3 Steps To Renting A Home

There are 3 steps to renting a home from our company.  Each step below is highlighted in blue.

While it may seem obvious to some, it is important to note that there are multiple towns in the U.S. named "Athens."  We are located in Georgia, which is the home of the University of Georgia (UGA) and the Georgia Bulldogs (the Dawgs), so be sure that you are looking in the correct location.

STEP 1 - MEET THE MINIMUM APPLICANT QUALIFICATIONS LISTED HERE
(Read each one thoroughly!)

• Unrelated Occupants: You may NOT have any more than 2 unrelated individuals residing in a single family home* per Athens Clarke County Municipal Code (Sec. 9-15-18). (Example: 3 unrelated students may not reside in a single family home.)
  
  *Multi-Family homes, apartments, duplexes, quads, etc. are not covered by this rule. If you have more than 2 unrelated individuals that you wish to live with, you must choose a multi-family option.
  
  
• Minimum Credit Score - 625: Do not apply if your credit score is below 625. If you have not established any credit at all, you might be accepted with a cosigner who will be financially responsible for paying your rent if you are unable to pay, but their score will need to qualify.
  
  
• No Evictions: You must not have any evictions (dispossessories) filed against you (nationwide).
  
  
• Minimum Income: Your (or your co-signers) minimum monthly income must be 3 times the rent (i.e. if the rent is $1,000 the monthly income must be at least $3,000 per month).
  
  
• Background Checks: Be advised that we run nationwide credit, eviction and criminal background checks on all of our applicants.
  
  
• Security Deposit and Rent: You must have paid the security deposit, first month's rent and transferred all utilities into your name before you will be allowed to move in. No exceptions. We are prohibited from "working with you" to collect the security deposit later.
  
  
• Checking Account: You must have a checking account to pay the rent. We do not accept cash or in-person payments.
  
  
• Email Account: EACH applicant MUST have an email account.
  
  
• No Smoking: Smoking is not allowed on the premises. This includes guests and smoking outside.
  
  
• No Pets: Pets (of any kind) are allowed on the property. SOMETIMES, exceptions are made for a small dog, but be sure you verify this on the listing for the particular home you are interested in. This includes temporary situations. Guests may not bring pets onto the property nor leave them in the care of a resident for any length of time. Due to health concerns for future residents who are HIGHLY allergic, cats are not allowed at all.
  
  
• Showings: Homes are not shown in-person if you do not meet these requirements. Due to recent safety concerns, homes will not be shown until you provide a copy of a photo ID. You can take a picture of your ID with your phone or scan it. Email to: m.mahaffey@markmahaffey.com.

If you don't agree with or cannot meet these minimum requirements STOP now! Do not apply. It is likely that your application will be rejected, and your application fee is non-refundable.

NOTICE: These qualifications are subject to change at any time without notice in order to respond to market conditions and other factors.

STEP 2. DRIVE THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Drive through the neighborhood even if you currently live close by to determine if you like the area before texting or calling us for a viewing.. Neighborhoods can change dramatically in as little as 1 or 2 blocks!

(NOTE: To avoid constantly disturbing our current residents, we do not schedule viewings of the interior of a home until you have determined that the neighborhood will work for you in addition to the other qualifications. We are required to follow this procedure, because of the number of people that have scheduled an appointment, disrupted our resident's schedules and then cancelled at the last second, because after driving to a neighborhood, they decided that any number of things would not work for them...location, distance from their work/school, style of home, etc.)

STEP 3. SCHEDULE A VIEWING

After you have determined that you like the neighborhood, and if you want to see the inside of the home in-person (and not just the pictures or video), text the word, PRE-QUALIFIED and the ADDRESS of the property to: 706.255.8302. BE SURE that you have met ALL of the qualification requirements including driving through the neighborhood BEFORE texting.

After successfully completing these steps, you can start your search for a new home.

After clicking on the the Current Rentals button below, if there are multiple homes available, you might need to click on the scroll bar and drag it down to browse additional listings.  You can also use the filter options to narrow your search. If you are on a mobile device, touch and scroll to see more listings. 

Click Here for Current Rentals