There will be a $45 non-refundable screening fee for each adult applicant.
Upon receipt of the Rental Application and screening fee, Background Investigations, Inc. will conduct a search of public records to determine whether applicant or any proposed resident or occupant has a Conviction (which means: charges pending as of the date of the application; a conviction; a guilty plea; or no contest plea), for any of the following crimes as provided in ORS 90.303(3): drug-related crime; person crime; sex offense; crime involving financial fraud, including identity theft and forgery; or any other crime if the conduct for which applicant was convicted or is charged is of a nature that would adversely affect property of the landlord or a tenant or the health, safety or right of peaceful enjoyment of the premises of residents, the landlord or the landlord’s agent. Owner/Agent will not consider a previous arrest that did not result in a Conviction or expunged records.
If applicant, or any proposed occupant, has a Conviction in their past which would disqualify them under these criminal conviction criteria, and desires to submit additional information to Owner/Agent along with the application so Owner/Agent can engage in an individualized assessment (described below) upon receipt of the results of the public records search and prior to a denial, applicant should do so. Otherwise, applicant may request the review process after denial as set forth below, however, see item (c) under Criminal Conviction Review Process below regarding holding the unit.
A single Conviction for any of the following, subject to the results of any review process, shall be grounds for denial of the Rental Application.
a) Felonies involving: murder, manslaughter, arson, rape, kidnapping, child sex crimes, or manufacturing or distribution of a controlled substance.
b) Felonies not listed above involving: drug-related crime; person crime; sex offense; crime involving financial fraud, including identity theft and forgery; or any other crime if the conduct for which applicant was convicted or is charged is of a nature that would adversely affect property of the landlord or a tenant or the health, safety or right of peaceful enjoyment of the premises of the residents, the landlord or the landlords agent, where the date of disposition has occurred in the last 7 years.
c) Misdemeanors involving: drug related crimes, person crimes, sex offenses, domestic violence, violation of a restraining order, stalking, weapons, criminal impersonation, possession of burglary tools, financial fraud crimes, where the date of disposition has occurred in the last 5 years.
d) Misdemeanors not listed above involving: theft, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, property crimes or any other crime if the conduct for which applicant was convicted or is charged is of a nature that would adversely affect property of the landlord or a tenant or the health, safety or right of peaceful enjoyment of the premises of the residents, the landlord or the landlords agent, where the date of disposition has occurred in the last 3 years.
e) Conviction of any crime that requires lifetime registration as a sex offender, or for which applicant is currently registered as a sex offender, will result in denial.
Criminal Conviction Review Process:
Owner/Agent will engage in an individualized assessment of the applicants, or other proposed occupants, Convictions if applicant has satisfied all other criteria (the denial was based solely on one or more Convictions) and:
(1) Applicant has submitted supporting documentation prior to the public records search; or
(2) Applicant is denied based on failure to satisfy these criminal criteria and has submitted a written request along with supporting documentation. Supporting documentation may include:
i) Letter from parole or probation office;
ii) Letter from caseworker, therapist, counselor, etc.;
iii) Certifications of treatments/rehab programs;
iv) Letter from employer, teacher, etc.
v) Certification of trainings completed;
vi) Proof of employment; and
vii) Statement of the applicant.
Owner/Agent will:
(a) Consider relevant individualized evidence of mitigating factors, which may include: the facts or circumstances surrounding the criminal conduct; the age of the convicted person at the time of the conduct; time since the criminal conduct; time since release from incarceration or completion of parole; evidence that the individual has maintained a good tenant history before and/or after the conviction or conduct; and evidence of rehabilitation efforts. Owner/Agent may request additional information and may consider whether there have been multiple Convictions as part of this process.
(b) Notify applicant of the results of Owner/Agents review within a reasonable time after receipt of all required information.
(c) Hold the unit for which the application was received for a reasonable time under all the circumstances to complete the review unless prior to receipt of applicants written request (if made after denial) the unit was committed to another applicant.
If your application is denied due to negative or adverse information being reported from the screening company, you may contact: Background Investigation Inc. 503-639-6000.
If your application has been denied and you feel that you qualify as a resident under the criteria set out above, you should do the following;
Write to our:
Equal Housing Opportunity Manager
PO Box 2509, Gresham OR 97030
Explain the reasons you believe your application should be reevaluated and request a review of your file. Your application will be reviewed within 7 working days from the date your letter was received and you will be notified of the outcome.
If your application is denied based on negative credit information, contact the credit reporting agency listed on the denial letter.