📝 Get Ready Before You Hit Apply
You found a place you can picture yourself living in. Now your phone has twelve screenshots, your roommate has questions, and the application wants an address you haven't thought about in years. Let's get organized. Here's what to have ready for your Putnam Properties application, from a move near Tennessee Tech to one across Cookeville.
Start a folder for your paperwork. To schedule a tour with Putnam Properties, you’ll need a copy of your ID and four weeks’ worth of proof of income, such as pay stubs, bank statements, or an award letter. Keep your address history, household details, and preferred move-in date handy for the application, too. We prequalify tours to focus on homes within your budget and make the most of your time.
Only share private documents through the application channel our office confirms. If a link looks unfamiliar, call us before uploading anything.
📝 1 Tour the Home Before You Apply
Browse available homes on our site, then schedule your tour. Look beyond the photos: check the layout, parking, laundry setup, and anything you’ll use every day.
Could your desk fit where you want it? Where would you park after an evening class or late shift? A tour is your chance to answer those questions before paying a nonrefundable application fee. Confirm the specific home and move-in date with us, too.
✨ 2 Get Your Details Together
Give the basics a quick second look: your legal name, phone number, email address, and previous addresses. One typo in your email can keep our follow-up from reaching you. If a required question doesn't fit your situation, ask us what to enter. You don't need to guess your way through it.
Moving with roommates? Each person over the age of 18 who will live in the home needs to complete an application. Make sure everyone knows what they need to do, and ask our team how the $30 nonrefundable fee applies to your household.
💸 3 Ask Which Income Documents You Need
Your income may come from a new job, part-time shifts, or more than one source. Tell us what you're working with, and we'll explain which records to send. That way, you can gather the right files before you start uploading.
For tour scheduling, have four weeks’ worth of proof of income ready. Pay stubs, bank statements, and award letters are examples you can use. If your parents are helping pay rent, contact the Putnam Properties office for details and next steps. Co-applicants must live at the property.
💸 4 Know What You Are Paying For
Our application fee is $30 and nonrefundable. Tour first, ask about the requirements, and make sure you’re applying for the home you want before paying.
Ask us what you'd need to pay before moving in and when each payment is due. Write it down alongside your monthly budget so the upfront costs don't sneak up on you. Paying the application fee does not mean you can assume the home is reserved.
🐾 5 Choose the Right PetScreening Profile
At Putnam Properties, every applicant completes a PetScreening profile, including applicants without animals. Choose the household-pet, assistance-animal, or no-animal option that fits your household.
Bringing a pet? Have a recent photo, vaccination records, and veterinary contact details ready. Check the rules and costs for the specific home. Our guide to renting with pets in Cookeville covers the basics. Assistance-animal requests use a separate profile and review process, so choose that option rather than listing an assistance animal as a household pet.
Our PetScreening guide walks you through the options and what to prepare.
👯 6 Get Your Roommates on the Same Page
Before everyone starts, agree on the home, move-in date, and who is following up with our office. A quick group chat now can save a string of “Wait, did you submit yours?” messages later.
Anyone joining your application as a co-applicant must live at the property. Each person over 18 who will live in the home needs to complete an application.
If a parent is helping with rent but won’t live with you, contact our office for the next steps. Don’t add a nonresident parent as a co-applicant.
✨ 7 Keep an Eye on Your Messages
After you submit, save your confirmation and check your email, spam folder, and phone messages. Your spam folder has been known to make questionable decisions. If we ask for a document or clarification, send the requested information. Need an update? Ask us what's still needed before planning around an approval date.
If you're approved, take time with the lease before signing. Need a starting list? Try our 10 questions to ask before signing a lease in Cookeville. Check the dates, rent, utilities, deposits, other charges, and move-in instructions. Put your questions in a note and ask us about them. It's much easier to talk through a detail now than while you're standing beside a loaded moving truck.
✨ Your Next Step
Ready to take a look? Browse available homes on our site, then call Putnam Properties at 931-520-0859. Bring your questions, and let's talk about a tour before you tackle the application.
