. It is up to each tenant to choose how much personal belonging coverage you wish to sign up for. You have 3 options to fulfill this requirement:
- Sign up for renter's insurance with a provider of your choice and provide proof of insurance to our office.
- Sign up for renter's insurance through your Tenant Portal (powered by AppFolio) which partners with Roost Insurance. Learn more about Roost Renter's Insurance by clicking here.
- Otherwise, if you do none of the other two options above, we will automatically enroll you in Liability Insurance (provided by Great American Insurance Group). See our office for latest rates. This will be considered Additional Rent. Partial months shall NOT be prorated.
Other Helpful Information
Background Check Disclaimers:
- Effective June 3, 2020, our screening software, AppFolio will be utilizing VantageScore® 3.0 instead of the previous FICO 2 score. Previously, FICO 2 score is widely used in the rental, mortgage, and finance industries. A FICO 2 is calculated on a different algorithm to most consumer-facing scores (e.g., those provided by Mint.com, annualcreditreports.com, freecreditreport.com) and weights behaviors in a consumer’s credit file differently. Due to this, a consumer-facing credit score will often be higher than a FICO 2.
- Effective March 29, 2019, all AppFolio credit pulls are a soft inquiry. Screens run prior to March 29, 2019, are a hard inquiry.
- If dispute anything on your credit report, you may contact consumer.relations@appfolio.com to file a formal dispute.
- Per AppFolio, their screening report is nationwide. The nationwide criminal scans are pulled from hundreds of national, state and county courts that contribute to the national instant database, including Megan's Law registered Sex Offender check and OFAC terrorist watch list. Results will vary according to restrictions placed on reporting by the different court jurisdictions and will include the last 7 years. Details can include name, date of birth, date of the offense, description of the offense, court location and case status.
Equal Opportunity in Housing Statement:
We pride ourselves in conducting business in compliance with all federal, state, and local fair housing laws. It is illegal to discriminate against any person because of race, color, national origin, sex, familial status, disability, or any other specific classes protected by applicable laws.
WATCH OUT FOR SCAMMERS:
Fraudulent activity is on the rise, please exercise caution during your home search. A couple of red flags include:
- If the listing's rental rate seems too good to be true (i.e. very low rent), it probably is.
- If the leasing agent asks for payment before signing a lease or focuses too much on payment.
- If the leasing company is not registered with the state it is conducting business.
- Our office does not typically ask you to wire payments/security deposit to us. The first payment must be a secured form of payment (i.e. cashier's check) and delivered to our office in person.
If you come across a suspicious listing for CMC Real Estate Group or Manage It ATL, please contact our office immediately to confirm.
Please keep these practices in mind when you are searching for your home!
Last Updated: 7/8/2025
We provide the best value to you through exceptional customer service and quality management of your investment properties.
CMC Real Estate Group dba Manage It ATL is an independently licensed brokerage, registered and insured in the State of Georgia.
We at Manage It ATL abide by Federal Fair Housing Act, meaning we will never discriminate against any race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, nor disability.
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