Tenant Applicants say the dumbest things

Tenant Applicants say the dumbest things

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.

Private Mortgage Financing Partners, LLC
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  • Augusta, GA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    10y

    It appears that what some applicants confess on their facebook site has doomed many of them from renting anything more than something under the closest bridge.


    Gail

  • Real Estate Investor · Audubon, PA · Member since 2009 · 13k+ posts · 8k+ votes
    10y
  • Dawn AnastasiPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2013 · 6k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    9y

    I had an applicant who listed her only occupation as "Stay at Home Mom" and listed her pay at $0.  Yes, I know being a mom is a very important, demanding job, but it doesn't pay the bills.

  • Roy N.Pro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Fredericton, New Brunswick · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    9y

    @Dawn Anastasi

    ... perhaps she thought she was in Sweden and still enjoying her 240-days of paid  parental leave.

  • Somerville, MA · Member since 2016 · 30 posts · 20 votes
    9y

    I was trying to rent out a bedroom in my condo and said that we would split the gas/electric 50-50. A woman saw the place, said she had to think about it. Then she emailed me to say that since my place had multiple floors, the utilities would be higher than other places, so she thought $200 less per month was fair!

    I told her I didn't want a roommate who plans on having $400 utility bills every month.

  • Rick BassettBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Greater New Haven, CT · Member since 2010 · 377 posts · 434 votes
    9y

    Showed one of our rental properties to prospective tenants today, there were three adults and I told them that each of them would have to be on the lease and each would have to pay an application fee of $35.  They were highly insulted by the 'rip off' application fee and the fact that for three people it would cost them nearly $80. 

    I'd like to blame their poor math skills on the common core as it's always my favorite whipping boy but the reality is they're old enough to have been taught in the era of 'the new math'.

    Bassett Property Management5108 Reviews
  • Real Estate Investor · Audubon, PA · Member since 2009 · 13k+ posts · 8k+ votes
    9y

    Had a showing scheduled for this morning, and the prospect was on the way to meet me (I was still driving too, but just like five minutes away), when I get this text message: "We just got rear ended on the  [road name]" ... Needless to say, that unit is still available ...

  • Residential Real Estate Broker · Chicago Suburbs, IL · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 594 votes
    9y

    Application asks,"Have you ever been evicted","has a landlord ever filed papers against you","have you been involved in any recent lawsuits". All answers are no. Couple with four kids. Background check finds eviction from 2 years ago. Guy claims that his mother-in-law forged their name on the application and lease for the house the eviction is for (mother-in-law was also named in eviction lawsuit) and that it shouldn't be on his record. Curious, I look up the house they were evicted from, it's a 3800 square foot 5 bedroom, 4 bath house, with 3 car garage, full finished basement, dual stair cases. So I'm like, your mother-in-law rented that for just herself??? Then they admit that they lived there but moved out (into *his* mothers house now after living with the mother-in-law) before any payments were missed. Uhm, yeah, right. Next!!

  • Property Manager · Livonia, MI · Member since 2011 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    9y

    we recently had an open house and about 15 people showed up. one couple stuck around to talk to us, which is always a great sign. they whispered that they wanted the house and paid for annd filled application on the spot. they also said their record is great and had very vevry good jobs. i think they were making just per $7k per month.

    The report found out that they had an eviction. needless to say, they didn't get it. the house rented in just days.

  • Investor · Warner Robins, GA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 490 votes
    9y

    This entire thread is killing me 😂😂😂

  • Investor · Warner Robins, GA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 490 votes
    9y

    This entire thread is killing me

  • Rick BassettBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Greater New Haven, CT · Member since 2010 · 377 posts · 434 votes
    9y

    A young family looks at our rental house today with 2 of their kids dressed in Halloween costumes. One kid is wearing one of those skeleton costumes where fake blood courses through the chest when you push a button, very cool.....until he sprung a leak and the fake blood went everywhere in our freshly cleaned property, what a mess. 

    Bassett Property Management5108 Reviews
  • Residential Real Estate Broker · Chicago Suburbs, IL · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 594 votes
    9y

    Potential applicant sends me picture of his drivers licence at my request. The picture on it creeps me out. I look him up online and find out that he was just in September convicted of stalking his next-door neighbor where he is currently renting, and has a couple orders of protection against him and a couple domestic battery charges. Of course, I cancelled the showing.

  • Investor · Linden, NJ · Member since 2016 · 190 posts · 116 votes
    9y

    Met a prospect to sign a lease.  She came with her friend.  She was $50 short and they both tried to argue 'It's only $50'.   My response: 'If it's only $50 why don't YOU have it and why don't YOU give it to her?'....  i never rented to her even after she got the $50.

  • Rick BassettBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Greater New Haven, CT · Member since 2010 · 377 posts · 434 votes
    9y

    I showed a house this weekend to a prospective tenant who receives S8. Our market rent is below the allowable S8 limit in our area.

    These prospective tenants tried very hard to negotiate the rent down below our advertised price, they really wanted a deal but I refused budge so they tried a 2nd time and then a 3rd time until I finally said to them "why the F#$@ do you care what the rental price is anyway, the government is paying for it and it's not like it's coming out of your pocket?"

    I could only imagine how difficult they would be to deal with if we actually let them into our place, which of course we won't do. Weeding out potential PIA's is an important part of our screening process.

    Rick

    Bassett Property Management5108 Reviews
  • Property Manager · Livonia, MI · Member since 2011 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    9y
    Originally posted by @Rick Bassett:

    I showed a house this weekend to a prospective tenant who receives S8. Our market rent is below the allowable S8 limit in our area.

    These prospective tenants tried very hard to negotiate the rent down below our advertised price, t

     so what did they say??

  • Rick BassettBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Greater New Haven, CT · Member since 2010 · 377 posts · 434 votes
    9y

    They had no good response to my direct question so I can only assume that there was something else going on that they weren't divulging like they only had a voucher for a 3 bedroom instead of a 4 bedroom. 

    Bassett Property Management5108 Reviews
  • Investor · Vancouver, WA · Member since 2013 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    9y

    @Rick Bassett We've rented to many tenants who receive Section 8 support. Rarely will the S8 voucher cover the entire rent, so whatever the voucher doesn't cover comes out of the tenant's pocket. That's a good reason for the tenant to try to negotiate.

  • Rick BassettBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Greater New Haven, CT · Member since 2010 · 377 posts · 434 votes
    9y

    @Marcia Maynard I understand but in our area Section 8 covers the full ride unless they have employment that reduces their benefits. I've dealt with plenty of people with Section 8 benefits and not run into this before.

    Bassett Property Management5108 Reviews
  • Real Estate Investor · Austin, TX · Member since 2013 · 9 posts · 7 votes
    9y

    A tenant calls to tell me to say that he will be late with the rent and to wait for him for 5 days. Before I could give a response he says abruptly "I have to get go. I need to head back into the CASINO!"

    I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity after he hung up.

  • Real Estate Investor · Audubon, PA · Member since 2009 · 13k+ posts · 8k+ votes
    9y

    @Oscar Manzz - the thread to cover existing tenants is in link below - this thread is for applicants / prospects.

    https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/52/topics/83267-current-tenants-say-the-dumbest-things-too

  • Real Estate Professional · Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2016 · 5 posts · 2 votes
    9y

    This is BY FAR the most entertaining post I have read on BP.  This post is excellent preparation for what I should expect in this process.  Thank you so much for posting and for preparing the rest of us newbies. 

    Felicia Bell

  • Investor · plattsburgh, NY · Member since 2013 · 31 posts · 17 votes
    9y

    I advertised to rent out the 2 bed/ 1 bath apartment on CL in the top half of the duplex I live in. I rented it out 3 days before receiving a call from a very distraught women who says she wants to rent the apartment. I tell her that I am sorry but the apartment has been rented out, and say the ad was taken down so how did you get my number.  She says she saved it and is calling now to rent it.  proceeds to tell me that she is living in a condemned building with her 5 cats.  I tell her that I am sorry but it has already been rented. She then tells me that I need to tear up the new laminate flooring and put carpet in because she, and her cats, do not like laminate flooring cause it can be cold. 

    these are 10-15 min conversations every day for about a week and a half.

    then...

    I have stopped answering her calls, the voicemails get better.  she says I own this house on the other side of town and has someone interested in buying it so they can rent to her.  No, still have no idea what place she was referring to. she leaves his name and number and demands that I call him so that he can buy it from me and rent it to her.  after a week of this she says she is giving him my number and he will call me.  next week, everyday, says he is standing outside the house waiting for me cause we made an appointment for him to see it. 

    Still do not know what house it is, he never called, and at the time only owned the duplex. 

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    advertised for SFR that I just got. 6pm talked to a guy who says:

    Guy: we ( his whole family) are outside the house you have for rent, can you show it to us?

    me: yes but not tonight

    Guy: are you sure, is there a key here and we will just look inside to see if we want it.

    me: (laughing a little) no, how about another day.

    Guy: We can break in one of the doors if you don't mind and just take a look around

    me: (frantic) NO!! NO! NO! Do not break into the house and look around!

    Guy: I can look and see if a window is open.

    me: we can set up a time for you to view it another day.

    Guy: Ok, we are right here...

    me: how about tomorrow?

    Guy: ok.

    No he did not rent the house, or break in.

  • Augusta, GA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    9y

    Had a young (28 year old) man and his girlfriend come and view two of my properties.  My ads CLEARLY state no history of evictions, no accounts in collections (possible exception of medical bills).

    First red flag....he lives with his cousin (often a sign that someone has been evicted and has no where to live).  Guy swears up and down he's never been evicted.

    Fills out the application, provides income statements and the screening fee.  Wants to know ASAP the results (another red flag).

    Normally the first thing I do is check out our local Marshals Service online since they are the ones who handle all the dispossessory (eviction) notices in my county.  The site was down that evening.

     I run their credit report.  He owes our utility service (water/sewer provider) over $500 in collections.   Same with our cable company, his cell phone company and about 7 other sources.  She's a little better.  Her only income is SSI.

    The next day I check the online Marshals Service which is now up and find he has so many dispossessories that it's....literally...six pages worth.  Printing them out I worry I'm going to run out of ink.

    I fill out the reason why they are rejected, shove everything into an envelope and mail it back to him.  I ignore his six phone calls from then on.

    If I had run the Marshals Service check first I would have kept the massive $30 screening fee just for the annoyance of dealing with this liar.

    Gail

  • Augusta, GA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    9y

    I posted this to another landlord forum so I apologize if members are on both of these...

    1. Saturday I show a 3/1 SFH to a couple who want to move closer to our medical college for their autistic son. They initially tell me it will be mom, dad and the son (who isn't present then). Just three people living there.

    Monday mom calls me wanting to drop off the application, proof of income and $15 per adult screening fee. Since they live about 20 minutes away from the house and I live much closer I wait about 10 minutes, go over there and wait for her...and wait....and wait. Forty minutes later she calls and says she had to stop at the local Walmart first (STRIKE ONE) and she's leaving there now. I wait...and wait...and wait. She finally shows up in her van and a whole tribe of people tumble out.

    She gives me the application and it now turns out that mom, dad, an uncle, an aunt, the autistic son AND a second son who is so obese at age 9 he's been diagnosed with sleep apnea (according to mom) all believe they'll be living in my rental (STRIKE TWO). Income is from SSI except for dad who makes $6000 a year working as a "D-boner" (I'm guessing deboner) in a local chicken factory plus (mom claims) gets a VA disability but she can't find the paperwork to prove this.

    She forks over the $30 for two people to be screened and I explain that ALL four adults must be screened and she tells me I'll have to wait until after the first of the year to get the remaining money because "$60 is a lot of money to give at one time" but tells me to keep the paperwork on them until then.

    At this point I'm totally confused on who gets what in terms of disability (the only thing I know is that, somehow, I'm not renting to THIS tribe) so I gather up all the paperwork, usher these folks out, go home and when I poke through the application find they failed to fill out half of it, including the part that states they've never been evicted before (STRIKE THREE). Everything gets shoved into an envelope to be sent out with the reason for failure being an incomplete application.

    2. Got a call later Monday that a "retired military couple" are in front of the house and wanted to see it. Again, since I live close by I tell them I'll meet them in a few minutes, and hop in my truck. When I get there the guy comes out of his car wearing...I'm not kidding...a crown. I don't know if they just came from Burger King or what the story is. "Nice crown" I say. "Thanks" he says. No further explanation.

    Gail

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