Help please to pick tenants

General Landlording & Rental Properties

Help please to pick tenants

Glendale, AZ · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 236 votes

Hey guys, could you please help me out? I have a house and I’m trying to pick between a few tenants. The house stinks because there was some animal poop or something and I don’t have time and money to replace the carpet. So here are the prospective tenants that i have :

1) first couple are section 8 and the guy kind of looks like a white trash with golden teeth and a bunch of tattoos and he says he is disabled and on Medicare but he is very young. He sounds kind of weird though, I wonder if he has depression or some mental stuff going on... The wife looks good. They have four or five children ages from 2 to 7. They really want to get into the house and live there for a few years. Section 8 is good but what worries me is that the guy did have an eviction 11 years ago and little kids of course probably will be high maintenance and top dollar for replacing things like toilets and other. They just look low income.

2) Second couple is both self-employed and make total about 80,000k and they look middle class and have a kid that is four years old and few kids that are older. I think they will take care of the house better but she kept telling me that she would like the carpets to be replaced and i said that I cannot afford it. Then she said that one of her children has allergy. They still want to move into the house though. I think they both have good credit but I have not checked it yet.

3) The last one is both self-employed and work in construction and offered me to change the carpet themselves in exchange for first months rent and security deposit. And I am thinking that i probably will say no to that and if I pick them then they would have to do it before they move in and I will pay them myself like contractors ... And then they would have to pay still security deposit. But just not sure who to pick...

that last couple look working class and have two older kids and she has bad credit because she said she has student loans ( which does not explain why the credit is bad to me ) and the hubby has no credit at all...

Who would you guys pick? Could you please help me? Thank you so much !

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Investor · Long Beach, CA · Member since 2012 · 313 posts · 190 votes

7y

They way you describe tenants as "looking" a certain way is going to be trouble for you as a landlord.

You are also seriously considering renting out a place with carpet with dog crap in it?

Sell the place .

See this reply in the discussion

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Matthew Paul
Severna Park, MD · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 7k+ votes
7y
Well if the house stinks , figure a way to change the carpet . If you cant afford it what will happen when the AC stops working or the sewer line needs repair ? If the house stinks and you are renting it like that , what does it matter who you put in there ? You need set screening standards for tenants , income , criminal records etc .
2 Reply
Chuy Gonzalez
Investor · Long Beach, CA · Member since 2012 · 313 posts · 190 votes
7y
They way you describe tenants as "looking" a certain way is going to be trouble for you as a landlord.
You are also seriously considering renting out a place with carpet with dog crap in it?
Sell the place .
8 Reply
Mary Jay
OP
Glendale, AZ · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 236 votes
7y
Sorry if I did not give a good description. The house does not smell, the carpet smells in one room kind of not pleasant but it has no dog poop , and in other rooms carpet does have some odor but not much.
I used to live in dorms and carpet always smells ...
1 Reply
Mary Jay
OP
Glendale, AZ · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 236 votes
7y
All have good credit except the number three pair where hubby has no credit history because they work for cash
1 Reply
Jason D.
Rental Property Investor · St. Petersburg, FL · Member since 2017 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
7y
@Mary Jay I'm sorry to say this, but you're a lawsuit waiting to happen....
4 Reply
Dennis M.
Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2018 · 6k+ posts · 9k+ votes
7y
I’d pick none of them . Save up and buy new carpet or pergo
1 Reply
Timothy Demry
Investor · Sacramento, CA · Member since 2016 · 6 posts · 1 vote
7y
I agree with all on thread - sell the place... Definitely smell a lawsuit.
0 Reply
Mary Jay
OP
Glendale, AZ · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 236 votes
7y
Ok, I got the idea about the house...
But what do u have against the tenants ? What do you see wrong with tenants ?
0 Reply
Sylvia B.
Rental Property Investor · Douglas County, MO · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
7y
If you can't afford to replace the carpet, at least have it professionally cleaned.
Pass on all the applicants you described.
Most importantly, STOP describing potential tenants as you have in this thread. Never comment on their looks, mental or health issues, or what "class" you think they are in. Stick with verifiable facts when evaluating potential tenants, such as income, employment and rental history, credit and criminal records. Learn what "Fair Housing" means before you are taught a very expensive lesson.
7 Reply
Jason D.
Rental Property Investor · St. Petersburg, FL · Member since 2017 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
7y
@Mary Jay I dont see any problems with the tenant choices you have. They would probably all qualify for one of my properties.
My opinion is that you are more of the problem than they are.
1 Reply
Mary Jay
OP
Glendale, AZ · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 236 votes
7y
Interesting to read some opinions.
Jason, arent all houses have an unpleasant smell? Arent all carpets stink (some more and some less)?
I bought my house where I live (its a 350K house) the carpet was stinky, and still is, after multiple shampooing. Ive been to multi-million dollar houses and those houses have an unpleasant smell too. If people live in a house there will be a smell. If nobody lives in the house there will be a smell as well from it being locked up.
Sorry to tell you this, but your house also has an unpleasant smell to it, just like anybody elses. You may be not smelling it , because we tent not to smell our own odors, but if I come in to your house I guarantee you 100% there will be an unpleasant smell to it. You have kids? Double that. You have pets- triple the smell...
Another thing, if I am such a problem, like you say, then why do I have so many prospective tenants who want to rent my rental? I should have a problem of struggling to find a renter if I am the problem... but instead I have a problem of picking a renter (and seems like all those renters that you said you would qualify for one of your properties)...Sorry, your point of view just does not make sense to me. You can think what you want, you can call me a problem, but I look at the facts. And the facts are: I have a line of people who want to rent my rental and my dilemma is to pick the right one.
0 Reply
Account Closed
Rental Property Investor · Central, FL · Member since 2016 · 950 posts · 821 votes
7y
Originally posted by @Mary Jay:

Hey guys, could you please help me out? I have a house and I’m trying to pick between a few tenants. The house stinks because there was some animal poop or something and I don’t have time and money to replace the carpet. So here are the prospective tenants that i have :
1) first couple are section 8 and the guy kind of looks like a white trash with golden teeth and a bunch of tattoos and he says he is disabled and on Medicare but he is very young. He sounds kind of weird though, I wonder if he has depression or some mental stuff going on... The wife looks good. They have four or five children ages from 2 to 7. They really want to get into the house and live there for a few years. Section 8 is good but what worries me is that the guy did have an eviction 11 years ago and little kids of course probably will be high maintenance and top dollar for replacing things like toilets and other. They just look low income.
2) Second couple is both self-employed and make total about 80,000k and they look middle class and have a kid that is four years old and few kids that are older. I think they will take care of the house better but she kept telling me that she would like the carpets to be replaced and i said that I cannot afford it. Then she said that one of her children has allergy. They still want to move into the house though. I think they both have good credit but I have not checked it yet.
3) The last one is both self-employed and work in construction and offered me to change the carpet themselves in exchange for first months rent and security deposit. And I am thinking that i probably will say no to that and if I pick them then they would have to do it before they move in and I will pay them myself like contractors ... And then they would have to pay still security deposit. But just not sure who to pick...
that last couple look working class and have two older kids and she has bad credit because she said she has student loans ( which does not explain why the credit is bad to me ) and the hubby has no credit at all...
Who would you guys pick? Could you please help me? Thank you so much !
None of them are the right one. Because none of them have been equally screened. Like everyone else have said you are asking for a lawsuit in how you judge your tenant pool.
What are your requirements for the rental unit??
X times income (who meets that requirement).
Minimum credit score (who meets that requirement)
No Evictions or no evictions in last X years.
Criminal record (who has a felony or whatever you classify as not meeting your requirement)
As far as your carpet replacement or whatever else. That’s on you. I have a policy that my unit is move in ready with no maintenance issues and cleaned top to bottom.
Replace the carpet with the cheapest carpet possible. If you can’t afford it figure something out.
And if you think 3 people that based on your info don’t meet a low bar to rent a place is a “line” then you have a low tenant pool to begin with. My last open rental had 96 people inquire in 24 hours and 15 show to the open house each area is different but 3 isn’t a lot to chose from
Best of luck. I’d replace the carpet myself and then compare these individual with objective criteria.
1 Reply
Bivi V.
Member since 2019 · 60 posts · 6 votes
7y
Pay attention to @Sylvia B.
Also, borrow on credit card but make it habitable and enjoyable by any tenant you choose.
Keep it vacant till you are ready for GOOD tenant to rent GOOD place!
NEVER neglect any issue with a tenant. Listen to their allergies too.
Must spend time and MONEY to screen tenants professionally, never mention kids or no kids etc. You can steer away from people who may not keep your place safe and clean but not by mentioning kids but focussing on their lacking any other qualifying criteria which you apply UNIFORMLY to ALL tanants that you may consider - all who have applied. Good Luck in avoiding tenant inflicted issues on our property. Respect your Tenant and their needs. Respond quickly. Keep them HAPPY with you and your property. Make more Money!
0 Reply
Patti RobertsonBusiness Member
Property Manager · Virginia Beach, VA · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
7y
@Mary Jay - There is a VERY good reason you have so many tenant prospects. Professional tenants know how to find self managed landlords who don't know what they are doing. They bounce from house to house, move in, don't pay rent, and hold your house hostage for months at a time because they know the system better than you do, and they use it against you. You NEED a professional property manager. Don't say you can't afford one. You can't afford not to have one if you want to stay in the business. Your post is riddled with fair housing violations and inaccurate assumptions. My worst nightmare applicant in the last few months was a woman who made $65K/year in a job with a utility company and you would have described her like your #2 tenant above. She claimed she was downsizing from a bigger house to focus on paying down debt. The reality is that in the last 5 years she has wracked up $20K in landlord judgments by slightly changing the spelling of her first name so even professional property managers who rely only on automated screenings did not identify her as a thief (that's what professional tenants are) before leasing to her. She omitted her husband from our application thinking that would cause us to not find her judgments. Our automated screening didn't find any judgments. A thorough search of the court records did though, and fortunately we skirted the issue.
Please, for your own sake, seek the help of a professional property manager or just sell the house. Prices are high in every market now. It would be a smart thing to do. ;)
757-472-2547
1 Reply
Taylor Roeling
Fort Collins, CO · Member since 2019 · 185 posts · 61 votes
7y
@Mary Jay I'm wondering if you screened applicants online to get a thorough background check and credit report etc.? Also, many people have good points - selling might be a good option, or try as best you can to get the smell out through a professional cleaning service because it is not unreasonable for potential tenants to have asked that since they will be living there. Also, you can't discount someone just from what they look like - make sure you are educated about the Fair Housing Act!
0 Reply
Mary Jay
OP
Glendale, AZ · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 236 votes
7y
Just because I am open with you guys, and tell you things such as : "this prospective tenant looks mental and this tenants kids will destroy my house..." It does not mean that I am gonna tell the tenants that. I am not stupid. Ive had good luck with my past tenants during my landlording and never refused anyone in a manner that violates fair housing act.
Just because I am telling you things that are on my mind it does not mean that I will tell those things to tenants.
0 Reply
Mary Jay
OP
Glendale, AZ · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 236 votes
7y
Originally posted by @Account Closed:

Originally posted by @Mary Jay:
Hey guys, could you please help me out? I have a house and I’m trying to pick between a few tenants. The house stinks because there was some animal poop or something and I don’t have time and money to replace the carpet. So here are the prospective tenants that i have :
1)
Who would you guys pick? Could you please help me? Thank you so much !
None of them are the right one. Because none of them have been equally screened. Like everyone else have said you are asking for a lawsuit in how you judge your tenant pool.
What are your requirements for the rental unit??
X times income (who meets that requirement).
Minimum credit score (who meets that requirement)
No Evictions or no evictions in last X years.
Criminal record (who has a felony or whatever you classify as not meeting your requirement)
As far as your carpet replacement or whatever else. That’s on you. I have a policy that my unit is move in ready with no maintenance issues and cleaned top to bottom.
Replace the carpet with the cheapest carpet possible. If you can’t afford it figure something out.
And if you think 3 people that based on your info don’t meet a low bar to rent a place is a “line” then you have a low tenant pool to begin with. My last open rental had 96 people inquire in 24 hours and 15 show to the open house each area is different but 3 isn’t a lot to chose from
Best of luck. I’d replace the carpet myself and then compare these individual with objective criteria.
You brought up very good points. And honestly I never thought about limits the way you present them...
So can I ask you to share what are your requirements/limits for your rentals?
1) How many times X times income (who meets that requirement).
2) What is the Minimum credit score (who meets that requirement)
3) No Evictions or no evictions in last how many years.
4) Criminal record (who has a felony or whatever you classify as not meeting your requirement)...Do you allow people with theft? Domestic violence? What criminal record is ok for you for your tenants?
0 Reply
Mary Jay
OP
Glendale, AZ · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 236 votes
7y
Originally posted by @Patti Robertson:
@Mary Jay - There is a VERY good reason you have so many tenant prospects. Professional tenants know how to find self managed landlords who don't know what they are doing. They bounce from house to house, move in, don't pay rent, and hold your house hostage for months at a time because they know the system better than you do, and they use it against you. You NEED a professional property manager. Don't say you can't afford one. You can't afford not to have one if you want to stay in the business. Your post is riddled with fair housing violations and inaccurate assumptions. My worst nightmare applicant in the last few months was a woman who made $65K/year in a job with a utility company and you would have described her like your #2 tenant above. She claimed she was downsizing from a bigger house to focus on paying down debt. The reality is that in the last 5 years she has wracked up $20K in landlord judgments by slightly changing the spelling of her first name so even professional property managers who rely only on automated screenings did not identify her as a thief (that's what professional tenants are) before leasing to her. She omitted her husband from our application thinking that would cause us to not find her judgments. Our automated screening didn't find any judgments. A thorough search of the court records did though, and fortunately we skirted the issue.
Please, for your own sake, seek the help of a professional property manager or just sell the house. Prices are high in every market now. It would be a smart thing to do. ;)
You brought up a very good point!
I just received today the screening report on all tenants.
And section 8 guy has misdemeanor ( petty theft in 2012)...They freak me out though because those kids were running around like crazy! They will destroy the house...
Then the construction people who offered to change the carpet actually have eviction opened in February. So these I am gonna deny for sure...
The self employed couple number 2, the guy is good but the woman seem to have some collections but no evictions. And her credit score is 594...Seem kind of low...
So I am still confused if I should go with section 8 or the self employed couple number 2...
Who would you pick?
0 Reply
Max T.
Investor · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
7y
Originally posted by @Mary Jay:

Just because I am open with you guys, and tell you things such as : "this prospective tenant looks mental and this tenants kids will destroy my house..." It does not mean that I am gonna tell the tenants that. I am not stupid. Ive had good luck with my past tenants during my landlording and never refused anyone in a manner that violates fair housing act.
Just because I am telling you things that are on my mind it does not mean that I will tell those things to tenants.
Right, but you're telling the internet.
0 Reply
Patti RobertsonBusiness Member
Property Manager · Virginia Beach, VA · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
7y
@Mary Jay - How are you planning to verify the income of the self employed person? I have accepted a few, but generally they have trouble giving you PROOF of verifiable, reliable income. I would require 6 months of bank records and a copy of their last filed tax return. This will show you if they are a TRUE business. I find that most who say they are self-employed don't even have separate accounts for business and personal. Compare money in to money out.
Personally, I would prefer the SEC 8 tenant unless the self employed tenant was STELLAR. If the property is in a neighborhood where your rent is set to be approved by SEC 8, it is not likely a neighborhood where a steller self employed person would want to live. Of course I could be wrong on this. I don't know your market and there could be a middle of the road neighborhood that would be an exception.
757-472-2547
0 Reply
Account Closed
Rental Property Investor · Central, FL · Member since 2016 · 950 posts · 821 votes
7y
Originally posted by @Mary Jay:

You brought up very good points. And honestly I never thought about limits the way you present them...
So can I ask you to share what are your requirements/limits for your rentals?
1) How many times X times income (who meets that requirement).
2) What is the Minimum credit score (who meets that requirement)
3) No Evictions or no evictions in last how many years.
4) Criminal record (who has a felony or whatever you classify as not meeting your requirement)...Do you allow people with theft? Domestic violence? What criminal record is ok for you for your tenants?
1) I use 3 times the rent to be eligible to rent this is a HARD number and I don’t go below it ever because it is 1/3 the gross salary of the individual which is customarily the amount recommended for owning a home or any budgeting classes or lecture or anything So for me this is the pass fail item If I can not verify the amount then it doesn’t count as income
2) I use 600 for a credit score minimum in my advertisements, however my tenant pool is typically 525-600 scores. Most people (tenants and landlords) don’t understand what their score is let along what the number represents.
Normally I dig into the report since I can’t look at the number and know the prospective tenant.
I can legally deny them for not being over 600. But I can make an exception for the lower school if I see that their issue is a unpaid medical bill or some other item not involving unpaid rent or secure loans.
3) no evictions is what I advertise. However if a 50 year old has a eviction that was from when they were 20 years old and I can see there isn’t any other issues I might consider it with a stipulation of some kind. I would never take a eviction regardless of circumstances if it was within a decade. But not all are the same.
4). Again this all depends. I haven’t had any major crimes come up that I had not already disqualified for one of the other above reasons. I consider myself tech savvy and am typically able to find a lot of info on the individual But as of yet I haven’t had to tell someone no because of their criminal record But again everything is a WHOLE package
I have not scaled up yet however as I turn units over it gives me more experience on how to screen tenants and how to spot professional tenants
My properties are C class areas with a B- class units I would say. This attracts lots of people given the price point and proximity to jobs and shopping.
My biggest thing I try to do is make it equal across the board. So when I’m denying someone I follow the law and I write down the reasons I didn’t accept them so if someone with the same situation comes along I am sure to deny them as well.
0 Reply
Mary Jay
OP
Glendale, AZ · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 236 votes
7y
Originally posted by @Max T.:

Originally posted by @Mary Jay:
Just because I am open with you guys, and tell you things such as : "this prospective tenant looks mental and this tenants kids will destroy my house..." It does not mean that I am gonna tell the tenants that. I am not stupid. Ive had good luck with my past tenants during my landlording and never refused anyone in a manner that violates fair housing act.
Just because I am telling you things that are on my mind it does not mean that I will tell those things to tenants.
Right, but you're telling the internet.
Trust me, my prospective tenants would not be able to figure out .
0 Reply
James Wise
Real Estate Broker · Cleveland Dayton Cincinnati Toledo Columbus & Akron, OH · Member since 2013 · 30k+ posts · 20k+ votes
7y
Originally posted by @Mary Jay:

Hey guys, could you please help me out? I have a house and I’m trying to pick between a few tenants. The house stinks because there was some animal poop or something and I don’t have time and money to replace the carpet. So here are the prospective tenants that i have :
1) first couple are section 8 and the guy kind of looks like a white trash with golden teeth and a bunch of tattoos and he says he is disabled and on Medicare but he is very young. He sounds kind of weird though, I wonder if he has depression or some mental stuff going on... The wife looks good. They have four or five children ages from 2 to 7. They really want to get into the house and live there for a few years. Section 8 is good but what worries me is that the guy did have an eviction 11 years ago and little kids of course probably will be high maintenance and top dollar for replacing things like toilets and other. They just look low income.
2) Second couple is both self-employed and make total about 80,000k and they look middle class and have a kid that is four years old and few kids that are older. I think they will take care of the house better but she kept telling me that she would like the carpets to be replaced and i said that I cannot afford it. Then she said that one of her children has allergy. They still want to move into the house though. I think they both have good credit but I have not checked it yet.
3) The last one is both self-employed and work in construction and offered me to change the carpet themselves in exchange for first months rent and security deposit. And I am thinking that i probably will say no to that and if I pick them then they would have to do it before they move in and I will pay them myself like contractors ... And then they would have to pay still security deposit. But just not sure who to pick...
that last couple look working class and have two older kids and she has bad credit because she said she has student loans ( which does not explain why the credit is bad to me ) and the hubby has no credit at all...
Who would you guys pick? Could you please help me? Thank you so much !
You need to get the house in order. What you've got is a crummy stinky house that smells like dog poop. The only people who will be attracted to that are undesirables with no other options. By trying to save pennies now you are just going to cause yourself problems & larger expenses down the road. Put the carpets on a credit card if need be. Trying to rent out an undesirable house is not a winning proposition. Fix that then start over.
0 Reply
Mary Jay
OP
Glendale, AZ · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 236 votes
7y
Thank you all of you guys for sharing your points of view! I've learned a lot! And I really appreciate your help!
0 Reply
James Wise
Real Estate Broker · Cleveland Dayton Cincinnati Toledo Columbus & Akron, OH · Member since 2013 · 30k+ posts · 20k+ votes
7y
Originally posted by @Mary Jay:

Thank you all of you guys for sharing your points of view! I've learned a lot! And I really appreciate your help!
So what's your plan of attack going forward? You gonna bite the bullet & fix up the house? Or you gonna roll with the undesirables?
0 Reply

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