Tenant FAQ's:

Income:

We require at a minimum 3 times the monthly rent in gross household income. Some landlords however require 3.5 or up to 4 times the monthly rent in gross household income. We also verify the length of employment and look for at least 90 days of steady employment.

Rental History:

Rental History is not required, but a verifiable rental reference helps to make an application much stronger. Keystone Realty defines verifiable rental reference as someone who is a professional property manager or a licensed NC Real Estate Broker. An eviction may not immediately disqualify an applicant, but it is the applicant’s responsibility to prove all fines and past balances have been paid. The date of the eviction and the applicant’s current income will be a factor in an applicant’s acceptance. Late rent payments will impact our decision.

Criminal Convictions:

Recent convictions can disqualify an applicant. Old convictions, arrests, and some recent non-violent convictions could possibly have no weight on applicant. Again, we weigh these on a case by case basis.

Credit & Collection History:

Keystone Realty does a full credit profile review. We look at your entire credit history and all previously opened accounts. We put very little weight on student loans & medical collections. We do not have set ‘minimum credit score.’ An applicant without any positive accounts will most likely be denied. Late/missed payments to creditors including, but not limited to: telecom providers, auto loans, and utility companies will impact our decision. Good verifiable rental history and a high income to rent ratio, can make up for poor credit in some cases.

Our application is $60, per applicant, and is nonrefundable. Decisions are final.

Once you have found a property from our Vacancy List that you are interested in and after viewing all of our pictures and videos for the property, you may apply to view the property.  To apply to view a property, you just need to provide some basic contact information, a valid photo ID, and your most recent pay stub. Once we have received that information and your preferred showing time, we will approve your showing and provide you with a temporary code to access the digital lockbox on the property. Your code will only work during your allotted time slot. Once you have finished viewing the property, simply ensure that all lights are off, doors are locked, and place the key back into the box.

Our application is $60, per applicant, and is nonrefundable. Decisions are final.

Applying to rent one of our properties is very easy. Simply select the property from our Vacancy List. Everything can be done online. You will provide basic contact information, photo ID, rental history, and proof of income. We will do background check, credit check, and check your previous rental history. We must have all of this information before making a decision about approving an application. 

Maintenance is just a normal part of a home being lived in. You can submit a work order to us through your ONLINE PORTAL. We are notified instantly of this, and we will immediately begin lining up the proper vendor to contact you about the issue. We STRONGLY ENCOURAGE you to submit work orders this way. It allows us to process them much faster, meaning your issue can get taken care of more quickly. Alternatively, you can text your maintenance issue to our rental department phone number at: 252-777-3139.

We do not have our own in house maintenance staff. We contract out all of our work orders to local, reputable vendors. We will forward your contact info and the vendor will contact you directly about scheduling the work to get done as quickly as possible. 

All of our properties require a security deposit of at least one month’s rent. Depending on the application, the security deposit could be as high as two month’s rent. Other fees include the $60 application fee per adult applicant. 

We prorate your first month’s rent at lease signing. If you take possession of the home on the 15th of the month, your first month rental payment will be roughly half of what you would normally pay.

Also, consider you may have to pay a utility deposit to the City of Rocky Mount or other utility provider.

Rent is always due on the 1st of the month. You can always elect to pay early if you wish.

You may pay your rent through your ONLINE PORTAL. From there, you can see your balance and pay your rent at any time with credit card, debit card, or direct ACH payment from a checking account. By paying online, you know your payment will reach us on time and safely. 

If we have not received your rent by the end of business on the 5th, you will be assessed a 5% late fee.

If we have not received your payment in full by the end of business on the 10th, we will be forced to file for eviction.

If you have not paid by the end of business on the 10th, we are forced to file for summary ejectment. You will be served a summons with a court date. At any point before the court date, you may pay your balance in full. This will stop the eviction process and cancel the court date.

If the case makes it before the magistrate and the magistrate rules in our favor, you will most likely have 10 calendar days to pay your full balance. By doing so, you will most likely be able to stay in the property. If you do not pay in full by the end of the 10th day, we will file a writ of possession and take possession of the property via a lockout with the sheriff’s office.

You will need to give us a written 30 day notice. If you plan to leave the property on the 30th of the month, we will need a written notice no later than the 1st of that same month.

When you leave the property, please make sure that the property is in the same condition as when you took possession. All personal property should be removed and all trash should be neatly placed at the curb for the city to pick up. The home should be thoroughly cleaned. You should also have any carpets professionally cleaned and forward the receipt to us. Once all of that is done and the house has been cleaned, return the keys to us. 

We will then do a final inspection and deduct any expenses from you deposit. We will mail your remaining deposit to your forwarding address within 60 days.