Minimum Rental Qualifications | Next Key Property Management
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(240) 213-2832 [email protected]
Next Key Property Management
For Prospective Residents

Minimum Rental Qualifications

Applicant screening criteria, applied consistently to every applicant. Please review these standards before you apply.

View Rentals & Apply

Last updated October 2026

$38.50Application fee per adult applicant
2.5×Gross monthly income to rentTenant’s share for voucher holders
1 MonthMaximum security depositDeposit alternatives available
18+Every adult who will live in the home applies
1

General Requirements

  • Every person 18 or older who will live in the home must submit a separate application and be screened individually.
  • Each applicant must provide a valid government-issued photo ID.
  • The application fee is $38.50 per adult applicant and covers the actual cost of screening. See the Fee & Screening Disclosures below for refund rights.
  • Applications must be complete and truthful. Knowingly false or misleading information may be grounds for denial.
2

Income & Employment

  • Verifiable gross household income of at least 2.5× the monthly rent.
  • We accept all lawful sources of income, including housing choice vouchers, rental assistance, Social Security, disability benefits, and child support.
  • For voucher and subsidy holders, the 2.5× standard applies only to the tenant’s share of the rent.
  • Acceptable proof: recent pay stubs, W-2s, offer letters, tax returns, benefit or award letters, or bank statements. Income may also be verified through a secure bank-verification service.
3

Credit & Financial History

  • Credit is reviewed as a whole. No single credit score automatically approves or denies an application.
  • We consider overall payment patterns, outstanding obligations, and financial responsibility.
  • Unpaid housing-related debt or an open bankruptcy may affect approval and is evaluated individually.
  • Applicants using an income-based housing subsidy are never denied based on credit score, lack of a credit history, or negative credit from a period when they did not have the subsidy.
4

Rental & Housing History

  • Positive landlord references and a history of on-time rent payments are preferred.
  • Eviction judgments, unpaid balances owed to a prior landlord, or serious lease violations may affect approval and are reviewed individually.
  • We do not consider eviction cases that were dismissed or ended without a judgment against the tenant, or any record a court has sealed or shielded.
5

Criminal History — Fair Chance

  • We do not ask about criminal history on the application. A full criminal background check is run only after a conditional offer of tenancy.
  • Before a conditional offer, we screen only for the limited conviction categories the law allows, such as sex-offender registration.
  • After a conditional offer, criminal history is reviewed through an individualized assessment, never a blanket ban. Arrests, charges without a conviction, and sealed or expunged records are never considered.
  • If an offer is withdrawn, you receive the specific reason in writing and may request a reassessment with evidence of inaccuracy, rehabilitation, or mitigating circumstances. You may request a copy of your screening file within 30 days.
  • Maryland applications follow the Maryland Fair Chance Housing Act; D.C. applications follow the Fair Criminal Record Screening for Housing Act. No drug or alcohol testing is required.
6

Pets & Assistance Animals

  • Pets are considered case by case under each property’s pet policy. Pet fees, pet rent, or a pet deposit may apply.
  • Service and assistance animals are not pets. Requests are handled as reasonable accommodations, with no pet fees, deposits, pet rent, or breed and weight limits.
7

Accommodations & Protections

  • Applicants and residents with disabilities may request a reasonable accommodation or modification at any time. Contact our office to make a request.
  • We do not deny housing because an applicant is a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, and we will consider circumstances related to that status.
8

Security Deposit & Move-In

  • The security deposit, including any pet deposit, will not exceed one month’s rent. Total funds due before move-in will not exceed the first month’s rent plus the deposit.
  • Qualified applicants may choose a deposit alternative or lease guarantee through our partner, TheGuarantors.
Before You Apply

Disclosures & Your Rights

Application Fee & Screening Disclosures

Please review before paying an application fee.

Fee$38.50 per adult applicant, paid online through our application portal. The fee covers identity, credit, eviction-record, rental-history, and income verification, plus criminal screening only after a conditional offer.
Maryland refundsAny portion of the fee not actually spent on screening is refunded within 15 days after move-in, or after either party gives written notice that no tenancy will occur. You may request an itemized list of screening expenses.
D.C. refundsThe fee is refunded within 14 days if no screening is conducted. No other charges are collected before a lease is signed.
Screening companyThe name and contact information of the consumer reporting agency we use is provided in the application portal before you pay, and again in any adverse action notice.
Reusable screening reportsNKPM does not accept reusable tenant screening reports at this time.
Decision timingWe typically respond within 3 business days after receiving a complete application.
Your right to disputeYou may dispute any information we relied on to deny your application and receive a response. In D.C., you may also file a complaint with the D.C. Office of Human Rights or file suit in D.C. Superior Court.

Consumer Report Authorization & Your FCRA Rights

Fair Credit Reporting Act

By submitting an application, you authorize Next Key Property Management, LLC and its screening providers to obtain consumer, credit, eviction, and (after a conditional offer) criminal background reports to evaluate your application, as permitted by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and applicable state and local law.

If we deny an application, require a higher deposit or a co-signer, or take any other adverse action based in whole or in part on a consumer report, you will receive an adverse action notice that includes:

  1. The name, address, and phone number of the consumer reporting agency;
  2. A statement that the agency did not make the decision and cannot explain the specific reasons for it;
  3. Your right to a free copy of your report from that agency within 60 days; and
  4. Your right to dispute the accuracy or completeness of any information the agency reported.
Equal Housing Opportunity

These criteria are applied consistently to every applicant. Next Key Property Management, LLC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, source of income, military status, age, or any other class protected under federal, Maryland, District of Columbia, or local law.

Housing discrimination complaints may be filed with HUD, the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, or the D.C. Office of Human Rights.

Ready to apply?

Browse our available homes and apply online, or reach out with questions about these criteria or an accommodation request.

Apply Online Call (240) 213-2832

Questions: [email protected] · Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–6:00 PM

Home Available Rentals Tenant Portal FAQ Contact

Next Key Property Management, LLC · 1282 Smallwood Drive W, PMB #221 · Waldorf, MD 20603 · (240) 213-2832 · [email protected]

These qualification standards are general guidelines and do not guarantee approval or create a contract. All applications are subject to owner approval and applicable federal, Maryland, District of Columbia, and local law. This page is provided for informational purposes and is not legal advice. Last updated October 2026.

© 2026 Next Key Property Management, LLC. All rights reserved. ⌂ Equal Housing Opportunity.