Tenant Applicants say the dumbest things

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Tenant Applicants say the dumbest things

Robin Grimes
Real Estate Investor · Houston, TX · Member since 2010 · 37 posts · 326 votes

Stupid things Tenant Applicant’s say.

I had renovated a nice 4/3/2 and put it on the market for lease. Here are some of the comments from people who toured the property during the open house or called me from signage.

#1
Young single mother with 3yr old in tow. “My boyfriend will be paying the rent, he said to just go find a place, but I want to rent it in my name, so it will be mine alone.”
I’m thinking: I’m not renting to someone without the verified income to pay the rent. Sorry but a promise from a boyfriend just won’t do.
I’m saying: Here’s a rental application. The application fee is $25 but you should know that I will need to verify income and whoever is paying will need to be on the application and lease.

#2
Middle aged couple with no kids. Wife says “I don’t like the wood floors. If you can put down carpet and repaint to something brighter, we’d be interested. Also you will need to replace the stove.”
I’m thinking: The wood floors are new laminate that I just spent $1400 and two days installing. The paint is all new also. If you want to remodel a house, go buy one yourself.
I’m saying: Here’s a rental application. The application fee is $25. The property is being rented in its newly remodeled condition.

#3
Family. Made appointment and met me at house. Husband says “I need a 3 car garage.”
I’m thinking: The 2 in 4/3/2 stands for TWO car garage. Plus the photos show it’s a two car garage, so why are you here wasting my time and yours? Did you think I was hiding a third garage bay in the back yard?
I’m saying: Here’s a rental application. The application fee is $25. This house only has a two car garage.

#4
Very young guy, young 20’s maybe, called me from sign in yard. He’s parked at house. Says: “ I need a big place for my girlfriend and our 3 month old since we want to have more kids. Could you help me out and rent it to me for $xxx” (about ½ the rental rate).
I’m thinking: So you’re requesting that I contribute half your rent so you can have more kids that you can’t house and support.
I’m saying: I’m happy to provide an application. The application fee is $25. Sorry the rental rate is firm.
.

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Don KonipolBusiness Member
Investor · The Woodlands TX / Avon, CT · Member since 2009 · 6k+ posts · 10k+ votes
14y

Last year I was renting a high end high rise condo - rent $1800 per month. A guy asked if I could give him the first 6 months free and waive the security deposit, after he found a job he would make double payments the second 6 months.

Had a tenant a few years back that signed a 12 month lease. always paid her rent on time. The lease of course becomes a month to month if she stays on. I asked her if she desired to renew the lease at expiration, or would she be moving. She said that since she fullfilled her lease obligation by paying 12 months rent she would stay on. She honestly believed that once she paid 12 months rent the apartment was hers for free for as long as she wanted!

But the best one was the tenant that always had an excuse for late rent. One month he told me he had sent the check in on the 2nd, of course I had not received it by the 5th. When I did receive it it was dated the 6th. Called the tenant and told him if he was going to lie at least pre date the check.
The next month I send the tenant an invoice for the rent, late fee, plus $250. The tenant calls and asks what the additional $250 is for. I told him it was a "lying fee". A couple days later I received the rent, late fee, and an additional $500. Called the tenant to ask why he sent an additional $500. He said he knew he would lie to me again in the future so he was prepaying an additional lying fee! BTW, although he is no longer a tenant and hasn't been for some time, he is now a friend. The entertainment value of this guy far outweighted the aggravation.

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  • Dawn AnastasiPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2013 · 6k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    10y

    Whenever I ask people about their evictions, it's never their fault.  Never.  It was someone else, the landlord, whatever.

    I just had an applicant with 9 kids.  Nine.  She only listed 5 on her application.

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  • Brenda Lyons
    Toledo, OH · Member since 2015 · 63 posts · 27 votes
    10y

    OMG these stories just made my Day it should be on the Funniest home show :-)

    0Reply
  • George P.
    Property Manager · Livonia, MI · Member since 2011 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    10y
    Originally posted by @Dawn Anastasi:

    Whenever I ask people about their evictions, it's never their fault.  Never.  It was someone else, the landlord, whatever.

    I just had an applicant with 9 kids.  Nine.  She only listed 5 on her application.

     is it cause she ran out of ink?

    2Reply
  • Chris MasonPro Member
    Moderator
    Lender · CA · Member since 2015 · 9k+ posts · 10k+ votes
    10y
    Originally posted by @Jon Behlke:
    Originally posted by @Anthony Washington:

    Short but sweet...

    Prospective tenant: "Do you prorate?"

    Me: "Well, when are you looking to move in, if offered tenancy?"

    Prospective tenant: "February 1st."

    Me: "That's a full months' rent."

    Prospective tenant: "Well, yeah...but with February being a shorter month and all..."

    Me: "It's a full months' rent."

    You should've taken him/her up on the deal so long as they were okay with you prorating January, March, May, etc... because they are longer months and all....

     It would end up being mathematically identical, assuming everyone is doing their math correctly. 

    Leases of one year being typical and normal, paired with the above, is why charging 1/12th the annual rent each month makes sense, rather than prorating days. 

    0Reply
  • Chris MasonPro Member
    Moderator
    Lender · CA · Member since 2015 · 9k+ posts · 10k+ votes
    10y
    Originally posted by @Don Konipol:

    From my 36 years in real estate

    "Can you do my tax return?"

     Be honest, that was totally a mortgage applicant, not a tenant applicant, the question was posed to you on April 15th of whatever year!

    0Reply
  • Amy A.
    Portland, ME · Member since 2012 · 616 posts · 550 votes
    10y

    I had approved a couple for a 3 bedroom apartment - credit, income, previous landlord references - perfect!  However, before they would give me the deposit they wanted to see the lease.  They decided not to rent because I have a clause that says explosives and hazardous materials are not permitted.  It turned out they planned to operate a jewelry business out of the apartment and store compressed gas and use oxy-acetylene torches in a 12 unit building.  

    3Reply
  • Brenda Lyons
    Toledo, OH · Member since 2015 · 63 posts · 27 votes
    10y

    I'm like Dr. Phil what were they thinking? 

    2Reply
  • Marcia Maynard
    Investor · Vancouver, WA · Member since 2013 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    10y

    Advertised a property as "Garden Dream Cottage" in a quiet neighborhood with a large fenced yard, enclosed vegetable garden bed, 7 fruit trees, lavender hedge, flower beds surrounding the house and 12 rose bushes. Since it is best suited for people who enjoy gardening, I ask "How do you feel about gardening?" One couple replies... He: "Well, I've never done it. Come from the city." She: "If I see a worm, I'm running back into the house!" No, the home doesn't come with a gardener, but we do take care of tree/shrub pruning. Pass. Wonder what she would do when she saw a slug? After all, this is the Pacific Northwest. Plenty of other folks looking for a home that do appreciate a yard and garden and the joy of gardening!

    2Reply
  • Steve Babiak
    Real Estate Investor · Audubon, PA · Member since 2009 · 13k+ posts · 8k+ votes
    10y
    Originally posted by @George P.:
    Originally posted by @Dawn Anastasi:

    Whenever I ask people about their evictions, it's never their fault.  Never.  It was someone else, the landlord, whatever.

    I just had an applicant with 9 kids.  Nine.  She only listed 5 on her application.

     is it cause she ran out of ink?

    More likely counted using fingers on just one hand (writing implement in other hand), and ran out of fingers :)

    2Reply
  • Jack B.
    Rental Property Investor · Seattle, WA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    10y

    I've had some new idiots recently:

    Idiot #1: "Can I get a tour today?!"

    Me: "Sure, can you tell me about your income, credit and background"

    Idiot #1: "I have an eviction from my one and only apartment ever, and it was stupid, we were only there a month, it wasn't my fault, but I'm going to pay them back [it had been three years already]"

    Me: "I don't rent to people with any eviction history."

    Idiot #2: "Do you accept section 8?"

    Me: "Section 8 pays you to live in a half million dollar house with stainless appliances and granite counters?"

    Idiot #3: "[after being told twice what the credit/background/income requirements are and no pets policy and still showing up for a tour] Oh, by the way, I have an eviction, and 3 dogs, and my boyfriend has a felony conviction for armed robbery but he is a really nice guy, and oh, need you to lower the rent"

    Me: "You can leave...NOW..."

    Idiot #4: This lady refuses to tell me her income, even though I asked three times, because she told me she lost her apartment because she couldn't afford it on a Denny's waitress wage. Each time I asked she just kept telling me she could afford it, not to worry about it. Apparently she also had a criminal record. When she followed up again to see if I would show it to her, I told her, "Ummmmm....Noooo."

    I basically talk to people like they are morons or little children now, because they prove to me each time they email/call or show up, that they are the idiots of society.

    Once in a while I get a halfway intelligent person that seems to get it, as they email me that they make X amount, have x credit score and would love to see the place. Anytime I get someone who calls or emails and wants to set up an appointment to tour without talking about their background I end up finding out there is a reason for that.

    5Reply
  • Gail K.
    Augusta, GA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    10y

    This is perhaps not dumb but rather sad.  It's the old "I've responded to a scam ad on craigslist and actually forked over money to a rental sight unseen".

    Right before I rented my last available house someone stole my ad off craigslist.  It's happened before; when I find this out I notify craigslist requesting they pull this ad.  I also include another ad on that site letting readers know that ad is a scam since it often takes craigslist several days to pull the fake ad.  Finally, I'm usually so angry I email the scumbag doing this and let them know if I ever find them I'll kick their little heinie into the next county.

    Yesterday (three weeks after I rent my place) I get a phone call from my tenants.  Someone shows up at the house all upset because they responded to the fake ad and sent money to the scammers.  They're crying (of course) and wondering if I can do anything about this.   The tenant gives them my phone number and all I can tell them is to start calling their bank to see if their check can be stopped and to call local law enforcement to see if they have any suggestions.

    Normally these issues happen to folks coming from across the country who don't have a chance to check out a rental first but this woman has a local phone number.   I ask her where she lives and it's in my city!  I'm stunned that someone who lives local would fork over money to complete strangers without VIEWING THE RENTAL PROPERTY FIRST and suggest that from now on it would be a really good idea to make an appointment to see the property before putting money down for a deposit (I'm thinking "if you notice a bunch of people sitting down to dinner that might give you a clue the place has already been rented" but I don't have the heart to mention this to her).

    Gail

    0Reply
  • Kimberly H.
    Residential Real Estate Broker · Chicago Suburbs, IL · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 594 votes
    10y

    @Gail K.

    What I have found to be more effective at getting a scam ad taken down on Craigslist is to get your friends to flag the fake ad; once Craigslist gets enough flags from various IP addresses I believe they automatically take it down...that's what I did last year when one of my ads got scammed and the fake ad was down within minutes. Now I watermark the main front exterior picture.

    The scammers will have a story as to why the person can't see it, why someone else's sign is in the yard, ect., and since the rent they are offering is so low, people jump on it for fear they will be to late.  

    4Reply
  • George P.
    Property Manager · Livonia, MI · Member since 2011 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    10y

    @Gail Kaitschuck

    my houses often pop up on CL as a fake ad.

    1. put a water mark in the middle of the pictures with your site/number to call.

    2. put a large sign in the front window that says "this is not advertised on CL and do NOT send money to anyone".

    most people come and peak through the windows, so they'd be staring at that sign. 

    i also put a sign with those words on the hardwood floor right infront of that window and since it's the only item on the floor, it catches their attention.

    4Reply
  • J.R. West
    Investor · Portsmouth, VA · Member since 2013 · 28 posts · 12 votes
    10y

    Marcia Maynard Investor from Vancouver, Washington

    replied 6 days ago

    1 VOTE

    Advertised a property as "Garden Dream Cottage" in a quiet neighborhood with a large fenced yard, enclosed vegetable garden bed, 7 fruit trees, lavender hedge, flower beds surrounding the house and 12 rose bushes. 

    Two questions, is it still available? If not will you write my ads for the houses? You made it sound like paradise ! AND YOU prune the trees, I'm in.... 

    4Reply
  • Steve Babiak
    Real Estate Investor · Audubon, PA · Member since 2009 · 13k+ posts · 8k+ votes
    10y
    Originally posted by @J.R. West:

    Marcia Maynard Investor from Vancouver, Washington

    replied 6 days ago

    1 VOTE

    Advertised a property as "Garden Dream Cottage" in a quiet neighborhood with a large fenced yard, enclosed vegetable garden bed, 7 fruit trees, lavender hedge, flower beds surrounding the house and 12 rose bushes. 

    Two questions, is it still available? If not will you write my ads for the houses? You made it sound like paradise ! AND YOU prune the trees, I'm in.... 

     J.R. - copy and paste is not the way BP users should quote a post from another user. In the most recent BP forum layout, each post has a menu that offers a few options for what one might want to do with an existing post; "Quote" is the one to choose since it will copy the text of the post AND it will also notify the user that the post was being referenced - the mention to the author of the post is something that copy and paste does not generate. 

    You'll see I used that feature here for this post, and you received a mention as a result ...

    1Reply
  • Robert Blanchard
    Littleton, CO · Member since 2014 · 195 posts · 72 votes
    10y

    To get the quote options you have mover your  mouse over the 3 greenish dots on the top left of each post.   Took me a minute to discover this feature that was discussed by Steve .

    0Reply
  • Ned CareyPro Member
    Moderator
    Investor · Baltimore, MD · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 13k+ votes
    10y

    Not exactly a tenant application but stupid none the less. 

    I took a property via tax foreclosure. We filed in court to remove the previous landlords tenants. The tenant came to court with an eviction paper from the previous landlord, to prove that is where she lived.

    15Reply
  • J.R. West
    Investor · Portsmouth, VA · Member since 2013 · 28 posts · 12 votes
    10y

    Thanks ! will do .

    0Reply
  • Kimberly H.
    Residential Real Estate Broker · Chicago Suburbs, IL · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 594 votes
    10y
    Me: Great, what pets do you have? 6:57 PM

    +1847XXX155x: One black Labrador. He's medium sized 6:58 PM

    Me: What does he weigh? 6:58 PM

    +1847xxx155x: I think 50 lbs 6:59 PM

    Me: I am sorry but that exceeds the landlord's weight limit for a dog 7:00 PM

    +1847xxx155x: Listen, if we stop feeding the dog he can get to like 40 at the least. 37 if we push it... What's the weight limit?

    8Reply
  • George P.
    Property Manager · Livonia, MI · Member since 2011 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    10y

    lol

    0Reply
  • Randall Jacobs
    Investor · Friendswood, TX · Member since 2016 · 88 posts · 51 votes
    10y

    I had an applicant a few years ago that was late for the appointment to one of my better houses . She came in  with an attitude and no apology. I  showed her the house and she didn't seem to like anything about the house, but wanted to see everything.  I expected her to  turn around and leave.  Then she said to me, "I am going through a divorce, I am used to living in a much nicer place than this, so, can you lower the rent by $100 a month, because that is all my husband will give me? 

    I said no, but I wanted to say" I understand why your husband wants a divorce "

    11Reply
  • Dawn AnastasiPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2013 · 6k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    10y

    I had a voicemail from someone who saw an ad. The voicemail said, "I'm interested in seeing your unit ASAP, because I have like 8 days to move, so can I see your place right away?"  I didn't even return that call.  Someone that has to move immediately never seems to be a good candidate.

    Podcast Guest on Show #29
    2Reply
  • Dawn AnastasiPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2013 · 6k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    10y

    Sometimes it's not so much as what people say but how they behave.  Had a group of 3 applicants come in and first words in the door is, "Can we put down money for the place right now because we want to move in today." They haven't even seen the place.  I tell them they have to do an application first and they can look around.  They do then come back and fill out applications. 

    They're swearing at each other and complaining about filling out the application.  Two of them make so many cross-offs they ask for new applications.  One calls someone for information and is swearing on the person over the phone and by the loud volume they had the call on, I could hear that person swearing at them back.

    Yeesh!

    Podcast Guest on Show #29
    2Reply
  • Erin Margaret
    Investor · Hortonville, WI · Member since 2016 · 52 posts · 25 votes
    10y
    After I did a background check, credit check, called every reference possible, and met with her twice I chose a lady who was new to the area but had a great job and fantastic references. After her second month paying rent she started paying weird in weird amounts that didn't quite add up to the total 1400. Turns out when I said she pays utilities she thought that meant water and electric. She didn't want to pay for the portion of the electric bill that said "fuel surcharge" or "processing" because those weren't utilities.
    6Reply
  • Don KonipolBusiness Member
    Investor · The Woodlands TX / Avon, CT · Member since 2009 · 6k+ posts · 10k+ votes
    10y

    Had a tenant in one of my rental condos that couldn't get along with any body in the complex.  Halfway through the lease he sends me an email telling me I have violated the lease because he doesn't "enjoy" living there.  When I ask him what he's talking about he refers me to the part of the lease that says the tenant has the right of "quiet enjoyment".

    Long story short tenant chooses not to avail himself of the options I offer him to terminate the lease.  Wants security deposit back BEFORE he moves out, which of course won't happen.  Refuses to schedule final walkthrough, after he leaves we find and document damage slightly in excess of his security deposit, much of it the result of tenant painting some walls with a black type paint that turns the walls into chalkboards?  When I sent the tenant a letter explaining the deductions of his security deposit, he emails back that he disagrees, because the black walls are an improvement, not a damage and repair.

    So this past weekend I receive an email from this tenant outlining about a half dozen items in a property that need repair.  I figure he has meant to email his current landlord and I respond such.  He emails back that he meant to email me; these were items that I was responsible for fixing in my condo.  I then point out to this lunatic that he no longer lives in my condo.  He responds that these were issues he never complained about when he lived there because he just didn't want to be bothered, but since I wouldn't return his security deposit he now insisted they be taken care of, even though he no longer lived there.

    I sarcastically tell him I will jump right on it.  He tells me he wants the contact information of the current tenant so he can verify that the repairs are made. I tell him that he is only the second person I have ever dealt with who has earned the designation "nut and a half".  

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