Disqualify Potential Tenant with First Email Inquiry?

Disqualify Potential Tenant with First Email Inquiry?

Austin, TX · Member since 2014 · 3 posts · 3 votes
I have been reading all the blogs and posts within this site as well as books others have recommended. Amazing amount of information! We are busy getting our first rental SFH ready and I am behind on my formal introduction but will do that next.

We have listed our home and have been receiving inquiries. Today I rec'd one with too much information. The inquiry told of other places they have looked, brought up the church they belong to and that they are staying at a hotel right now (there are 3 people). Asked for us to call as they wanted to see the property today. An hour later, I rec'd another email that they like the neighborhood but want the exact address.

My husband's first thought is that it is too much information. I did a search on the emailer's name and it is an unique name- and came up with an odd story of a news story with this person's name in a nearby town of harassment and jail time as well as this person went to law school here. Could be a coincidence or it could be trouble.

To avoid it all, we would prefer to not respond to this person. There are too many red flags and gut instinct says something is not right. I could not find any information that states I have to respond to every inquiry. If from the first email, I don't have a good feeling, I should move on, right?

Thanks!
Jamie
1Reply
114 views

Most Popular Reply

Nicole A.Pro Member
Rental Property Investor · Baltimore County Maryland and Tampa Florida · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
12y

I don't think it's about morals, but about time management. Screening has a few levels.

If they don't even pass preliminary background checks such as searching on the internet for online court records, Facebook, etc, why would you waste your time and their time (and their money!) doing a full background check?

See this reply in the discussion

38 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • Developer · Garland, TX · Member since 2008 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    12y

    "Tenant: payment plan"

    Yes, we have a monthly payment plan called RENT.

  • Real Estate Agent · Charleston, SC · Member since 2013 · 424 posts · 99 votes
    12y
    Originally posted by @James Wise:

    @Jason Eyerly

    I recieved this text a couple weeks ago.

    Tenant: you work wit people

    Me: What do you mean?

    Tenant: cut deals

    Me: What?

    Tenant: payment plan

    This was when I stopped considering this tenant. You will get many applications (if you can call it that) like this. You cannot take the time to follow every lead. It just does not work.

    Understandable. But we're talking a Google search with a name match! I guess I'm just crazy.

  • Real Estate Broker · Cleveland Dayton Cincinnati Toledo Columbus & Akron, OH · Member since 2013 · 30k+ posts · 20k+ votes
    12y

    @Jon Klaus lol exactly my 1st thought!

    @Jason Eyerly I see your point in that these are sort of different situations but I guess the point I was trying to get at is that in your landlording career it's not going to be feasible to follow every single lead down to the end. There will be a lot of jokers out there who will do nothing more then waste your time.

  • Investor · Delaware, OH · Member since 2013 · 224 posts · 64 votes
    12y

    @Jason Eyerly - I think you may be oversimplifying what some people do with a Google search. @Nicole A. is right - corroboration is key. The Internet is a tool, and used properly, it can facilitate the screening process.

    I have a current tenant who passed our phone screen, and by the time we met him for the showing, I knew: his kids ages, his wife's passing (while they were separated) several years earlier, his foreclosure and bankruptcy 6 years earlier, a criminal charge 19 years ago, his high school graduation date and school. We met him, asked what we were going to find when we did our background check - and he told us the truth. So I didn't eliminate him because of those items, but it helped that I had the full back story before I met him.

    And I got all that info in about 20 minutes through our local court system, obituaries, a classmate site, and bankruptcy records.

  • Investor · Wauwatosa, WI · Member since 2013 · 53 posts · 9 votes
    12y

    I think the tenant should vet the landlord to make sure the landlord is straight up.

    Joe Gore

    Hear hear, I've had some real nasty crooked landlords!

  • Real Estate Investor · Member since 2013 · 866 posts · 487 votes
    12y
    Originally posted by @Dale G.:
    I think the tenant should vet the landlord to make sure the landlord is straight up.

    Joe Gore

    Hear hear, I've had some real nasty crooked landlords!

    Unfortunately for the tenants, that is far easier said than done.

    Although, I have seen some tenants make real effective use of RipOffReport.com. I've gotten some really good leads on properties from there. ;-D

  • Developer · Garland, TX · Member since 2008 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    12y

    "Although, I have seen some tenants make real effective use of RipOffReport.com. I've gotten some really good leads on properties from there. ;-D"

    Ah, nice tip, Duncan.

  • Investor · Vancouver, WA · Member since 2013 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    12y

    We received an inquiry email that was overly wordy, red flags, etc. I checked out the person via internet sources. They had a history of frivolous law suits. Their thing was to get to "see" the property and then have an "accident" on the property and sue. Trust your instincts.

  • Jerry W.Pro Member
    Moderator
    Investor · Thermopolis, WY · Member since 2012 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    12y

    @Jamie B. trust your gut. If you already have concerns do not schedule an interview. If they appear in person they may claim they are a protected class, it is best to not run the chance of that coming into play. It is possible for google searches to show information on different folks than who are searching on, but I do not believe that is why you are uncomfortable.

    @Duncan Taylor I agree strongly with your view on what internet searches are used for except for prosecution. To the best of my knowledge those decisions are based on the federal and state databases that use fingerprint, DOB, social security number, and even identifying scars and tattoos. There was one drug case where we did use a facebook page though. It was a drug charge where the guy claimed the bag of drugs he threw down was not his, he said he did not use drugs. His facebook picture was of him using drugs with a caption saying he used drugs and him with his middle finger outstretched. It was really funny, his new probation officer made him change his facebook picture.

  • Member since 2011 · 798 posts · 216 votes
    12y

    No way would I respond to that one.

    If they're oversharing now, imagine how needy they would be as a tenant.

    And e-mailing you a second time asking for an address an hour later after all that?

    Can you imagine how many times they would contact you relentlessly when the property needed a repair?

    Run.

  • Member since 2011 · 798 posts · 216 votes
    12y

    Internet searches from verifiable sources are a great tool, even before showing a property.

    Why should I waste my time and theirs when a tenant clearly has an eviction (per a court website, unique name)? Or serious public records?

    If someone's inquiry "feels" off or their attitude sucks from the start or they're asking "do you work with me," I have no problem ignoring them completely.

    Some names are too common to properly verify upfront, but many are not. I would rather ignore potential baddies upfront than end up with evictions and frivolous lawsuits from professional tenants later.

    By the way, I would never e-mail that person back saying "no, you can't have it" or anything else. I would ignore it entirely. I would absolute not give the address either.

  • Real Estate Investor · Member since 2013 · 866 posts · 487 votes
    12y

    We should always adjust our processes. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, you owe it to yourself to make the best use of the tools available to you.

    In that spirit, I've asked the tech guy who manages my CRM system to investigate how to incorporate this as an automated step in the tenant approval workflow.

    I'm not sure what he will come up with, but for me, making this easy and consistent for my property managers sure seems like it could be money well spent.

  • Rental Property Investor · Queen Creek, AZ · Member since 2013 · 368 posts · 191 votes
    12y
    Find a screening process that you can use for every applicant. If I receive a questionable applicant, I will have a background check and credit check done as I do on all applicants. This is part of the app process which is a fee of $20 per applicant/adult living at the property. This will deter many unqualified applicants. Once you receive the results and you have that gut feeling you can deny. I recently had a applicant tell me many reasons why she was in her position. I had a gut feeling I googled the name and found numerous court cases regarding child endangerment. To confirm I still had her to go through the process and my gut was right. I quickly denied. Check under the resources tab there are resources that can help you.
Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.