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TRANSCRIPT
Quick Start Guide Rev. 3/2014
Contact Riverstone Screening Services Phone: (425) 329.0793 Fax: (425) 329.0734 Email: [email protected]
Table of Contents
Section A. Beginning or Continuing a New Application Section B. Checking the Status of a Pending Application Section C. Editing Information on an Applicant’s File Section D. Adding a New User to the System Section E. Modifying Your Personal Account Settings Section F. International / Canadian Applications Section G. Associate Applications Section H. Lease Renewals – Existing Tenants Listed in RSS/On-Site Section I. Lease Renewals – All Existing Roommates Not Listed in RSS/On-Site Section J. Add-On Roommates Section K. Corporate Applications Section L. Intra-Community Transfers Section M. Creating a Lease File for Previously Screened Applicants
Section A: Beginning or Continuing a New Application
Step 1: Begin an application § Click LEASING > Begin New Application if the applicant has not been entered into the system yet. § Click LEASING > Recent Leasing Activity to resume work on any existing application. Step 2: Choose an apartment § Choose your community from the pulldown list. (If you do not have access to the community you need,
contact your supervisor or contact us.) § If your applicant has selected an apartment, choose it from the pulldown list; otherwise click Decide Later.
(If the unit number is not listed, click Add apartment and Continue and see the next step.)
Step 2: Choose an apartment § Choose your community from the pull-down list. (If you do not have access to the community you need, please contact
your Regional Manager and Riverstone Screening Services (RSS)). § If your applicant has selected an apartment, choose it from the pull-down list; otherwise click Decide Later. If the
apartment number is not listed, contact RSS at (425) 329.0793. § Welcome Packet only: Leave unchecked “This is a renewal lease” and check the box next to “Don’t screen this
applicant.” § New application for processing: Leave unchecked both “This is a renewal lease” and “Don’t screen this applicant.” § Click Continue.
Step 3: Enter the applicant’s identity information § Choose the type of applicant and enter the requested information; click Add Existing Resident/Applicant if the
applicant has been previously entered to search for that application and add it. § The income field is to consist of the TOTAL current monthly income the applicant receives and will be used to pay
the rent. § Check the box to add a spouse if the applicant’s joint account holder has also completed an application. § Check the box to add dependants; a dependant is an individual under the age of 18 who will be residing in the
unit. § Rental/residence history must span 24 current, consecutive months. The addresses of residency must be provided
in the order of when the applicant lived at the domicile. (For applicants arriving from out of country within 24 months, refer to Section F – International / Canadian Applications in this Quick Start Guide for further guidance).
§ Click Continue.
Step 3: Enter the applicant’s identity information (cont’d) TIP… Occupants are adult dependants and are not to be screened alone. Review Chapter 7 of Riverstone’s Operations National Practices, Section A for a complete definition and requirements to screen an applicant as an adult dependent. TIP… Do not run the guarantor application until after the results for your applicants have been provided initially. TIP… Enter the name of the applicant as it should be reflected on the lease agreement and all other legal forms! TIP… For sites that have rental and employment verifications performed by RSS: The box “Enter information for landlord verification” and “Verify this address” (if previous residency is provided) must always be checked. The landlord information needs to be provided in the fields accordingly. TIP… Section 8 / Rental Subsidy and food stamps are NOT to be entered as income in the assigned income field. TIP… Proof of current income from employment and additional income sources must be on file. Refer to the Riverstone Resident Selection Criteria form for verifiable sources of income to use.
Step 4: Enter income information (ONLY for sites that have rental and employment verifications performed by RSS, or have requested for additional entry fields to be implemented): § Enter the requested information for each applicant. § Click Add Another Job to include salary from additional CURRENT jobs or Add Other Income Source to
consider additional current income from other sources. Ensure the entry is “Related to” the correct applicant. (If you inadvertently click one of these links, simply leave the fields blank.)
§ If the applicant provided current employment information, the box “Enter information for employment
verification” must always be checked. § Click Continue.
Step 4: Enter income information (cont’d) TIP… Be sure to enter the correct monetary value and pay type for your applicant. TIP… Proof of current income from employment and additional income sources must be on file. Refer to the Riverstone Resident Screening Policy form for verifiable sources of income to use. TIP… If the applicant is not actively employed, leave the Employment (Job) fields blank. TIP… Only supply the current employment/income information – previous jobs and/or income sources are not to be
provided. TIP… Do NOT enter rental subsidy amounts in the employment section here. A question is posed in the next
section asking if the applicant has a rental subsidy.
Step 5: Screen the applicant(s) § Check that you have entered all the information correctly. If not, click the edit pencil to make changes. § Click Add Applicant/Guarantor to add a co-applicant now. You can always add more later. § Enter the rent, application deposit, and select how the applicant found your community. § If the applicant is applying for an affordable unit, click “This is a Below Market Rate (BMR) application.”
§ Have you verified the applicant’s identity? Have you received permission to run screening? If so, check the authorization box. If not, un-check the box under “Screen” for any applicant for whom you have not. • Click Continue. TIP… Do not run the guarantor application until after the results for your applicants have been initially provided. TIP… When entering the rent amount, provide the market rate the applicant will be paying. (Section 8 applicants – provide the total rent amount both Section 8 and the applicant will pay). TIP… If the applicant has not signed or dated the paper application, do not process the screening! TIP… Double check the applicant’s information – re-pulls of an applicant’s original credit screening due to edits made to an applicant’s personal information will result in a duplicate charge against the property. TIP… IF THIS IS A LEASE RENEWAL AND THE BOX UNDER “SCREEN” IS CHECKED FOR AN EXISTING RESIDENT, UNCHECK THIS BOX TO AVOID RUNNING A NEW SCREENING AND INCURRING AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE FOR YOUR PROPERTY!
Step 6: Review screening results § Review the application’s scorecard from 0 to 10.0, the recommendation to rent, and the factors based on the
requirements configured for your Riverstone community. § If there are any factors “pending,” the recommendation is not yet finalized. Delays may include:
Ø RSS must verify employment and/or landlord references. (This is only for sites that have manual verifications performed by RSS). If the score is Pending for rental and employment verification, fax or scan necessary information to expedite the screening process to RSS at (425).329.0734 or [email protected].
Ø On-Site must research potential criminal records. § Take care to review any Red Flag warnings. Be sure to place in the applicant’s file additional supporting documentation
in the event of an audit. § Print the screening result and any following adverse action letters by clicking “Print All Screening” found in the
screening recommendation box at the top of the screen. TIP… At most, criminal reports may take up to six (6) or more days to receive a final result. TIP… Do NOT provide a copy of the screening result to the applicant – they only receive a copy of any adverse action letters
(if applicable).
Step 7: Make a rental decision § If appropriate, click a decision for the application: Decline to reject or Cancel if the application is withdrawn. If the
applicant is approved or conditionally approved, the lease can be approved at the site level. § Click Add Applicant/Guarantor to include additional applicants. Click Delete/Restore to remove or re-activate an
applicant. TIP… (Only for sites that have rental and employment verifications performed by RSS): Leases cannot be
approved by on site staff members or Regional Managers if the screening recommendation score is 5.0 to 5.9 unless otherwise directed. Please contact RSS to adjust the lease status to “Approve” providing the rental and screening verifications have been performed. If the verifications have not been performed, please refer to Section C of this Quick Start Guide on how to edit the applicant’s file to add the required verification information.
Step 8: Re-printing Adverse Action forms (Alternate) • If an applicant is conditionally approved, print the Screening Adverse Action Notice. § If an applicant is denied, a Denial Notice must be printed. Change the lease status to “Decline” and print the
Denial Notice provided in the Move-In/Application Documents section. TIP… You must provide the Denial Notice/Adverse Action Letter to the applicant within two (2) business days as
mandated by Riverstone Operations National Practices.
Section B: Checking the Status of a Pending Application
Review Leasing Activity • Click Leasing > Recent Leasing Activity to view a running list of your applications, screening reports and
documents. • If provided, view the reasons in the yellow boxes below the applicant’s name for any delays or ways you can expedite the qualification process. • Click the color-filled Screening button to access the applicant’s screening to review the verification notes made by an
RSS representative (available only for sites that have rental and employment verifications performed by RSS). This will also allow you to check the status of a pending criminal screening.
Section C – Editing Information on an Applicant’s File
Step 1: Accessing the Entered Application • Click Leasing > Recent Leasing Activity and select the Applicant’s Name under the Resident(s) column. • Click the Edit pencil next to the applicant’s name to make changes to information already entered.
Step 2: Editing Information on the File • Enter the information to be changed on the applicant’s file. • Click Continue if the page is revised correctly. Click Save and Edit Income Information only if the employment
information needs to be modified. Click Continue when finished. TIP… Any changes to the applicant’s personal information will result in re-running the applicant’s credit and a duplicate
charge will be incurred by the property. A notice will appear in On-Site signifying this before it is selected to re-run. TIP… (Only for sites that have rental and employment verifications performed by RSS): When adding new Residence
History – do NOT delete all the original information. Click Add Another Address to type in additional residence history for the applicant.
Step 3: Adding New Comment • On the Lease Status page, click Add Comment to indicate what has been revised on the file. • Notify RSS (by phone - (425) 329.0793 and/or e-mail – [email protected]) of the changes made to
the applicant’s file that warrants our attention to revise the file. • Click Save when done. TIP… When entering notes in the Add Comment field, be specific in your documentation so everyone
understands what exactly is being conveyed. TIP… Clicking “Add Comment” does not generate an automatic e-mail to RSS nor is it a form of instant
messaging. It is ONLY used to record internal documentation on the file.
Section D: Adding New/Modifying Existing User to the System
Add new user: • Contact Riverstone Screening Services via e-mail to add new users at [email protected]. • Please provide the following: Employee Name: Title: Community (list all communities the employee will need access to): Property Number(s): Email Address: Phone Number:
• CC your RM on the e-mail – RSS must receive confirmation from your RM before providing a login for the new
user. • The new user must also be trained on the RSS/On-Site screening platform before a login can be issued.
Please refer to MyRiverstone > Ancillary Services > Riverstone Screening Services for a current calendar of training classes available.
Modifying Existing User: • Contact RSS via e-mail to modify existing users at [email protected]. • Clearly indicate the reason for the revision to the user’s access. (Moving to a new property, termination,
etc.). Please also clearly indicate if the associate needs continued access to the current property in conjunction with the new one or just access to the new property.
• CC your RM on the e-mail –RSS must receive confirmation from your RM before making any modifications to
a user’s access.
Section E: Modifying Your Personal Account Settings
Notification Options Riverstone Screening Services provides you with real-time updates to speed along the leasing process. § Click Settings > My Account and ensure that your correct email address is entered. § Check off the items you wish to be notified by e-mail (OPTIONAL). § Click Save. TIP… The contact information must be the property issued e-mail address and phone number. No personal contact
information is to be entered here. TIP… Update the contact information in the event you transfer to another property or if you have been promoted and
your e-mail address now reflects this.
Security Question • Click Security Question • From the pull-down menu, select the question you wish to be asked. • Fill in the answer to the question as it should be typed. • Click Save.
Section F: International / Canadian Applications
Step 1: Begin an application § Click LEASING > Begin New Application if the applicant has not been entered into the system yet. § Click LEASING > Recent Leasing Activity to resume work on any existing application.
Step 2: Choose an apartment § Choose your community from the pull-down list. (If you do not have access to the community you need, please
contact your Regional Manager and RSS). § If your applicant has selected an apartment, choose it from the pull-down list; otherwise click Decide Later. If the
apartment number is not listed, contact RSS at (425) 329.0793 or via e-mail at [email protected]. § Welcome Packet only: Leave unchecked “This is a renewal lease” and check the box next to “Don’t screen this
applicant.” § New application for processing: Leave unchecked both “This is a renewal lease” and “Don’t screen this
applicant.” § Click Continue.
Step 3: Enter the applicant’s identity information § Choose the type of applicant and enter the requested information; click Add Existing Resident/Applicant if the
applicant has been previously entered to search for that application and add it. § If the applicant has a 9-digit number other than a Social Security Number, click Use a Different ID. Select the
type of ID used by the applicant. The Canadian SIN (Social Insurance Number) and Individual Tax ID (ITIN) have their own selections. For any applicant who has no such number listed above, select None. Examples of such include, but are not limited to, applicants with a Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551 or I-151), a Visa with a 9-digit number, or a Work Authorization Number.
§ Check the box to add a spouse if the applicant’s joint account holder has also completed an application. § Check the box to add dependants; a dependant is an individual under the age of 18 who will be residing in the
unit. TIP… Be sure to enter the applicant’s date of birth using the MM/DD/YYYY format. TIP… When selecting “None” for the ID, the entry field will disappear. This is ok!
Step 4: Enter the applicant’s residence information • Rental/residence history must span 24 current, consecutive months.
o From the Country picklist, select the country of residence the applicant currently resides if NOT in the U.S. Enter the out-of-country address the applicant resided in the assigned fields.
o (For Canadian applicants) – Select Canada from the Country picklist. Provide the Canadian address the applicant currently resides in the Current Address section. Provide any additional addresses the applicant supplies on the written Riverstone application.
• The addresses of residency must be provided in the order of when the applicant lived at the domicile. (Only for sites that
have manual verifications performed by RSS: The box “Enter information for landlord verification” and “Verify this address” (if previous residency is provided) must always be checked. The landlord information needs to be provided accordingly).
• Click Continue. • Continue to Follow steps 4 (Enter income information) and 5 (Screen the applicant(s)) provided in Section A. TIP… When “Canada” is selected from the country picklist, the abbreviated Canadian provinces are listed in the State pull-
down menu toward the bottom beginning with Canada. The province abbreviations follow in alphabetical order. TIP… For applicants who were deployed in the military, the three abbreviations for the Federal Post Office box address are
listed in the State pull-down menu after the list of all U.S. states/territories and prior to Canada and its province listings. TIP… If the application is for a Canadian resident, check the box “This applicant is a resident of Canada” before clicking
Continue. This is to ensure the Canadian credit bureau is accessed to pull the applicant’s Canadian credit information.
Section G: Associate Applications
Associate Tenant Screening • The associate must fill out the standard Riverstone Rental Application for your property. • Fax or scan the completed associate application to RSS (Fax: 425.329.0734 / E-mail: rss-
[email protected]). Please be sure Associate Application is written across the top or on a separate cover sheet submitted with the application.
• RSS will perform the credit check on the Associate internally. • Once the credit check has been performed, a result will be emailed to the property where the Associate is
applying for residency. • A condensed version of the Associate’s information will be entered in RSS/On-Site accordingly by an RSS
representative.
Do NOT re-run the screening on the Associate applicant if a result has already been provided by RSS!
• To create a lease file for the screened associate, follow the steps provided in Section M of this guide. Associate Co-Applicant Screening • Co-applicants to the associate are subjected to a full screening. Follow the steps on how to enter an
application provided in Section A of this guide.
TIP… Additional information regarding Associate Application screening is found in Riverstone Operations
National Practices Chapter 7, Section K.
TIP… There is no specific application supplied by Riverstone to process associates for residency at a Riverstone property. Simply use the standard rental application used for your applying residents.
Section H: Lease Renewals – Existing Tenants Listed in RSS/On-Site
Step 1: Preparing the lease renewal • Select Begin Lease Renewal to locate the resident whose lease is to be renewed.
Step 2: Select the Tenant • Review the list provided. • Your default view will be the listing of all tenants whose agreements expire in the current month. (To view a
different month, click on the down arrow next to the Month, Year field to prepare renewals for a future month). • Select the resident for whom the lease is being renewed for by clicking the + sign under Renew. TIP… If the name of the resident is not found, enter the last name of the tenant or the apartment number in the empty field next to the Search button. Once the name or unit is entered, click Search. TIP… If the name of your current resident is not listed, their lease has likely already been renewed and approved. The file can now be found by accessing the Recent Leasing Activity link.
Step 3: Renew the lease • Once you have clicked the + sign, you will automatically be routed to the lease to renew the terms. • Enter the terms of the lease renewal in the respective fields accordingly. • When done, click Continue at the bottom of the screen. • Any existing resident file that was originally approved prior to completing the lease renewal will remain approved
UNLESS new residents are added or former roommates are removed. TIP… The lease terms under the existing file will automatically be duplicated for the lease renewal (with the exception of the Effective Date – this date will now be one of two things:
a) It will show the date of the next day after the present agreement’s lease end date. OR
b) If the present lease end-date has passed, it will default to the date you are creating the lease renewal.
Section I: Lease Renewals – All Existing Roommates NOT Listed in RSS/On-Site
Step 1: Begin New Lease Renewal • Follow all steps provided in Section H – Lease Renewals –Existing Tenants Listed in RSS/On-Site for the primary
resident on the current lease file. Once lease terms are renewed, click Continue.
Step 2: Adding Existing Residents • Click Add Applicant/Guarantor located in the Resident tab
Step 3: Enter the tenant’s identity information • Select the appropriate applicant type. • Enter the applicant’s information in the corresponding fields. • Check the box to add a spouse if the applicant’s joint account holder has also completed an application. • Check the box to add dependants; a dependant is an individual under the age of 18 who will be residing in the
unit. • Click Continue. TIP… (ONLY for properties with the live e-signature functionality): to allow your resident to sign the lease renewal digitally, you MUST enter the SSN or other ID for the lease to be digitally signed by the tenant! If your tenant does not have an ID associated with the choices provided, click “None”. TIP… If after you have clicked Continue and you come to the page asking you to run the screening on this tenant, UNCHECK the box next to the tenant’s name to avoid running a screening!
Step 4: Re-approving the lease • The Lease Status will now revert to “Pending” • Submit a copy of only the first and last page of the lease agreement containing the names of all the current
residents and respective signatures to RSS via email at [email protected]
• RSS will manually re-approve the lease renewal upon receipt of the required documents.
• RSS will notify you via email when the lease has been re-approved.
Section J: Add-On Roommates
• Follow Section A of this Quick Start Guide to enter and process an add-on roommate. Treat the add-on process as you would with a standard applicant applying for a unit.
• The add-on roommate must be screened by themselves to determine if they qualify as such before they can be
merged with the existing resident. • Review the screening results of the applying add-on roommate and print a copy of the result (and following
adverse action letters if applicable) for your records.
Ø If the add-on roommate is straight approved – E-mail RSS asking us to merge the add-on with the existing tenant. (Specify the name of the existing tenant and unit number).
Ø If the add-on roommate is conditionally approved – the additional deposit will need to be collected by
the add-on roommate only if the additional application deposit was not already collected by the existing tenant upon initial move-in. E-mail RSS asking us to merge the add-on with the existing tenant. (Specify the name of the existing tenant(s) and unit number).
Ø If the add-on roommate is denied – the reasons for denial must be reviewed. If the applicant is denied
for income-to-rent ratio, let RSS know how much the existing tenant(s) currently earn so a revision can be conducted. If the applicant is denied for anything outside of income-to-rent ratio, it then needs to be determined if the add-on roommate can get a qualified guarantor to improve the recommendation. RSS can only merge the add-on with the existing tenant(s) if a qualified guarantor has been screened and approved and/or any necessary revisions have been performed to revise the original result to Approved or Conditionally Approved.
Section K: Corporate Applications
Step 1: Entering and screening a corporate application • Review Riverstone’s Operations National Practices Chapter 7, Section J titled Corporate Applications to ensure all
necessary paperwork is received prior to entering the application in On-Site for processing. • Follow the steps provided in Section A of this Quick Start Guide to begin processing the screening for the applying
corporation. • Select Corporate as the Applicant Type. • Complete the personal information and residence history section in its entirety. • Click Continue.
Step 2: Reviewing the result • Corporate credit will take a couple to several hours to return. You will see an initial result of Pending after clicking
Continue in the previous screen. • When a result is provided, print a copy of the screening by clicking “Print All Screening” for your records. Any
adverse action letters will follow (if applicable).
Step 3: Editing the Lease Terms • Once the final result returns, edit the lease terms for the unit the corporation is applying for. Click Continue when
you have completed entering the lease terms
Section L: Intra-Community Transfers
Step 1: Determine if the rent is increasing, staying the same, or decreasing and if your property is Tax Credit. • Refer to Chapter 9, Section A of Riverstone Operations National Practices. • Determine if the rent amount for the unit the tenant is transferring to is increasing, staying the same, or
decreasing in amount.
o If the rent amount is INCREASING: § The Property Manager is responsible for verifying the employment and income history on
the transferring resident(s) to determine if the resident(s) income qualify for the new unit.
§ Proper documentation of employment history and income verification must be obtained by the property manager and stored in the resident’s file. Acceptable documents for income verification are listed in Riverstone’s Operations National Practices and the Resident Selection Criteria Form.
o If the rent amount is STAYING THE SAME or DECREASING: § The Property Manager is responsible for verifying the employment and income history on
the transferring resident(s) to determine if the resident(s) income qualify for the new unit.
§ Exception to the income verification process: your RM can make the decision on whether the applicant can be approved for the transfer or not. If the RM approves the transfer without verifying income/employment, store the written approval from your RM in the resident’s file.
• Is your community Tax Credit? If YES, Riverstone Operations National Practices Chapter 9, Section C
says the following: Intra Community transfers should be processed as new move-ins and new approvals must occur, as well as new paperwork must be signed.
(Please contact your Compliance Specialist with any further questions regarding Intra Community Transfers for Tax Credit applicants).
Step 2: Entering the Intra-Community Transfer applicant into RSS/On-Site • Click LEASING > Begin New Application
Step 2: Choose an apartment • Choose your community from the pull-down list. • Choose the unit the tenant is transferring to. • Leave unchecked “This is a renewal lease” • Check the box next to “Don’t screen this applicant” • Click Continue.
Step 3: Enter the applicant’s identity information • Complete all blank fields. • Check any of the boxes that apply. • Click Continue. TIP… The name of the transferring applicant must be spelled exactly how it was when the applicant was originally entered if screened in On-Site or approved for a prior lease. TIP… DO NOT add the name of the existing resident by clicking the Add Existing Resident / Applicant box located directly above the New Applicant Information tab! We do not want to merge the old screening and account with the new one being created!
IF NECESSARY: Step 4: (For transferring applicants who were already screened in RSS/On-Site) • If the transferring applicant was already screened in RSS/On-Site, you may be prompted a notice of a duplicate applicant
(providing the applicant’s name is spelled exactly how it was entered for the original screening). • When prompted, DO NOT CLICK “Add Previous Applicant”! Just click Continue at the bottom of the screen after
entering your tenant’s information.
Section M: Creating a Lease File for Previously Screened Applicants
Step 5: Edit the lease terms • Select the box Edit Lease Terms. • Complete the fields accordingly. • Click Save. • Notify RSS when the account has been entered. RSS will approve the lease and notify you when this has been
done. TIP… RSS will confirm the existing resident’s status before approving the lease. Additional proof may be requested via email by RSS if the existing resident’s information is not present in On-Site or Yardi for an approval to occur.
Section M: Creating a Lease File for Previously Screened Applicants
These steps are followed when screenings have already been performed within 30 days and a new lease file needs to be created. Examples of such situations include, but are not limited to:
Ø Riverstone Associates applying for residency at your property were screened by RSS.
Ø Your property recently transitioned to On-Site from a different screening platform. (The applicant was screened using the prior screening platform shortly before the transition occurred and a lease had not yet been created. Proof of the screening from the prior provider must be supplied to RSS via email to [email protected] for all applying applicants).
Step 1: Entering the Applicant into RSS/On-Site
• Click Leasing>Begin New Application
Step 2: Choose an Apartment
• Choose your community from the pull-down list
• Choose the unit the associate is applying to
• Leave unchecked “This is a renewal lease”
• Check the box next to “Don’t screen this applicant”
• Click Continue.
Step 3: Enter the Applicant’s Information
• Complete all blank fields
• Check any of the boxes that apply
• Click Continue.
Step 4: Prepare the Lease
• Click Edit Lease Terms.
Step 5: Enter the Lease Terms
• Enter the lease terms in their entirety • Click Continue when done.
• Notify RSS of the lease completion by emailing to [email protected]
TIP… If the result is “Approved” or “Approved with Conditions”, an RSS staff member will approve the lease and set the additional deposit (if applicable).
NOTES