General Rental Application & Screening Criteria

Effective Date: September 2026

1. Purpose

Algo Realty Inc. (“Algo Realty”) uses consistent, lawful and nondiscriminatory screening procedures when evaluating rental applications.

These General Rental Application & Screening Criteria are intended to establish a uniform company-wide screening standard for residential rental properties managed by Algo Realty Inc. in Minnesota.

Because applicable requirements may vary by municipality, property type, rental-assistance program, and applicable federal or state law, Algo Realty will comply with any additional or more restrictive requirement that applies to the specific property being rented. If a local law requires a different procedure or standard, that requirement will control for that property.

2. Fair Housing and Nondiscrimination

Algo Realty applies its screening criteria consistently and without discrimination prohibited by applicable federal, Minnesota state, or local law.

Algo Realty does not deny or otherwise discriminate against an applicant because of a protected characteristic, including race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, familial status, or status with regard to public assistance, as applicable under law.

Algo Realty will also comply with applicable protections concerning lawful rental assistance, housing vouchers and other public-assistance programs.

3. Rental Application

Each prospective adult occupant who will be a tenant may be required to complete an application and provide information reasonably necessary to evaluate the application.

Applicants may be required to provide:

  • Legal name and current contact information;
  • Current and previous residential addresses;
  • Employment and income information;
  • Other lawful and verifiable sources of funds;
  • Current and prior landlord or property-management contact information;
  • Information necessary to obtain legally permissible screening reports;
  • Identification reasonably necessary to verify identity;
  • Information regarding intended occupants;
  • Information necessary to verify eligibility for a rental-assistance or housing-voucher program, when applicable; and
  • Other information reasonably necessary to evaluate the applicant's ability to comply with the rental agreement.

Applicants are responsible for providing complete and accurate information and for authorizing required verification.

Materially false information, material omissions, or inability to verify information that is required to evaluate the application may be considered in accordance with applicable law.

4. Buildium and Tenant Screening

Algo Realty uses Buildium property-management software to process rental applications and facilitate tenant screening.

Tenant screening reports may be obtained through third-party screening services made available through Buildium or through another lawful screening provider used by Algo Realty.

Applicants will be informed of the applicable screening provider as required by Minnesota law and applicable local ordinances.

5. Income and Ability to Pay

Algo Realty may evaluate an applicant's demonstrated ability to pay the rent and other amounts lawfully due under the rental agreement.

Sources of funds may include, where applicable and verifiable:

  • Employment income;
  • Self-employment income;
  • Housing vouchers or rental assistance;
  • Government benefits or other lawful public assistance;
  • Retirement or pension income;
  • Social Security or other lawful benefits;
  • Investment or other recurring income;
  • Other lawful and verifiable sources of funds; and
  • Qualifying financial resources or other lawful means of demonstrating ability to pay.

Algo Realty may use an income-to-rent standard as one component of evaluating ability to pay.

If a minimum income-to-rent ratio is used, the ratio will be applied consistently and subject to any applicable municipal requirement allowing an applicant to demonstrate a history of successful rent payment at a lower income ratio.

The use of lawful rental assistance or a housing voucher will not, by itself, be treated as a reason to deny an application or to apply different screening criteria.

6. Rental Assistance and Housing Vouchers

Applicants may be asked whether they intend to use rental assistance, a housing voucher, or another subsidy toward rent so that Algo Realty can properly process the application and verify applicable program requirements.

Applicants may also be asked for the name of the applicable housing authority, agency, or rental-assistance program when that information is reasonably necessary to process or verify the assistance.

The use or source of lawful rental assistance will not, by itself, be used as a basis to deny an application or apply different screening criteria.

Applicants receiving rental assistance remain subject to the same lawful screening criteria applicable to other applicants, except where a rental-assistance program or applicable law requires otherwise.

7. Rental History and Rental References

Algo Realty may consider an applicant's available and verifiable rental history and rental references.

Rental history may include:

  • Payment history;
  • Amounts owed to a prior landlord or property manager;
  • Unpaid rent or other lawful charges;
  • Unpaid utility obligations where legally reportable and relevant;
  • Material lease violations;
  • Property damage or other documented obligations;
  • Compliance with material rental-agreement terms;
  • Rental reference information; and
  • Other objectively verifiable rental information that may lawfully be considered.

Algo Realty will not automatically deny an applicant solely because the applicant has insufficient rental history where applicable law prohibits such a denial.

Information that cannot lawfully be used as a basis for denial will not be used for that purpose.

8. Eviction and Housing-Court History

Algo Realty may consider legally permissible eviction and housing-court information.

For the company's general screening standard, Algo Realty will not use as an automatic basis for denial:

  • A pending eviction action;
  • An eviction action that did not result in a lawful judgment/order allowing recovery of the premises;
  • A dismissed eviction action;
  • An eviction resulting in judgment for the applicant; or
  • Eviction information that applicable law prohibits from being considered or that falls outside the applicable legal lookback period.

For properties subject to Minneapolis or Saint Paul screening requirements, eviction information will be evaluated consistently with the applicable municipal standards.

9. Credit History

Algo Realty may obtain and consider a legally permissible consumer credit report or tenant-screening report.

Relevant information may include:

  • Unpaid rent or landlord-related debt;
  • Unpaid utility obligations;
  • Material outstanding debts;
  • Judgments or other legally reportable information;
  • Payment history; and
  • Other information within the report that is relevant to the applicant's ability to satisfy rental obligations.

Algo Realty does not use a minimum credit score as an automatic denial criterion under these general criteria.

An applicant will not be denied solely because of credit score, lack of credit history, or insufficient credit history, except where a legally applicable exception permits such consideration.

10. Criminal History

Algo Realty may obtain and review legally permissible criminal-history information as part of the application process.

For its general company-wide screening standard, Algo Realty will consider criminal history only to the extent permitted by applicable law.

Under the general standard, criminal history outside the following periods will not be used as an automatic basis for denial:

  • Misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor: convictions/sentences within the most recent three years;
  • Felony: convictions/sentences within the most recent seven years.

Algo Realty will not use as a basis for denial information that applicable law prohibits from consideration, including, where applicable:

  • Arrests or charges that did not result in a qualifying conviction;
  • Participation in or completion of a diversion or deferral program where protected by applicable law;
  • Expunged, sealed, destroyed, or otherwise nonpublic records;
  • Vacated or expunged convictions;
  • Juvenile records where prohibited by applicable law;
  • Petty misdemeanors where prohibited by applicable law; and
  • Criminal convictions outside applicable municipal or state lookback periods.

Certain federally required restrictions or exclusions may apply to particular housing programs or properties.

11. Identity Verification

Algo Realty may verify an applicant's identity and information necessary to determine whether the applicant is the person identified in the application.

Identity verification may include review of government-issued identification or other reasonably reliable documentation.

Algo Realty will not make inquiries regarding immigration or citizenship status except where permitted or required by applicable law or where information is reasonably necessary for a lawful purpose such as identity verification, financial qualification, or participation in a government housing or rental-assistance program.

12. Occupancy

Applicants must comply with applicable occupancy requirements for the property.

Occupancy standards will be based on applicable law, property characteristics, health and safety requirements, and any lawful property-specific requirements.

Familial status will not be used as a basis for unlawful discrimination.

13. Pets, Assistance Animals, Smoking and Property-Specific Requirements

Applicants may be required to comply with lawful property-specific policies concerning:

  • Pets;
  • Assistance animals and reasonable accommodations;
  • Smoking;
  • Parking;
  • Utilities;
  • Occupancy;
  • Property rules; and
  • Other lawful terms and conditions of the rental agreement.

Assistance animals and reasonable accommodations will be handled in accordance with applicable law.

14. Applicant-Supplied Supplemental Information

Applicants may provide additional written information that they believe is relevant to their application.

Where applicable law requires an individualized assessment, Algo Realty will consider relevant supplemental information submitted by the applicant before making a final denial decision.

Relevant supplemental information may include information explaining, correcting, mitigating, or otherwise addressing information identified during the screening process.

15. Individualized Assessment

Where a property is subject to a local ordinance requiring individualized assessment, or where Algo Realty elects to use screening criteria more restrictive than applicable inclusive municipal screening criteria, Algo Realty will conduct an individualized assessment as required by applicable law.

The assessment may consider factors such as:

  • Nature and severity of the information;
  • Number and type of incidents;
  • Time elapsed since the relevant incident;
  • Age of the applicant at the time of the incident;
  • Evidence of rehabilitation or changed circumstances;
  • Subsequent successful rental history;
  • Supplemental information supplied by the applicant; and
  • Other information required or permitted by applicable law.

Algo Realty will consider relevant supplemental evidence before making a final denial decision where required by law.

16. Application Fees

Any application or screening fee charged by Algo Realty will comply with Minnesota law and applicable local requirements.

Before accepting an application screening fee, Algo Realty will provide the disclosures required by law, including applicable screening criteria and information concerning the screening provider.

Application fees will not be charged when prohibited by applicable law.

17. Application Decisions

An application may be approved, conditionally approved where legally permissible, or denied based on the applicable screening criteria and requirements.

A denial will be based on one or more lawful screening criteria applicable to the property and applicant.

Algo Realty will not deny an application for a reason that is not included in the applicable screening criteria provided to the applicant when disclosure is required.

18. Notice of Denial

If an application is denied, Algo Realty will provide written notice within the period required by applicable law.

The denial notice will identify the applicable reason or criteria supporting the denial.

Where required, the notice will also identify the name, address, and telephone number of the tenant-screening agency, consumer-reporting agency, or other screening provider whose information was used in making the decision.

Where an individualized assessment is required, the denial notice will include the additional information required by applicable law, including the basis for the denial and the treatment of relevant supplemental evidence.

19. Record Retention

Algo Realty will retain rental application and screening-related records for at least the period required by applicable federal, state and local law.

For properties subject to a municipal requirement of two years or longer, Algo Realty will maintain the required records for that period.

Records may include:

  • Application;
  • Screening reports;
  • Income and verification documentation;
  • Rental references;
  • Applicant communications;
  • Supplemental information;
  • Individualized assessment documentation;
  • Approval or denial decision;
  • Denial notice; and
  • Other documents required by law.

20. Consistent Application of Criteria

Algo Realty will apply its screening criteria consistently to applicants for the same property or similarly situated properties, subject to differences required by law, rental-assistance programs, property characteristics, or other lawful requirements.

Employees, agents, and contractors involved in leasing are expected to follow the applicable screening criteria and procedures.

Individual employees or leasing personnel may not create additional undisclosed screening requirements for an applicant.

21. Local Ordinance and Legal Compliance

These General Rental Application & Screening Criteria are intended to provide a uniform baseline for Algo Realty-managed properties.

Applicable federal, Minnesota state, and local laws and ordinances may impose additional requirements depending on the property's location.

If a local ordinance or other applicable law imposes a requirement that is more restrictive than these general criteria, Algo Realty will follow that requirement for the affected property.

Nothing in these criteria authorizes Algo Realty or its employees, agents, or contractors to apply a screening practice that is prohibited by applicable law.

22. Changes to Applicable Law

Algo Realty may periodically update these screening criteria when laws, ordinances, regulations, administrative requirements, or screening practices change.

The version of the criteria applicable to an applicant will be the version properly provided to the applicant before the applicable application or screening fee is accepted, subject to any later legal requirement that must be applied to the application.

Applicant Acknowledgment

By submitting a rental application, the applicant acknowledges that:

  1. The applicant has been provided or given access to the applicable rental application and screening criteria before payment of any screening fee where required by law;
  2. The information submitted by the applicant is complete and accurate to the best of the applicant's knowledge;
  3. Algo Realty may verify information provided in the application;
  4. Algo Realty may obtain legally permissible tenant-screening, credit, criminal-history, rental-history, and other reports as permitted by law; and
  5. The applicant may provide additional information relevant to the application where permitted or required by applicable law.

Algo Realty Inc. reserves the right to update these criteria as required to comply with changes in federal, state, and local law.

Algo Realty Inc. — General Rental Application & Screening Criteria | September 2026