to CC Rider: - Landlord Forum thread 332539

to CC Rider: by J (FL) on March 23, 2015 @22:27

CC:

I AM still nervous about this person, even though the credit and everything has checked out so far...I've had people leave incompletes on the app before but I've never had to push someone to finish the app like this--on each page she was asking if she had to fill it in? She finally did fill it all in...I probably should have just let her turn in an incomplete application...

Although she just barely makes my income requirement, my rental is also costs about $250 more than the places she has been living prior...I don't think she thought this part through...I get the feeling she is disorganized and doesn't understand how things work...her brother was the one who came to view the place for her initially and then brought her later to fill in the application.

The story of why she's moving is supposedly her current place promised her a W/D in the unit but it wasn't there when she moved in, so she's upset.

I'm not clear on what basis I can deny her at this point...one of my criteria states that those who need to move within the next 14 days will be "under investigation"...can I use this legally to deny even though I have already had her fill out an application?

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Re: to CC Rider: by CCRider (CA) on March 24, 2015 @02:55	[ Reply ]

First of all, remember that this is your rental and you don't have to hurry to rent it to anybody - just because they are in a hurry. You can deny her based on your fear that she will be difficult to deal with, as she was difficult about filling out the application and that she seems incapable of making her own decisions, based on the fact her brother came to get the app, and then brought her to fill out the app. And that you don't rent to people who wait until the last minute to find an apartment, and choose not to move into a place they already rented and put themselves in the position of becoming homeless.... Any of the above are not a protected class. Flaky, immature, difficult people are not a protected class. And you don't have to explain your reason for turning her down, unless your state law says you have to - which I doubt. And if you don't turn her down based on credit, you don't have to provide her with the credit-based denial letter. If you feel you need to say something to her, just say, "I've decided to keep looking for another tenant." And if for some reason you think you have to say more, just say, "I have decided not to rent to anyone who is difficult about wanting to fill out the application completely, and with you it was like pulling teeth. Good luck." So, if she calls fair housing and tells them you turned her down because she was difficult about filling out her application, and they ask her if she was difficult, and she says - well I just asked him if I had to fill everything out - they'll tell her she has no case, because stupid girls who don't want to fill out applications are not a protected class LOL.

Re: to CC Rider: by J (FL) on March 24, 2015 @08:08	[ Reply ]

Thanks CC, for the detailed post...that makes perfect sense...although this person looks good on paper, I'm not comfortable with the behavior...I think if I rent to her it will come back to bite me in the butt.

I do, too :-) by CCRider (CA) on March 24, 2015 @14:59	[ Reply ]

Yeah, there's more to screening than what's on paper for sure. Sorry you'll have to keep looking, but I think it's best.

Re: I do, too :-)

to anonymous:

Re: to anonymous:

What would you propose?

Re: What would you propose?