Rental Application FAQs

For current rent prices, please consult our list of available rentals. KPG prices our units in line with market rent at the time of the listing. 

For the current standard security deposit on a specific  unit or property, please consult our list of available rentals. KPG uses a market standard security deposit equal to one month's rent.

Well-qualified applicants may be eligible for a lower security deposit. Conditionally qualified applicants may be required to provide a qualified co-signer or guarantor.

For details on the size and number of bedrooms for a specific unit or property, please consult our list of available rentals. At this time, all apartments owned and managed by KPG are 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom and unit size is approximately 725 sq ft.

KPG uses a FREE online application for *pre-screening* only. Anyone can apply to the FREE screener application at any time. 

If you qualify after the screener, a full background/credit check fee for the amount permitted by California law will apply per each adult if applicants are invited to the document confirmation stage. Fee is used entirely to order background and full credit checks; KPG does not retain any portion of the fee. 

KPG does not charge you a fee for the background or credit check unless you already qualify and we expect to sign a lease for a specific unit with you.

In 2024, this fee is: $59 per adult applicant

All occupants over the age of 18 must provide original documents in person and pay the fee for a full background and credit check prior to be offered / signing a lease.

In order to be considered for the FREE screening, each applicant (all adults over 18) must: 

1. Fill out an application on TenantCloud completely and answer all required questions

2. Upload most recent 2 months of formal pay stubs or other income *

3. Upload all bank statements showing deposits of above pay stubs (see below for more info)*

4. Upload CA photo ID (DL or ID state ID) **

5. Upload formal SSN/ITN document ***

MORE INFO:

* Uploads must be unaltered (no blanks, blurs or content alterations) and can be in form of pictures, PDFs, or scans. Originals of all uploaded documents must be presented at lease signing. See additional proof of income questions if needed.

** Photo ID MUST be a state driver's license or state ID card; no passports, military, school, or other IDs are accepted as they are not connected to background or credit check systems used by KPG. Unless currently living or moving from out of state, must be California ID. 

*** SSN/ITN upload can be any formal document that displays the number, including card, award letter, or most recent tax filing (usually 1040 or 1099). Formal documents that do not display the full number are not accepted. (W2s may not display the full number.)

NOTE: Uploads must be unaltered (no blanks, blurs or content alterations) and can be in form of pictures of printed documents, PDFs, or scans. Originals of all uploaded documents must be presented at lease signing. Screenshots of digital paystubs/taxes are not accepted, you must provide the original PDF.

ALL PICS/SCANS you provide must show ALL pages, must show the ENTIRE page (no cropping, cut off, or blocked with a finger) and must be clear and unblurred.

Pay Stubs: Pay stubs are considered "formal" if they show taxes and withholdings. Please note that handwritten checks or pay receipts, or a letter from your employer that states you earn a certain amount of income in cash, are not accepted as formal proof of legal income. Only statements that show formal taxes and withholdings are accepted. 

How many pay stubs do you need? You must prove your two most recent months of income. If you are paid monthly, that is 2 statements. If you are paid every two weeks or biweekly, that is 4-5 statements. If you are paid weekly, that is 8-9 statements.

What if I am self-employed? Self-employed applicants can provide their 2 most recent years of filed taxes to prove income (from 2021 and 2020, or 2021 extension, 2020 and 2019) along with 2 months of transactions from their payment processor or business bank account.

Retirement accounts: Provide the 2 most recent statements showing money sent to you

Government aid: CalFresh, SNAP, or cash aid from formal government or non-profit organizations that is reflected on a statement or award letter, or social security or SSI statements, also count as formal proof of legal income. Please note that cash aid from an individual person or private organization is not accepted.

Housing Voucher/Section 8: If you have a voucher, upload the voucher packet (all pages, make sure the scan or picture shows the whole page for each) to provide formal proof of legal income.

KPG uses your provided income and ID documents to generate a "grade" to qualify for the applicant pool, and includes options for well-qualified, qualified, and conditionally qualified applicants. 

Well-qualified applicants earn combined income of 4x-5x the monthly rent and have a ResidentScore of 600-620+, and may qualify for discounts. Minimum standard qualified applicants earn income of 3x the monthly rent or higher and have a ResidentScore of 560+.

Conditionally qualified applicants earn 2x-2.5x the monthly rent OR have a ResidentScore of 538-559, and are required to provide a double security deposit, a qualified cosigner/guarantor. Applicants with both a low score and low rent-to-income ratio do not qualify. 

For more information on qualification grades, please click here.

All leases are 6 months and automatically convert to month-to-month at the end of the original lease term. All occupants over the age of 18 must complete a full lease application. For a sample lease, please reach out via email.

KPG uses an industry standard occupancy limit of 2 persons per bedroom, plus 1. For a 2-bedroom apartment, this means an occupancy limit of 5. Occupancy limits apply to all living beings in the apartment. All minor children, pets, service animals or emotional support animals must be listed as additional occupants during the lease application and count toward the occupancy limit. Infants do not count toward the occupancy limit until they reach 1 year of age. 

KPG rent does not include any utilities. 

If you are renting one of our multi-family apartment units, you are responsible for paying for all individual unit utilities and setting up accounts yourself. You are required to have accounts for electricity and natural gas (SoCal Edison and SoCal Gas). Cable/phone/internet service is optional for your unit but often preferred, and you are also required to set up that account yourself as well (via Spectrum). Tenants also will be required to pay a fair portion of community utilities that benefit all residents, based on occupancy and usage using our RUBS (ratio utilities billing system). RUBS community utilities includes water, sewer, trash, facility electricity, facility gas, facility pest control, and facility security cameras. Monthly share prices have historically ranged from $25-45 per adult depending on season and conservation by all residents. Share prices are reduced for children, infants, pets, and service/emotional support animals.

If you are renting a single-family home, condo or townhouse from KPG, you are responsible for paying for all utilities and setting up accounts yourself. You are required to have accounts for trash, water, electricity, and other utilities required to operate all appliances in the home (such as natural gas, if required for heating/cooking). 

KPG allows cats under 20 pounds and dogs under 45 pounds to reside in the unit with you as a pet, subject to standard breed restrictions and behavioral constraints. Pets require an additional pet application, a signed pet addendum, and an additional $500 security deposit, as well as pet rent amounting to $50 per month per pet. Pet deposit is refundable upon move out pending damage evaluation. Pets count toward the occupancy limit. Maximum of 2 pets per unit. Pets must be reported during the application process or upon adoption. KPG strongly recommends you consult with the property manager before signing a lease or obtaining a pet to ensure your pet conforms to our requirements and will be permitted. 

KPG adheres to state and federal law that applies to housing providers with regard to service dogs and emotional support animals. These laws can change and update year to year. Please note that a service dog and emotional support animals are not pets, and they require supporting documentation to be considered as an accommodation that is protected by law instead of being subject to our pet policies and restrictions. 

There is widespread fraud in relation to emotional support animals in the state of California, including fraudulent documentation providers who prey on tenants with legitimate and verifiable accommodation needs who are unaware of this industry. As a result, KPG has specific requirements for supporting documentation that are in line with AB 468 and practices by providers who provide such accommodation documentation on a routine  basis. Please ask about our documentation procedures if you require an accommodation for an emotional support animal. 

All service dogs or emotional support animals must be listed as additional occupants during the lease application. Failure to report a service dog or emotional support animal during the leasing process will be considered a failure to accurately complete the application and will result in lease cancellation. Properly reported and documented service dogs and emotional support animals are added to your lease via written addendum.

KPG strongly encourages all applicants with Section 8 or any similar housing voucher to check with your case worker before starting this process. 

KPG considers section 8 and vouchers to be income as required by California law. 

To apply with Section 8 or other voucher income, you must upload the ENTIRE voucher packet in the proof of income area of the application. KPG checks the packet during the screening process, just as we do other types of income verification.

You are responsible for confirming voucher requirements. 

Check with your case worker to make sure KPG’s unit & lease qualifies for your voucher … many vouchers are strict or conflict with our leases. See other related Section 8 questions for more information. 

We recommend you check in BEFORE filling out a screener app to save you time & effort. 

KPG considers section 8 and vouchers to be income as required by California law. Kelly Property Group requires the SAME lease for ALL tenants, no matter their income source. KPG does not change leases or criteria for vouchers.

To apply with Section 8 or other voucher income, you must upload the ENTIRE voucher packet in the proof of income area of the screener application. KPG checks the packet during the screening process, just as we do other types of income verification. If the voucher packet you provided does not appear to conform to our lease requirements or policies, then you will not be considered for the applicant pool. 

KPG recommends you check with your case worker regarding the policies described below BEFORE filling out a screener app to save you time & effort. All are welcome to apply to our screener app at any time, but if your voucher program does not accept our unit or lease, or you do not score high enough in our grade/scoring system, you will not be offered a lease with KPG.  

Common problems we see on Section 8 or voucher applications:

• The voucher states that it does not accept 6 month leases, or that it specifically requires a one year lease, or does not accept month to month leases 

  • • All KPG leases are 6 months, and then automatically convert to month-to-month at the end of the original lease term

  • The voucher forbids community utilities charges 

    • • KPG requires ALL tenants to pay a fair portion of community utilities based on unit occupancy and usage, using (RUBS), our ratio utilities billing system. These required community utilities charges are in addition to paying for the electricity, gas, and cable, phone or internet service specific to your particular unit.

  • The entire voucher packet was not uploaded, or there were upload errors -- missing pages, blurred views, or covering up required information. KPG will reach out to you and ask you to provide the missing pages or correct the scan.

  • The voucher provided is expired or will expire before the unit is available

  • The voucher is for a different number of bedrooms than KPG’s available unit

Voucher program requirements and language often change. You are responsible for confirming if your voucher is compatible with KPG's lease requirements. KPG recommends you contact your case worker with any questions about voucher requirements and policies.

KPG uses the same criteria to qualify regardless of income source. Even if you are a Section 8 or voucher applicant whose rent would be paid primarily by a third party check, you must still provide proof of ability to pay your required minimum portion of the voucher as stated on the voucher packet, AND the minimum unit and community utilities amounts each month AFTER the voucher you provided pays your rent. As a result, you still are required to provide formal proof of legal income AND banking statements that reflect that income for your application, along with your voucher packet.

The standard amounts (AFTER the voucher) used for qualifying income calculations are: 

• $50 minimum rent contribution (your voucher may require more)

• Minimum Utilities: $185 for the first adult, $70 for each new adult, $60 for each child

Minimum Utilities includes minimum estimates of your individual unit utilities & a minimum estimate of your fair share of community utilities, whether they are billed by KPG or billed by the utility company directly. The numbers used to qualify include electricity and gas costs for your specific unit, but no optional cable or internet costs, as well as standard charges for community utilities that benefit all residents in the apartment complex, such as water, trash, pest control, security cameras, and other utilities. 

The 2022 numbers of $185 minimum for ONE person is based on KPG’s own internal data for recent months and years of minimum unit electricity, unit gas, and monthly community utilities for a single tenant living alone. This amount represents the standard minimum price during the lowest cost month of the `year. Much higher bills are common when it is very cold in the winter or very hot in the summer, and additional heating and air conditioning are required. Most KPG properties are located in the Antelope Valley desert, which can experience triple digit heat waves in the summer and snow in the winter, so paying more for utilities several times during those seasons should be expected by default. 

These numbers do not include pets or guests, but those would also result in community utilities charges if they live with you. 

If you need help determining your minimum rent + utilities and what your income requirements would be, KPG will assist you. Just send a text message to our customer service line or give us a call.