Unbelievable how hard it is to try to rent something over the winter in Chicagoland!! Got a new property to rehab was showing-ready October 2016.  

Rejected 17 applications since then, about one a week since October 2016. Never tried to rent something in winter before. My record before was 7 rejected apps in a normal summer season.

Yes, my criteria in in the description. At the top.

Yes, I pre-screen.

There is a company website, a computerized showing scheduler, online application-nothing mom and pop looking here. Well, just the FOR RENT sign from Menards.

I did have a lower price than what I believed to be the market rate, which is set in the summer, about $50 less.

I actually had 501 incoming phone calls, texts, and email inquiries. 173 showings scheduled, 99 confirmed. !!!!!! Most showings were self-showings by lockbox, and a few buyer- agent showings since it was also listed in MLS.

Many of the applicants just flat-out lied on the application and didn't think I would find out that they were lying about their current living situation, or their evictions, or their felonies.  Some apparently had no idea their credit scores were about a hundred points lower than our criteria. Or had no idea that I might see their FB profile pic of them hanging with their pitbull giving 2 middle fingers to the camera.

I learned that often people in their 20's will say that they still live at home in the hopes you won't find their bad rental history. Kinda hard to hide when there is a landlord collection on their credit report. And previous addresses listed on there as well.

Soooooo glad to have gotten it rented!!