Quick Answer: Applying for an apartment in Texas usually takes four things: a government photo ID, income documents, a credit and background check, and an application fee. Most properties compare your gross monthly income to the rent, and Texas law requires them to make their written selection criteria available when you apply.
Paperwork is where most rental applications slow down. If you're applying for an apartment in Texas this year, knowing what the leasing office will ask for lets you finish in one visit. This guide is written for renters looking at The Crawford at Denison, serving Denison, Sherman, and the wider Texoma area.
What are the requirements for an apartment in Texas?
The requirements for an apartment in Texas come down to four checks: who you are, what you earn, how you've handled credit, and how past tenancies went. Texas Property Code Section 92.3515 names criminal history, previous rental history, current income, and credit history as grounds a landlord may use. Each property sets its own standards.
That same section gives you something useful. When you're handed a rental application, the landlord has to make a printed notice of its tenant selection criteria available. Read it before you pay. The Texas State Law Library quotes the statute's definition of an application fee as a nonrefundable sum, so the criteria sheet is how you find out whether you qualify before spending the money.
Apartment income requirements and the rent math
Apartment income requirements are usually written as a multiple of rent. Gross income of three times the monthly rent is a common benchmark. No Texas statute sets that number, and a property can choose a different one.
Here's what the math looks like locally. The U.S. Census Bureau puts median gross rent in Denison at $1,309 a month for 2020-2024, a figure that includes utilities. At a three-times standard, that works out to $3,927 in gross monthly income, or about $47,100 a year. Denison's median household income over the same period was $67,365.
The federal yardstick is close to the same idea. HUD counts a household as cost burdened when it pays more than 30 percent of income for housing.
Credit and rental history
No law sets a minimum credit score for renting. The property picks its own threshold. What a screening report can contain is regulated, though. According to the Federal Trade Commission, tenant background check companies generally can't report negative items older than seven years. Bankruptcies can be reported for 10 years, and criminal convictions have no time limit. Pull your free credit reports before applying for an apartment in Texas, and dispute anything that isn't yours.
What income verification documents should you bring?
Bring income verification documents that match how you're paid. For most hourly and salaried workers, that means recent pay stubs plus last year's W-2. The leasing office is looking for verifiable income, meaning an amount and a source it can confirm with a third party such as your employer, your bank, or the IRS.
When you're applying for an apartment in Texas, the right paperwork depends on your pay type.
| How you're paid | Documents to bring |
|---|---|
| Hourly or salaried employee | Most recent consecutive pay stubs and last year's W-2 |
| Starting a new job | Signed offer letter on company letterhead showing pay rate, hours, and start date |
| Travel or contract assignment | Signed contract showing pay rate and assignment dates |
| Self-employed or 1099 contractor | Last year's tax return or IRS transcript, 1099 forms, and recent bank statements |
| Social Security or retirement benefits | SSA benefit verification letter, pension or annuity statement |
| Every applicant | Government photo ID, Social Security number, and recent addresses with landlord contacts |
Proving income when you're self-employed or new to a job
Proving income is harder when there's no pay stub yet. Travel nurses and contract crews working in Sherman are often in this spot, and so is anyone relocating for a job that starts next month. A signed offer letter or assignment contract usually covers it.
Self-employed? The IRS provides transcripts of past returns and wage statements through its online account. Mailed copies arrive in 5 to 10 calendar days, so order early. Renters on Social Security can download a benefit verification letter, which the agency describes as a proof of income letter.
Using a bank statement for apartment approval
Treat a bank statement as backup. Statements show deposits landing on a schedule, which helps when your income is irregular or paid by direct transfer. Bring the full statement with your name visible. Cropped screenshots get questioned. Ask the leasing office how many months it wants, because that varies by property.
Things you need to rent an apartment in Denison: a checklist
These are the things you need to rent an apartment at most Denison and Sherman communities. Put them in one folder before your tour.
- Government-issued photo ID for every adult on the lease
- Full legal name with middle name, date of birth, and Social Security number
- Current and previous addresses with landlord contact details
- Income documents from the table above
- Payment for the application fee and any application deposit
- Vaccination records if you have a dog or cat
Know the difference between the two payments. Texas Property Code Section 92.351 defines an application fee as nonrefundable and an application deposit as refundable if you're rejected. Under Section 92.352, you're treated as rejected if the landlord hasn't given notice of acceptance by the seventh day after you submit a completed application.
Apartment lease requirements after approval
Approval isn't the last step. Typical apartment lease requirements are a lease signed by every adult occupant, the security deposit, and the first month's rent. Ask for the move-in total in writing before you sign. To see what's open now, compare one and two bedroom floor plans, then start the online rental application once your documents are ready.
Frequently asked questions
1. How much income do you need when applying for an apartment in Texas?
There's no statewide number. Many properties ask for gross monthly income around three times the rent, and each one states its own figure in its tenant selection criteria. Using Denison's Census median gross rent of $1,309, a three-times standard equals about $3,927 a month. Confirm the ratio with the leasing office before you pay a fee.
2. What counts as proof of income for an apartment?
Anything a leasing office can confirm with a third party. The usual documents are:
- Recent pay stubs and last year's W-2
- A signed offer letter or assignment contract
- Tax returns or IRS transcripts if you're self-employed
- A Social Security benefit verification letter
- Bank statements showing regular deposits
3. Is an apartment application fee refundable in Texas?
Usually not. Texas law defines an application fee as a nonrefundable payment that offsets screening costs. One exception is worth knowing: if the landlord rejects you and never made its printed tenant selection criteria available, Section 92.3515 says the fee and any application deposit must be returned to you.
4. Can you be denied an apartment because of your credit?
Yes. Credit history is one of the criteria Texas law lets a landlord use. If a screening report played a part in the decision, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requires an adverse action notice that names the screening company. You can ask that company for a free copy of the report within 60 days and dispute any errors.
5. How long does approval take after applying for an apartment in Texas?
Timing depends on how fast your employer and past landlords answer verification requests. Texas law sets an outer marker. If you haven't received notice of acceptance by the seventh day after submitting a completed application, you're considered rejected. Complete files move faster, so send every document on day one.
Conclusion
Applying for an apartment in Texas goes faster when the file is ready before you tour. Gather your ID, match your income documents to how you're paid, check your credit reports, and read the selection criteria before paying a fee. If Denison or Sherman is where you're headed, ask the leasing team at The Crawford at Denison for its written criteria, and use the map and directions page to find the community at 2824 West Crawford Street.
