Legally, am I able to ask for this? - Landlord Forum thread

Legally, am I able to ask for this? by Bunny *M*A*G*I*C* on July 25, 2012 @03:18

If I have students filling out application paperwork for becoming tenants, am I within my legal rights to see a transcript of their grades?

I know I have to treat everyone fairly, but what if a potential tenant is NOT a student? How can I treat everyone the same?

Thanks!
Bun

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Re: Legally, am I able to ask for this? by John-PA-LL on July 25, 2012 @06:35	[ Reply ]

Ask him for his school id card. I always ask for a photo Id and make a copy.

Re: Legally, am I able to ask for this? by Anonymous on July 25, 2012 @07:56	[ Reply ]

If you are just looking for validation that they are in fact a student, have them send you a letter of matriculation directly from their school. Their dean or registrar will be able to do that for them. A student ID card can be easily faked. One can make it on a computer. There really isn't anything secure on it that you can check to see if it's valid.

Re: Legally, am I able to ask for this? by Jake on July 25, 2012 @09:14	[ Reply ]

Landlords do ask for transcripts. You should ask for one mailed directly to you from the high school. Otherwise you are likely to get an altered copy. Many landlords feel that higher grades mean a better applicant. If a student has no credit rating, this is all he can offer. Put the parents on the lease as co-signers. That way when you discover unauthorized tenants or dope smoking you have some leverage. Run a credit check on the students and the parents as well.

Re: Legally, am I able to ask for this? by MA-LL (MA) on July 25, 2012 @11:10	[ Reply ]

Obtaining a transcript from the school is a great idea. I agree school ID's can easily be forged. Also, make sure the lease states "Jointly and Severally". Have their parents co-sign the lease as well. Another thing you should factor in when renting to students is whether they will respect your property and adhere to EVERY clause in the lease. I don't want to generalize an entire group. This is based on MY expereince. I rented my apartment to three people. Two of them are students. I interviewd them and their parents. They presented themselves well. I gave them a chance. People on this forum know my story by now. Within two weeks after their move in date, I had to issue a notice for them to stop smoking on the property. My property is and always has been advertised as a "Non-Smoking Property". Two family owner occupied home. My family live upstairs while they live on the 1st floor. Smoking didn't stop. My lawyer sent them a letter threatening eviction. Their smoking stopped immediately. The parents of the two college kids pay for EVERYTHING so there isn't any accountability on their part. My lawyer sent them a non-renewal letter on June 1st. Lease ends Aug 31st. I am couting down the days :) PITA tenant is having a hard time finding a decent place to live because the other roomate doesn't want to live with her or the boyfriend again. Not my problem. The other tenant has successfully secured another apartment already. Again, I don't want to generalize an entire group. Students and young people have friends over all time, smoke and drink and sometimes aren't neighborly. I live in a college town and this was my first time renting to students and I will not rent to students again. I don't want to discourage you at all. I just want you to look at the whole picture before renting to students.

Thank you! nfm by Bunny MAGIC on July 25, 2012 @12:22	[ Reply ]

Thank you!