First-Time Renter Guide

Renting for the first time comes with a learning curve. Here’s what to know going in, plus specifics on how the process works if you’re applying with Davis Ventures.

Budget for more than just rent

Beyond monthly rent, plan for:

• A security deposit, typically equal to one month’s rent, due before move-in
• An application fee, if one applies (see below)
• Utilities, if they’re not included in rent — ask specifically which ones you’ll be responsible for
• Renter’s insurance, which is inexpensive but not automatic — it protects your belongings in ways your landlord’s insurance does not

Know what a landlord can and can’t ask

Landlords can reasonably ask about your income, rental history, employment, and consent to a background/credit check as part of screening. Under the federal Fair Housing Act, landlords cannot discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability. Minnesota law provides additional protections and requirements — the Minnesota Attorney General’s Landlord and Tenant Rights and Responsibilities Handbook is a genuinely useful, free resource covering this in detail.

How Davis Ventures’ application process works

Our process is split into two stages, specifically so you don’t have to hand over sensitive information (like your Social Security Number) unless your application is actually moving forward:

1. Free Rental Pre-Screening. Contact info, address and employment history, proposed occupants, vehicles, and an emergency contact. This step is free and does not require your SSN/ITIN, a credit check, or a criminal background check.
2. Review. We review your pre-screen against our published rental criteria.
3. Tour or formal screening, your choice. If it looks like a fit, we’ll offer you a private tour or, if you’d rather move ahead directly, formal screening – there’s no paid screening required just to tour.
4. Formal Screening & Authorization. This is done in person, not through the website. It covers your SSN or ITIN (Minnesota law allows an ITIN in place of an SSN — see Minn. Stat. § 504B.117), your written authorization for a credit/criminal/eviction check, and the Rental Screening Criteria & Disclosure plus the FCRA Summary of Rights. Our screening provider, Tenant Verification Service, Inc. (TVS), charges $37.95 per adult applicant and collects that fee directly from you — Davis Ventures doesn’t separately charge for the same screening, and it’s credited toward your first month’s rent if you’re selected and sign a lease.
5. Decision. Approved, conditionally approved, denied, or a request for more information — always with a documented reason.

Completing the free pre-screen doesn’t guarantee approval, a tour, a reservation of the property, or a tenancy — it starts the process.

Before you sign a lease

• Read the entire lease, including any addenda, before signing — not just the pages that get highlighted for you.
• Ask about anything unclear, especially around pet policies, guest limits, subletting, and what counts as normal wear versus damage.
• Do a documented walkthrough at move-in — see our Move-In Checklist for the full process.
• Know your notice requirements for moving out well before you need them — most leases require 30-60 days’ written notice.

Ready to apply?

You can start a rental application directly, or see current availability first if you haven’t already found a listing.