Pre-leasing Information

Pre-Leasing 2024: What You Need to Know!

  1. The Pre-Leasing Season starts the first week of March and WWU Off-Campus Housing Fair event is being held at the Viking Union on Thursday, March 14, 2024, from 10 am - 2 pm.
  2. To see available properties, check our website daily. We post units as soon as we know they will be available in the Summer + Fall.
  3. New in 2024:  We will post the larger houses and a sampling of our 4 bdrm and 3 bdrm apartments at the beginning of March.  As units are rented, we will continue to roll out additional units over the month of March.  Smaller units, like 2 bdrm, 1 bdrms + studios, will be posted a little later in the process.
  4. If you see something you are interested in after checking the listings and reviewing the virtual tours, reach out to the Property Manager using the "contact us" button below the property listing on our website to request a tour.  We will only take inquiries through the "contact us" button or via email.  We will not accept phone calls due to the volume of inquiries.  Website inquiries and emails are date-stamped so we can determine who reached out first. Please DO NOT call our office.  For showings, we need to give tenants 24-48 hr notice and will be grouping showing visits together so please be flexible about your availability. Will be offering some group showings this year so check the 2024 Showing Schedule tab on our website. 
  5. We prefer online applications. If you need accommodation due to a disability or lack of internet access, please let us know.  We do our best to inform you of your place "in line" for a property promptly.  If you are not first in line, you have the option of moving your application to another property.  If we don't process your application, you may qualify for a $45 refund of the $50 application fee.  Please communicate with our office about your options. 
  6. Each tenant must submit their own application and pay the $50 fee. If the tenant does not have a credit score of 600+ and documentable, reliable income that is 3x the rent, they will need a co-signer. Co-signers also must submit separate applications and pay a $50 fee. We check credit, background, income, and rental references (for tenants only) so we must process each application separately. This is done to protect all parties. The tenants and co-signers are equally responsible for the rent, so we need to make sure everyone passes our qualifications. 
  7. Properties are rented quickly so if you want to reserve the unit, you must submit a tenant application (or notify us that you are a current tenant) and pay a holding fee that equals 25% of the rent.  We prefer that you see the unit before you pay the holding fee. The Property Manager must send you a link to pay the holding fee online. Once this is paid and you've signed the holding fee agreement, the unit will be "held" for you for 14 days while the other tenants and cosigners are getting their applications submitted. If you complete the process and rent the unit, the holding fee is credited towards your security deposit. If you do not complete the application and leasing process within the 14-day time frame, you forfeit the holding fee and lose your place in line for that property. If you have a valid reason for needing more time, please communicate with the Property Manager. Your application can still be used to rent other HPNW properties. We will allow you to move your holding fee to another unit one time.
  8. Once all of the applications are submitted and we notify you that you are approved, we will prepare a lease for the tenants to sign. All tenants will sign a lease for next Summer or Fall now. The co-signers do not sign the lease. By applying, the co-signers agree to be financial guarantors of the lease, but they are not occupants, so they do not sign it. If the co-signers want to review the lease ahead of time, please let us know and we can provide a copy. All signings are done digitally.  If you need accommodation due to a disability or lack of internet access, please let us know.
  9. When the lease is signed, the tenants will be required to pay first month’s rent, an admin fee of $100 and, if applicable, a non-refundable carpet cleaning fee
  10. If tenants want to add additional tenants to the lease after signing, they need to contact their Property Manager to confirm if that is allowed. If it is, the new tenants will have to apply, just like the original tenants, and be approved. Then the Property Manager would prepare paperwork to add them to the lease. All tenants must sign the lease assignment document.
  11. Once you apply with Hammer Properties NW, that application can be used to apply for any of our properties. You do not have to pay additional application fees. However, once you sign a lease for a property, you can not switch properties, unless you find a group to take over your lease.


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