Application Process
Application process
Everything you need to know before you apply: what we ask for, why it matters and exactly what to expect once you submit.
Read this carefully.
Submitting an application confirms that you have read and agree to these guidelines.
Please have every required document ready before you apply. The full list is below and at the start of the application.
Every adult must apply.
Each person 18 or older listed on your application must submit their own application and fee, and provide a valid government-issued photo ID. If anyone listed has not applied, your application is considered incomplete. We will not process it, and the application fee will not be refunded.
What “processing” means.
Processing begins the moment our office first reviews your application. Any review, including an initial review to confirm your documents and co-applicants, counts as processing.
Verify you’re dealing with the real MRE.
Rental scams are common in the DFW area. Before you pay any fee or submit any document, confirm you are working with MRE Property Management.
Verify the listing
Every legitimate MRE rental appears at mredfw.com and in our AppFolio listings portal. Confirm any third-party listing here before sending money.
AppFolio only
All MRE applications are submitted through our secure AppFolio portal. We never collect applications by form link, email attachment, text or social media.
Confirm your contact
Legitimate MRE communication comes from an @mredfw.com email address. If you are unsure, call our office.
Tour first, or verify first
We recommend viewing a property in person or through a self-guided tour before you apply. If you choose to apply sight unseen, first confirm the home is a verified MRE listing.
Never wire money
MRE will never ask for payment by wire transfer, gift cards, Cash App, Zelle to a personal account or cryptocurrency.
When in doubt, call us.
If something feels off, call our office. We would rather take a verification call than see you become a victim.
Leasing sight unseen
You are welcome to apply for and lease a home without viewing it first. Before you do, confirm it is a verified MRE listing and understand what leasing sight unseen means for you.
What it means for you
- You are leasing the home without viewing it in advance.
- Listing photos are taken by professional photographers and may not show flaws or the most current condition of the home.
- Only repairs communicated to you by our office and required by your lease and Texas law will be completed.
- The only option to end the lease early is breaking the lease, which makes you responsible for all fees associated with breaking it.
First come, first served.
We process applications in the order they are received. If we request missing documents, they are due within 24 hours of our request.
When others are waiting
An application missing required documents is considered incomplete, and we move on to the next applicant in line. We return to an incomplete application only if the applicants after it are also incomplete or are not approved.
When you are the only applicant
We may allow additional time, up to 3 days. After that, the application is canceled or denied.
Reopening a canceled application
A canceled application may be reopened within 7 days of cancellation, once all missing documents are submitted. It is placed back in line behind any applicants already being processed, and only if the home is still available. No new application fee is required within this window.
Application fees
Application fees are non-refundable once processing begins. A fee is refunded only when the application is fully complete and processing has not yet started, or if you are a backup applicant who is never processed, a co-signer who turns out not to be needed, or the listing is withdrawn before your application is processed. Refunds take 7 to 10 business days.
Application fee transfers: if your application was not processed, whether the home was leased to another applicant or you found another MRE home you prefer, your application fee can be transferred to another property.
Requirements & documentation
Have these ready before you start. Submit documents as PDFs; photos are accepted only for ID verification.
Income, co-signers & approvals
Income requirement
Gross monthly income must be at least 3 times the monthly rent, combined when there is more than one applicant. If an applicant is later removed from the lease, the remaining tenants’ income must still meet it. All income must be verifiable.
If income falls more than $500 short of 3 times the rent, a qualified co-signer is required.
Employment
A minimum of 1 year with your current employer is required, or additional funds and/or a co-signer. Gross income and length of employment are verified, and the contact number for your HR department must be provided. MRE does not pay for employment verifications.
Rental history
Any current lease terms must be fulfilled, and a receipt showing a fully paid rental balance is required. A written notice to vacate must be given to your current landlord before we can obtain a rental verification. We do not accept rental verifications from family or friends.
Background & credit
Every applicant completes a criminal background and credit check processed by MRE. Reports provided by applicants are not accepted. The minimum credit score is 500. Chapter 7 and 11 bankruptcies must be discharged for at least 12 months; Chapter 13 requires 12 months of consecutive on-time payments.
Co-signers
A co-signer is 100% responsible for the lease in its entirety, the same as the tenants living in the home. Co-signers complete their own application, sign the lease and must have a minimum credit score of 680.
Conditional approvals
An application may be approved with conditions based on other factors, such as no verifiable rental history or a credit score below 600. Conditions may include a risk fee and/or an increased security deposit. Applicants approved with conditions do not qualify for move-in incentives.
Grounds for denial
Review these carefully before submitting your application.
- Unpaid rental debt owed to a prior landlord
- Prior evictions
- False or misleading information on the application
- Felony convictions within the past 10 years, reviewed based on the nature and severity of the offense
- Registered sex offender status
- Defaulted child support or student loans
- An identity or Social Security number that cannot be verified
- An unfulfilled lease agreement within the past 3 years, or a history of unfulfilled lease agreements. An unfulfilled lease is one ended early, without proper notice or with a balance left owing.
- Rental history showing lease violations or multiple late payments
If one applicant does not meet these requirements, the entire application may be denied. If your application is denied, our office will notify you by email, including contact information to obtain a copy of your credit report.
What is MRE’s pet policy?
Every applicant completes a PetScreening profile, including applicants with no pets. All pets are subject to owner approval and require a non-refundable pet fee and monthly pet rent, based on pet type, age, size and screening results.
Pets under 1 year of age may require a larger fee. Pet fees allow the pet to occupy the property and do not cover damage caused by the pet. Not every property permits pets, so please check with our office.
Assistance animals
Assistance animals are reviewed through PetScreening at no screening cost and are not charged pet fees or pet rent. Please submit assistance animal documentation through PetScreening.
I’m approved! What’s next?
Move-in funds, key access, insurance, utilities and withdrawal terms are on Approved! What’s Next.
Frequently asked questions
Browse by topic. Click any question to see the full answer.
Each person 18 or older listed on the application must submit their own application and fee. If anyone listed has not applied, the application is considered incomplete and will not be processed.
Application fees are non-refundable once processing begins. Processing begins the moment our office first reviews your application, including an initial review to confirm your documents and co-applicants.
A fee is refunded only when the application is fully complete and processing has not yet started, or if you are a backup applicant who is never processed, a co-signer who turns out not to be needed, or the listing is withdrawn before your application is processed.
If your application was not processed, whether the home was leased to another applicant or you found another MRE home you prefer, your application fee can be transferred to another property.
Missing documents are due within 24 hours of our request. If other applicants are waiting, an incomplete application is passed over for the next applicant in line. If you are the only applicant, we may allow up to 3 days before the application is canceled or denied.
Gross monthly income must be at least 3 times the monthly rent, combined when there is more than one applicant. If income falls more than $500 short, a qualified co-signer is required. All income must be verifiable.
Yes. A co-signer is 100% responsible for the lease in its entirety, completes their own application, signs the lease and must have a minimum credit score of 680.
Co-applicants are reviewed individually and together. If one applicant does not meet the requirements, the entire application may be denied.
Chapter 7 and 11 bankruptcies must be discharged for at least 12 months. Chapter 13 requires 12 months of consecutive on-time payments for consideration.
Our office will notify you by email, including contact information to obtain a copy of your credit report.
If you decide not to move forward after you are approved and before the lease is signed, your security deposit will be refunded. The application fee and the $100 administrative fee are non-refundable. Once the lease is signed, its terms govern any cancellation.