Would you lease to a 25 y/o woman whose mom would be paying until she she finds a job

Question

Had a lady call the other day to tour my rental unit. She said it would be for her daughter who recently had a relationship end badly in another state and she is moving her soon with no possessions (including no car) and no job lined up. The mom came to tour the unit and said she would be the one paying, "until my daughter can find a job and start paying herself."

This unit is not furnished other than kitchen appliances and laundry so I don't know who will be paying to furnish. I'd of course have them both screened properly and mom signed as a guarantor... but would you do this? Seemed like it wouldn't be a terrible idea at first but that may be due to the unit being slow moving and desperation. The more I think about it, the worse it sounds.

Kevin Sobilo · Answer

@Malachi P., a few thoughts:

1. What are the prospects for the daughter to find a suitable job that will allow her to afford the rental?

For example, if you have a B/C rental that is affordable to someone making entry level wages and there are lots of entry level jobs to be had, then this isn't so much of a risk. In my area warehouses paying $12-20/hour are plentiful and always hiring. So, if I had a rental that is affordable to a single person making that type of wage that is not risky because an entry level job is "readily replaceable".

2. The mother as guarantor. A guarantee is a promise but you CAN'T cash a promise! So, I would look for something more than that. I would want to know the mother as guarantor is "collectible". If in a worst case, I get a judgement in my favor I want to know I can force the mother to pay that judgement otherwise all she gave me was a promise.

For me, I would be looking for the mother to OWN real estate! A judgement if unpaid can be filed to become a lien on any property they own in that county. So, if they didn't pay me I could lien their house and eventually force payment.

3. Never make a decision out of desperation! In fact, you should work never to feel desperation. You should be budgeting for vacancy. Literally setting money aside in an account out of each rent payment for things like vacancy, capital expenses, and repairs/maintenance. So, if you have then this lag time filling the vacancy should be a non-issue.

Linda S. · Answer

@Malachi P.

No, everything about this situation screams future problems.

1)  The daughter can't even look for herself,  she's having her mom be the adult and try and find her housing.   I'd bet a lot of money, she'll never find a job, as long as mom's paying the bills, why would she?  Since she doesn't have any skin in the game, or reason to take care of the place, it is much more likely to get trashed.

2) Unless you are renting it furnished, who cares-- their problems are theirs, yours are yours.

3)   Desperation is never a good situation, they'll just continue to pass on their problems to you.. do you want to hear that maybe they get back together and because of that, maybe they only stay a few months and now you have to deal with turnover again.   Oh, or maybe the SO finds out where they live, and come bust in your door or busts some windows..    People who bring drama, are the drama.  The mom can be wonderful, doesn't mean her kids are.

Trust you gut-- hard pass.

Jeremy Jareckyj · Answer

There may be better options out there.

I would have the mother screened and put her on the lease as well.

Joe S. · Answer

I can see this going well and I can see this going down the wrong path too. 🧐 I think the poster that said put the mama on the lease as well as I guarantee made a lot of sense.

Also, are you having a hard time filling it? if so…

Matthew Becker · Answer

Yep have mom be a guarantor and run her credit as well.

Ryan Spath · Answer

Does the co-signer meet the criteria of your unit? Does the occupant meet all the criteria with the exception of income?

Are the folks willing to put a double deposit down? Is the property listed at or just below market rent?

Logan McKay Zylstra · Answer

As long as the mom has a sufficient rental application and signs as a guarantor, I don't see why I wouldn't be willing to rent the unit to them.

Pedro Andrade · Answer

It’s not necessarily about suing—it’s about following the legal lease enforcement process. If both are on the lease, then standard procedures apply, including eviction if needed. The mother’s name, credit, deposit, and rental history would still be at risk for non-payment, even if she doesn’t live nearby. What matters is that she is a leaseholder, making her legally responsible, regardless of location.

Pedro Andrade · Answer

Hello Malachi!

Yes, this setup is quite common, especially with college students renting near campuses.

To protect yourself, ensure that both the mother and daughter sign the lease and meet all standard requirements (income, credit, background check, etc.). Even though the mother won’t be living there, having her on the lease as a tenant—not just a guarantor—gives you stronger legal standing. This way, if any issues arise, you have the ability to hold both parties accountable, report to credit bureaus, and proceed with eviction if necessary.

Hope that helps!

yes, this is typically how college students rent apartments close to campuses.

To protect yourself both have to sign the lease, both have to pass all the requirements (income, credit, criminal etc) even though you know that the mom is not going live in the unit in paper you wanted to look like if she does, so if something happens you can evict both, put claims, and report to credit bureaus.

Hope it helps

Jules Aton · Answer

I did something similar once with no problem but it wasn't a relationship escape situation and son was involved in selecting the property. Mom and son were both on the lease. He and his girlfriend were excellent tenants who stayed several years.

Would you lease to a 25 y/o woman whose mom would be paying until she she finds a job

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