Application Requirements

On Point Property Management is committed to equal housing opportunity. We do not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, disability, ancestry, age, marital status, order of protection status, sexual orientation, military status, source of income, or any other class protected under the federal Fair Housing Act or the Illinois Human Rights Act. The following criteria are applied uniformly to every applicant.

Each application is reviewed on its own merits. Where an applicant does not meet a given standard, On Point may, at its discretion and applied consistently, approve the application with an additional security deposit or other reasonable conditions.

1. Application Requirements

• Every person who will occupy the unit and is 18 years of age or older must submit a separate, complete rental application and meet these screening criteria. All adult occupants who are approved must sign the lease.

• A non-refundable application fee, currently $40 per adult applicant, is required. Fees are subject to change without notice.

• Applicants must provide valid government-issued photo identification and verifiable proof of income.

• All information on the application must be complete, accurate, and verifiable. Falsified or omitted information is grounds for denial.

Note: A live-in aide or personal care attendant for an applicant or household member with a disability is not required to be a leaseholder and is not screened against the financial criteria below. Such a request is handled as a reasonable accommodation (see Section 9).

2. Income

• Affordability is determined primarily by the applicant’s debt-to-income ratio (see Section 3). An applicant whose total monthly debt obligations, including rent, fall within our acceptable debt-to-income limit meets the income standard, even where gross income is below three (3) times the monthly rent.

• Verifiable gross income of at least three (3) times the monthly rent is preferred but is not required when the debt-to-income standard is met.

• All lawful sources of income are counted equally, including wages, self-employment income, Social Security, SSI/SSDI, pensions, child support, and housing subsidies.

Note: These standards are applied consistently to all applicants. For Housing Choice Voucher and other rental-subsidy applicants, both the income and debt-to-income calculations are based only on the applicant’s share of the rent, not the full contract rent. Example — on a $1,200 unit where a voucher pays $900, the applicant’s portion is $300, so the 3x guideline is 3 × $300 = $900, not 3 × $1,200.

3. Debt-to-Income Ratio

• Total monthly debt obligations, including the monthly rent, no greater than 45% of verifiable gross income. This is On Point’s primary measure of affordability.

Note: For subsidized applicants, the ratio is calculated using the applicant’s portion of the rent rather than the full contract rent.

4. Credit

• A credit score of 600 or above.

• Scores between 550 and 599 may be approved with an additional security deposit.

• No outstanding balances owed to prior landlords or to utility companies.

Note: For applicants using a housing subsidy, the credit standard is evaluated on an individualized basis. The administering housing authority has already determined the applicant’s ability to pay their portion of the rent, and a credit result alone will not be used to deny a subsidized applicant where ability to pay is otherwise established.

5. Rental History

• Positive verifiable rental history, where applicable.

• No eviction judgment or court order for possession entered within the past five (5) years, and no current or pending eviction proceedings.

• No money owed to a current or previous landlord.

6. Bankruptcy

• No bankruptcy filed or discharged within the past two (2) years.

7. Criminal Background

• Criminal history is evaluated based on convictions, not on arrests that did not lead to conviction.

• No felony conviction within the past three (3) years. Each conviction is reviewed individually, considering the nature and severity of the offense, the time elapsed, evidence of rehabilitation, and the relevance of the offense to the safety of residents, staff, and the property.

• Applicants subject to a lifetime registration requirement are not eligible.

Note: On Point does not apply a blanket ban on all criminal records. An applicant whose record is connected to a disability may request that their history be considered as a reasonable accommodation under Section 9, including any mitigating circumstances.

8. Source of Income

Consistent with the Illinois Human Rights Act, On Point considers all lawful sources of income on an equal basis and accepts Housing Choice Vouchers and other rental-assistance programs. Proof of non-employment income is accepted in the same manner as proof of employment income. No applicant will be refused, charged different terms, or steered away because of their lawful source of income.

9. Reasonable Accommodations and Modifications

Applicants and residents with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation in our rules, policies, or screening criteria, or a reasonable modification to the unit, where needed to have equal use and enjoyment of the housing. Requests may be made at any point in the application or tenancy. To make a request, contact On Point at 217-498-8500 or rentals@onpoint217.com.

10. If Your Application Is Denied

If an application is denied in whole or in part based on information in a consumer or tenant-screening report, the applicant will receive a written adverse-action notice identifying the screening company and explaining the applicant’s right to obtain a free copy of the report and to dispute its accuracy directly with that company, as required by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.