Changing rent terms for less than ideal applicants?
Hello BP,
I am renting a 3/2 house in Wilmington, NC and have had a hard time finding that "perfect" applicant. Two 30ish guys came by and really want the property, however one of them has about 6 arrests for drug and theft type crimes. They were both upfront and honest about their past and have been very responsive to my questions about income, references etc. They are both coming from a sober living house, I spoke with their house managers and sponsors and they both get glowing reviews that they are on the right track. Both have good blue collar jobs, electrician and tile guy, and make plenty of money.
My question is, can I legally or should I change the terms to reflect the fact that many landlords would not even consider them because of their criminal background? Specifically, I know I can charge up to 2x monthly rent as security deposit, but can I also raise the rent amount? It seems the same as a bank charging higher interest to those with worse credit. I'm not trying to screw these guys over but I have to mitigate the risk of renting to them at all.
Furthermore, should I even rent to these guys? I believe that people can move on from their past mistakes, but I want to run this like a business, not a charity.
Thanks,
Matt