Application & Approval Process

Vellacom, LLC d/b/a Bangor Home Rentals Effective September 7, 2026 ·

These criteria apply to every unit Bangor Home Rentals (“BHR”) manages. They are applied uniformly regardless of property, rent band, or building class.

Nothing in this document is applied differently on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin, familial status, receipt of public assistance, or a protection-from-abuse order. BHR is an Equal Housing Opportunity provider.

1. Scope and uniform application

1.1One standard applies portfolio-wide. There is no tiering by property, rent, or unit quality.

1.2An approval is issued with parameters and is valid for 40 days from the date of issue. The parameters are: (a) a maximum qualifying rent, being the lower of gross qualifying household income divided by 3.5, or by 3.0 where 4.3 applies, and the highest rent at which back-end DTI under 4.9 remains at or below 50%; (b) the minimum bedroom count required for the household under Section 3; (c) the security deposit band under 6.3; and (d) any co-signer condition under Section 9.

1.2.1Within the 40 days, the approval transfers at no additional cost and without re-screening to any BHR unit at or below the maximum qualifying rent and at or above the minimum bedroom count.

1.2.2For a unit above the maximum qualifying rent, BHR re-applies Sections 4 and 9 only. Credit, criminal, and rental history determinations stand and are not re-run. No fee is charged.

1.2.3The security deposit is set by the band in 6.3 against the rent of the unit actually leased.

1.2.4Where the approval is conditioned on a co-signer, the maximum qualifying rent is also capped by the rent at which the co-signer meets the applicable multiple in 9.2.

1.2.5Where a household holds a subsidy, the maximum qualifying rent is stated as a maximum tenant portion, and the transfer right under 1.2.1 runs to units at which the subsidy is accepted.

1.3Exceptions to any standard in this document may be granted only by the Head of Property Management, must be recorded in the applicant file with a written reason, and must be granted on the same terms to any other applicant presenting the same facts.

1.4Transition. An approval issued before September 7, 2026 and still within its validity window on that date remains valid for the balance of that window under the criteria in effect when it was issued. An application submitted but not decided before September 7, 2026 is decided under these criteria. A tenancy in effect before September 7, 2026 is governed by its lease; these criteria reach that household only on a transfer under Section 14 or a change in composition under 2.6.

1.5Version control. BHR keeps a dated archive of every version of these criteria and of Attachment A. Every applicant file records the version applied. These criteria are reviewed at least annually and on any change in Maine or federal law affecting them. A superseded version is retained as long as any file decided under it is retained.

1.6Language access. These criteria and Attachment A are available in the languages BHR routinely encounters and are furnished on request. BHR provides interpretation at no cost on request, and an applicant may be accompanied by an interpreter of their own choosing. No standard in this document is applied differently on the basis of the language in which an applicant communicates or the applicant’s fluency in English.

2. Who must apply

2.1Every occupant 18 or older must submit a complete application and complete credit, background, and criminal screening. This includes an 18-year-old still enrolled in high school.

2.2Every occupant 18 or older is a party to the lease and is jointly and severally liable for the full rent, all fees, and all damages.

2.3Adults who are not financially responsible are still background- and criminal-screened.

2.4Minor children. Names and dates of birth of minor children are collected on the application and confirmed at lease execution. Minors are not parties to the lease. When an occupant who was a minor at lease execution turns 18 during the tenancy, they are added to the lease as a party and complete credit, background, and criminal screening. That screening is informational. It is retained in the household file and is not a basis for denial, non-renewal, refusal to transfer, or any other adverse action against the household or against that occupant.

2.5The household must report any change in occupancy during the tenancy.

2.6 Change in household composition during the tenancy

2.6.1The household must report any change in occupancy to BHR in writing before it occurs.

2.6.2Departure. A tenant may vacate at any time. Vacating does not release that tenant from the lease. A departing tenant is released only where the remaining household, on its own, meets every criterion in this document in effect on the date of the request — income, DTI, credit, rental history, criminal history, and occupancy — and a written lease amendment is executed. Where the remaining household does not meet the criteria on its own, the lease is unchanged and every original party remains jointly and severally liable for the full term and for all renewals.

2.6.3Addition. A person 18 or older moving into the unit must apply, screen, and be approved under these criteria before taking occupancy, and is added to the lease as a party. Household income and DTI are recalculated with that person included. The occupancy standard in Section 3 applies.

2.6.4Substitution is a departure and an addition. Approval of an incoming member does not release an outgoing one; 2.6.2 governs that separately.

2.6.5No screening under 2.6.3 is a basis for terminating an existing tenancy. Where the incoming person does not meet the criteria, they do not move in and the lease is unchanged.

2.7 Live-in aides

2.7A live-in aide approved as a reasonable accommodation under Attachment A is not a party to the lease and is not financially responsible. Sections 4, 5, 6, and 7 do not apply to a live-in aide. A live-in aide completes background and criminal screening under Section 8. A live-in aide is not counted toward the occupancy limit in Section 3 where counting them would defeat the accommodation. The aide’s right to occupy is derivative of the accommodation and ends when the accommodation ends or the tenancy ends, whichever is first. A live-in aide acquires no independent right of tenancy.

3. Occupancy standard

3.1BHR applies a limit of two persons per bedroom plus one per unit, or the occupancy limit set by the municipal ordinance where the unit is located or by Maine law, whichever is more restrictive. A studio or efficiency unit has no bedroom and is subject to a limit of two persons. “Bedroom” has the meaning in Section 15.

3.2Children under one year of age are not counted toward the limit.

3.3A household that exceeds the limit in 3.1 solely because a child reached one year of age during the tenancy is not in violation and is not subject to non-renewal, termination, or refusal to renew on that basis.

4. Income

4.1Standard: gross household income of at least 3.5 times the monthly rent plus any mandatory recurring fees.

4.2Adults do not need to meet the standard individually. The household meets it collectively.

4.3The 3.0x exception. Where income is the only factor falling short — credit, rental history, criminal history, and all other criteria are met with no adverse findings — BHR will approve at 3.0 times gross rent plus mandatory recurring fees. This exception is unavailable where any other adverse factor is present. “Adverse factor” has the meaning in Section 15.

4.4Voucher and subsidy holders. Where a housing subsidy pays a portion of the rent, the income multiple is applied only to the tenant’s own portion of the rent, never to the contract rent. This applies to Housing Choice Vouchers, municipal General Assistance, BRAP, Shelter+Care, STEP, and any comparable program.

4.5Voucher acceptance. BHR accepts housing vouchers and subsidies as a general standard across the portfolio. A small number of individually owned properties do not participate. Applicants may contact us at any time to confirm before applying.

4.6Non-employment income is counted in full. BHR counts SSI, SSDI, Social Security retirement, VA benefits, pensions, child support, alimony, TANF, General Assistance, unemployment, student loan disbursements, trust income, and annuity income, provided it is documented under Section 5.

4.7Liquid assets. Verified liquid assets may substitute for income where the applicant holds at least 12 months of rent plus mandatory recurring fees in a documented account. An applicant qualifying on assets alone is offered a month-to-month tenancy. After 12 months of residency in good standing, the household may convert to a term lease, unless the unit is month-to-month only.

4.8Future employment. A signed offer letter for employment beginning within 60 days of the lease start date is accepted, provided the applicant is employed and receiving pay by the move-in date. The letter must be on employer letterhead and state the start date, position, rate of pay, and expected hours, and is subject to the employer verification call in Section 5.1.

4.9Debt-to-income. BHR calculates back-end DTI as (proposed rent + mandatory recurring fees + monthly debt obligations reported on the credit report) ÷ gross monthly household income. Where a housing subsidy pays a portion of the rent, “proposed rent” means the tenant’s own portion of the rent, consistent with 4.4, and never the contract rent. “Monthly debt obligations” means installment and revolving payments reported on the credit report, plus any court-ordered support or garnishment disclosed on the application or appearing on a pay stub. It does not include the rent the household currently pays, utilities, insurance, or medical collections. Student loans in deferment are counted at 1% of balance or the documented income-driven payment, whichever is provided. Co-signer obligations are not included in the applicant’s DTI.

Back-end DTI	Result
50% or below	Meets standard
51% – 60%	Co-signer required (income cure, Section 9)
Above 60%	Denied

4.10Cash income with no verifiable record does not qualify and cannot be cured by a co-signer or a larger deposit. All income used to qualify must be documentable and verifiable.

4.11Full-time students with no verifiable income require a co-signer.

4.12Applicants under 21. Where no financially responsible applicant on the application is 21 or older, a co-signer is required. A co-signer required under this section is not a qualifying defect for purposes of 9.1.

5. Verification of income

BHR does not use a third-party income verification vendor unless one is provided within AppFolio.

5.1 Wage and salary income

• Two most recent consecutive pay stubs (four if paid weekly), and
• A direct verification call to the employer confirming employment, position, rate, and hours.

Applicants employed fewer than 30 days provide a signed offer letter meeting the requirements of Section 4.8, plus the verification call. Where an employer declines to verify by telephone, verifies dates of employment only, or routes verification through a third-party service, BHR accepts written verification on employer letterhead or a report from the employer’s designated verification service, together with the pay stubs required above.

5.2 Self-employment, contract, and gig income

Applicants provide both:

• The most recent filed federal return — Form 1040 with Schedule C, or the applicable K-1 with Form 1120-S or 1065 for an entity, and
• Three consecutive months of business or personal bank statements showing the deposits.

BHR qualifies the applicant on the lower of: (a) net income with depreciation and depletion added back, divided by 12; or (b) the trailing three-month average of documented deposits. A letter from a CPA or bookkeeper is accepted as supporting documentation but is not required and does not replace either item above. Where the applicant’s business has operated for less than one full tax year and no return has yet been filed, BHR accepts six consecutive months of business or personal bank statements showing the deposits together with a year-to-date profit and loss statement, and qualifies the applicant on the trailing six-month average of documented deposits.

5.3 Benefit, retirement, and support income

Current award letter, benefit statement, SSA-1099, court order, or agency verification, plus one bank statement showing the deposit.

5.4 Seasonal, contract, and term-limited employment

Where documented income ends before the lease term ends, BHR qualifies the household on the remaining verifiable income for the full term, or requires a co-signer under Section 9.

5.5 Bank statements

Two most recent months are accepted for asset qualification under Section 4.7. Applicants may redact any line item that is not a deposit or a balance. BHR does not request, review, or retain transaction-level detail beyond what is necessary to verify income and reserves.

5.6 Handling of income documents

Income documents are visible only to the BHR underwriting team and are retained for seven years.

6. Credit

6.1Minimum score: 620. BHR uses the Experian VantageScore 3.0 returned by its screening vendor, or the successor model returned by that vendor where VantageScore 3.0 is no longer available. Where the vendor’s model changes, BHR records the change and the effective date in the version archive under 1.5. No other bureau is substituted.

6.2No score returned. An applicant with no score — including a thin file, an ITIN with no scoreable history, and applicants with no U.S. credit history — is approved through the alternative path in Section 10.4, or with a co-signer.

6.3Security deposit by credit band.

VantageScore 3.0	Security deposit
620 and above	One month’s rent
600 – 619	Two months’ rent
Below 600	Does not meet standard; co-signer required

6.4Derogatory items assessed independently of score:

• Any open collection more than 60 days delinquent — case-by-case underwriting review.
• Judgments and charge-offs — case-by-case underwriting review.
• Prior landlord collections or utility collections — denial.
• Bankruptcy — denial.
• Medical debt — excluded entirely. BHR does not consider medical collections, medical charge-offs, or medical judgments in any part of this assessment.

6.5A VantageScore 3.0 of 600 through 619 meets the standard subject to the deposit band in 6.3. It is not a credit defect under 9.1 and does not require a co-signer.

7. Rental history

7.1Lookback: seven years. BHR contacts every prior landlord within that window. Where a landlord cannot be reached after three attempts across five business days, is defunct or deceased, or declines to respond, BHR accepts documentary proof of payment for that tenancy in substitution — twelve months of cancelled checks, bank records, money order receipts, a tenant ledger, or equivalent — and records the substitution and the reason in the applicant file. No applicant is denied because a prior landlord did not respond. Where neither contact nor documentary proof can be obtained for a tenancy, that period is unverifiable rental history and is a qualifying defect under 9.1(c).

7.2Eviction filings. BHR denies on any eviction filing within seven years, except where:

• (a) the applicant was not a named party to the action;
• (b) the action was dismissed with prejudice, dismissed on the landlord’s own motion, or decided in the applicant’s favor;
• (c) the action was a termination for a reason other than the applicant’s conduct, including renovation, sale, owner move-in, and any other no-fault termination; or
• (d) the applicant documents that the action arose from an incident in which the applicant was the victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or from a protection-from-abuse order.

An applicant relying on an exception submits documentation under 13.5. The exceptions in this section are applied by the underwriting team and do not require an exception under 1.3.

7.3Eviction judgments. Denial within seven years. A judgment paid in full does not change the outcome.

7.4Money owed to a prior landlord — denial.

7.5Prior BHR or Vellacom eviction — permanent bar. No time limit, no co-signer cure.

7.6Prior lease violations, NSF history, and nuisance complaints are checked and assessed case-by-case by the underwriting team.

7.7First-time renters with no rental history require a co-signer. The exception is an applicant transitioning from homeownership, who is approved on rental history without a co-signer where the mortgage history shows no late payments and that history is verifiable. An applicant with no rental history who cannot provide a co-signer may instead document twelve consecutive months of on-time payment of a recurring obligation in their own name — utility, telecommunications, insurance, or an installment loan — together with income meeting Section 4 and documented under Section 5.

7.8Family references. BHR accepts a reference from a landlord who is a family member, weighted as a personal reference. It does not on its own satisfy the rental-history requirement.

8. Criminal history

8.1BHR conducts an individualized assessment of criminal history. There is no fixed matrix of offenses and lookback periods.

8.2Registered sex offender status is an automatic denial.

8.3What is considered. BHR considers convictions and pending charges. In assessing them, BHR weighs: the nature and seriousness of the offense; the time elapsed since the offense and since completion of any sentence; the applicant’s age at the time; whether the conduct involved harm to persons, property, neighbors, or a landlord relationship; evidence of rehabilitation; and the recency and pattern of the record as a whole.

8.4BHR does not deny an application on the basis of a single arrest that did not result in a charge. Where the record shows a sustained pattern of criminal justice contact indicating an ongoing risk to residents, staff, or property, BHR may weigh that pattern within the individualized assessment. Any denial on this ground identifies the specific entries relied upon.

8.5Appeal. An applicant denied on criminal history is told so in the denial notice and may submit mitigating evidence — time elapsed, rehabilitation, treatment or program completion, employment, character references — within 10 business days. BHR reviews the submission and issues a final written decision within 5 business days of receipt. A submission under this section does not hold a unit. Where the denial is reversed, BHR issues an approval valid 40 days from the date of the reversal, with parameters under 1.2 and transferable under 1.2.1.

8.6Not considered. BHR does not consider, and does not request: juvenile adjudications; records that have been sealed, expunged, vacated, pardoned, or set aside; charges dismissed, including dismissal following a deferred disposition or completion of a diversion or treatment program; and any record the screening vendor is prohibited by law from reporting. Section 8.4 is unaffected as to the entries it permits BHR to weigh.

9. Co-signers and guarantors

9.1A co-signer cures one qualifying defect. The qualifying defects are:

• (a) Income — failure to meet 4.1 or 4.3; back-end DTI of 51% to 60% under 4.9; no verifiable income under 4.11; income ending before the lease term under 5.4; or income that cannot be documented under 10.4.
• (b) Credit — a VantageScore 3.0 below 600 under 6.3, or no score returned under 6.2.
• (c) Rental history — no rental history under 7.7; rental history that cannot be verified under 7.1; a family-member reference standing alone under 7.8; or the twelve-month payment record missing under 10.4.

9.1.1A household presenting defects in more than one class does not meet the standard. No number of co-signers cures defects in two or more classes.

9.1.2More than one person may co-sign for the same defect. Each must independently meet 9.2.

9.1.3A co-signer required under 4.12 is not a qualifying defect. Where 4.12 is the only trigger, one co-signer meeting the credit-cure column of 9.2 satisfies it. Where 4.12 applies alongside a qualifying defect, one co-signer meeting the higher applicable multiple satisfies both.

9.1.4A back-end DTI above 60% is a denial under 4.9 and is not curable by a co-signer. Cash income with no verifiable record is a denial under 4.10 and is not curable by a co-signer.

9.2Co-signer requirements:

Requirement	Credit cure	Income cure
Gross monthly income	4x the monthly rent	5x the monthly rent
VantageScore 3.0	650 minimum	650 minimum
Residency	Maine	Maine

A co-signer curing a rental history defect under 9.1(c) meets the credit cure column.

9.3Maine residency is verified by the co-signer’s driver’s license or state ID. If a co-signer relocates out of state during the tenancy, it is the obligation of the tenants and the departing co-signer to secure a replacement co-signer who meets these criteria.

9.4Homeownership is not required.

9.5There is no cap on the number of co-signers per lease. A person may co-sign for only one BHR household at a time. A parent with two children renting two separate BHR apartments may co-sign for one, not both.

9.6The guaranty is continuing and indefinite. The co-signer is jointly and severally liable for the full rent, all fees, and all damages, and that obligation continues through unit transfers, rent increases, mandatory recurring fee increases, lease renewals, month-to-month holdover, and changes in household composition, without re-execution and without further notice to the co-signer. The guaranty is not limited to the unit identified on the application. It terminates only on written release by BHR.

9.7The co-signer signs a separate Co-Signer Guaranty, not the lease.

9.8Co-signers are criminal-screened. Except where the record involves financial crimes or conduct bearing directly on the ability to perform the guaranty, criminal history is not a basis for rejecting a co-signer.

9.9A co-signer may not be substituted during the lease term except under Section 9.3.

9.10BHR notifies the co-signer in writing when rent remains unpaid on the sixteenth day after it is due, and again on service of any notice to quit. Failure to give notice under this section does not limit the guaranty.

9.11The guaranty binds the co-signer’s estate. Death, incapacity, or bankruptcy of a co-signer does not release the guaranty and does not terminate the lease. BHR may require the tenants to secure a replacement co-signer meeting 9.2, on the same terms as 9.3.

10. Identity and documentation

10.1Preferred identification. A valid driver’s license or state-issued ID. BHR prefers this form because it establishes state of residence and current address, which materially affects screening and post-tenancy collection.

10.2Also accepted. Passport or passport card, permanent resident card, employment authorization document, consular ID, tribal ID, military ID.

10.3Applicants without an SSN. BHR accepts an ITIN and orders a report against it. Where the vendor cannot return a score on an ITIN, or where the applicant has no ITIN, the applicant qualifies through the alternative path below.

10.4Alternative path — no SSN, no scoreable file, or no U.S. credit history (including international students and recent arrivals). The applicant provides both:

• 12 months of verified rent payment history from a prior landlord or documented payment record, and
• Proof of income meeting Section 4 and documented under Section 5.

A qualifying Maine co-signer under Section 9 may cure one of these two items, not both.

10.5Lease term and right to reside. BHR asks every applicant, identically, whether their legal right to reside at the unit is scheduled to end before the end of the lease term, and if so on what date. Where it does, BHR offers a lease term ending on or before that date, or a month-to-month tenancy.

10.6Accuracy of information. Every applicant and co-signer certifies that the information and documents submitted are true, complete, current, and their own. A material misrepresentation is grounds for denial. Material misrepresentation includes falsified or altered pay stubs, bank statements, tax returns, award letters, offer letters, or identification; a fabricated or misdirected employer, landlord, or reference contact; an undisclosed occupant; and omitted rental history, eviction history, or prior tenancy with BHR or Vellacom. BHR does not require a showing that the misrepresentation would have changed the outcome.

10.6.1Where BHR discovers a material misrepresentation after approval and before keys are released, the approval is withdrawn and the Deposit Hold Agreement governs the deposit.

10.6.2Where BHR discovers a material misrepresentation after the tenancy begins, it is a material breach of the lease.

10.7Identity verification. Applicant identity is verified through AppFolio at the time of application. BHR does not order credit, background, or criminal screening on an applicant whose identity has not cleared that step. Where identity cannot be verified electronically, the applicant presents an accepted document under 10.1 or 10.2 in person at the office. This section applies to every applicant, every occupant 18 or older, and every co-signer.

11. Assistance animals, pets, and accommodations

11.1The BHR pet policy — 50 lb limit, minimum age of one year, breed restrictions, two-pet maximum, and $25 per pet per month — applies to pets only.

11.2It does not apply to service animals or assistance animals. There is no fee, no weight limit, no breed restriction, no age minimum, and no numeric cap for an approved assistance animal.

11.3The $25 per pet per month charge is disclosed as a mandatory recurring fee on the Total Price Disclosure required by 14 M.R.S. §6030-J whenever a pet is on the lease.

11.4Requests for an assistance animal, and all other requests for reasonable accommodation or modification, are handled under Attachment A.

11.5A pet added during the tenancy requires BHR’s written approval and a lease amendment. Because the $25 per pet per month charge is a mandatory recurring fee, adding a pet requires a new Total Price Disclosure under 14 M.R.S. §6030-J, signed by both parties, before the charge begins. Where BHR adds or increases a mandatory recurring fee other than at the resident’s own written request, 45 days’ written notice is given under 14 M.R.S. §6015. An unauthorized pet is a lease violation.

11.6Where an animal already on the lease as a pet is approved as an assistance animal under Attachment A, the pet fee stops on the first day of the month following approval and a corrected Total Price Disclosure is issued. BHR does not refund fees paid before the approval and does not question the timing of the request.

11.7The two-pet maximum in 11.1 counts pets only. An approved assistance animal is not counted against it.

12. Order of processing, deposits, and approval

12.1Units are awarded in the order in which deposits on approved applications are received. The date and time of receipt is recorded in AppFolio and governs.

12.2Units are not held without a deposit. The Deposit Hold Agreement is signed at the time the deposit is placed and before the lease is executed. Its terms govern what happens if an approved applicant withdraws.

12.3Move-in funds. BHR requires the security deposit and the prorated first month’s rent before keys are released. There are no exceptions. BHR does not collect any amount in excess of the first full month’s rent, the security deposit, and any disclosed mandatory recurring fee.

12.4Approval expires 40 days from the date of issue and is transferable across the portfolio within that window under 1.2.1.

12.5Conditional approvals — approval subject to a co-signer, or subject to the two-month deposit band — are issued in writing by email, with the condition and the deadline stated, together with an adverse action notice where one is required.

12.6.1Re-attestation. At lease signing, each applicant and each occupant 18 or older re-attests in writing that the information supporting the approval remains accurate, including employment, income, household composition, pets, and vehicles.

12.6.2BHR may withdraw an approval at any time before keys are released where a re-attestation discloses a change that would not meet these criteria, where screening information unavailable at the time of approval is received, or where 10.6 applies. A withdrawal is in writing, states the reason, and is accompanied by an adverse action notice where one is required and by the dispute right under 13.5.

12.6.3Where an approval is withdrawn for any reason other than 10.6, all funds placed are refunded in full within 10 business days and the Deposit Hold Agreement does not apply.

13. Screening fees, adverse action, and records

13.1Screening fees. Maine law prohibits rental application fees. Where BHR charges anything, it charges the actual cost of one screening — one background check, one credit check, or one other screening process — no more than once per applicant in any 12-month period (14 M.R.S. §6030-H).

13.2Copy of screening information. BHR is required by law to provide every applicant a complete copy of all information obtained through any background check, credit check, or other screening process. Applicants are notified of this before any fee is charged, and the copy is sent automatically through AppFolio.

13.3Adverse action. Where a denial, a conditional approval, or a withdrawal under 12.6 is based in whole or in part on a consumer report, BHR sends an FCRA adverse action notice automatically through AppFolio. The notice is sent to each person on whom a report was obtained, including co-signers and occupants screened under 2.3. Where a credit score was used, the notice states the score, the range of possible scores, the date of the score, the source, and the key factors adversely affecting it. The notice identifies the consumer reporting agency, states that the agency did not make the decision and cannot explain it, and states the applicant’s right to a free copy of the report within 60 days and to dispute its accuracy.

13.4Retention. Denied applications are retained indefinitely. Individual credit reports and criminal background screenings are retained for three years. Income documents are retained for seven years.

13.5Dispute and reconsideration. An applicant denied or conditionally approved in whole or in part on the basis of information in a consumer report or a prior landlord reference may submit corrected or clarifying information within 10 business days of the notice. BHR accepts documentation of a dispute filed with the consumer reporting agency, a corrected or updated report, proof that an item has been paid, vacated, or removed, a written correction from the landlord who supplied the reference, or proof that the record belongs to another person. BHR reviews the submission and issues a final written decision within 5 business days of receipt. A submission under this section does not hold a unit. Where the decision is reversed, BHR issues an approval valid 40 days from the date of the reversal, with parameters under 1.2 and transferable under 1.2.1.

14. Existing residents

14.1Renewals. A resident renewing in place is not re-screened and is not subject to these criteria.

14.2Transfers. A resident moving to a different BHR unit is treated as an applicant. The household must meet every criterion in this document in effect on the date of the transfer request, including the credit minimum and deposit band in Section 6, the income and DTI standards in Section 4, and the occupancy standard in Section 3.

14.3Rental history. For a transferring resident, rental history under Section 7 is the household’s payment and compliance record with BHR, plus any prior landlord within the seven-year window not previously contacted.

14.4Re-screening and fee. Where more than 12 months have passed since the household’s most recent screening, BHR orders a new screening. Consistent with Section 13.1 and 14 M.R.S. §6030-H, the resident pays the actual cost of one screening, and is told before the fee is charged that they are entitled by law to a complete copy of the information obtained. Where 12 months or less have passed, the existing screening is used and no fee is charged.

14.5Deposit. A transfer is not held without a deposit. The full security deposit for the new unit, in the amount set by the band in 6.3 against the new unit’s rent, is placed before the transfer is scheduled. The deposit held on the vacated unit is not credited forward or applied to the new unit. It is settled under the vacated lease and 14 M.R.S. §6033 after the resident surrenders that unit.

14.6Co-signers. A transfer does not release any co-signer. The existing guaranty continues under 9.6.

14.7A transferring resident who does not meet the criteria remains in their current unit under their existing lease. A failed transfer application is not a basis for non-renewal or any other adverse action.

14.8A transferring resident’s approval is issued with the parameters in 1.2 and is subject to 12.6.

15. Definitions

15.1Adverse factor. For 4.3, an adverse factor is: a VantageScore 3.0 below 620; an item under 6.4 referred to case-by-case underwriting review and resolved adversely or resolved only on a condition; back-end DTI above 50%; a finding under Section 7 that would require a co-signer or a denial but for an exception granted under 1.3; or a criminal history matter that resulted in an adverse individualized assessment under Section 8. Reliance on 4.6, 4.7, or 4.8 to document income is not an adverse factor. An item referred to review under 6.4 or 7.6 and resolved with no adverse finding is not an adverse factor.

15.2Bedroom. A room meeting the definition of a bedroom under the applicable municipal code and the state building code, including egress and minimum area. A den, office, loft, or converted common room is not a bedroom unless it meets that definition. A studio or efficiency unit has no bedroom.

15.3Case-by-case underwriting review. A review conducted by the underwriting team against these factors and no others: the amount at issue; the age of the item; whether it has been paid, settled, vacated, or discharged; whether it is disputed and the status of the dispute; whether it arose from the applicant’s tenancy or from another obligation; and the applicant’s payment record since. Every review is recorded in the applicant file with the factors relied on, the outcome, and the name of the reviewer. A review resolved adversely produces an adverse action notice where a consumer report was relied on, and carries the dispute right under 13.5.

15.4Eviction. For 7.2, any forcible entry and detainer action filed against the applicant. For 7.3, a judgment for possession entered against the applicant. For 7.5, an action in which BHR or Vellacom obtained a judgment for possession, or which the tenant resolved by vacating after service of process; an action dismissed in the tenant’s favor and a termination for a reason other than the tenant’s conduct are not evictions for purposes of 7.5.

15.5Gross qualifying household income. The combined documented gross monthly income, under Sections 4 and 5, of every applicant 18 or older listed on the application, whether or not financially responsible. Income of a live-in aide under 2.7 is not counted.

15.6Household. Every person who will occupy the unit, including minors and any live-in aide.

15.7Qualifying defect. As defined in 9.1.

15.8Underwriting team. The BHR staff designated in writing by the Head of Property Management to review applications, income documentation, and screening results. The current designation is maintained with the version archive under 1.5.

Attachment A — Reasonable Accommodation and Modification Procedure

Attached and incorporated. Provided to every applicant with these criteria.

Verification and timing. Where the disability or the disability-related need is not readily apparent or known, BHR may request documentation from a person in a position to know of the disability and the need. BHR may make one contact with the issuing provider for the sole purpose of confirming that the provider issued the document. BHR does not ask the provider for a diagnosis, for records, for the severity or nature of the disability, or for any detail beyond confirmation of issuance, and does not repeat the request. Where the provider does not respond within 5 business days, BHR accepts the document as issued. BHR issues a written decision within 10 business days of receiving a complete request. Where a request can be granted provisionally pending verification, it is granted provisionally. A request is never held open indefinitely; where BHR needs additional information it says so in writing, identifies exactly what is needed, and sets a date.

Questions about these criteria: info@bangor-maine.com Bangor Home Rentals is an Equal Housing Opportunity provider.