Caught potential applicant lying - how do I cancel the showing?

Question

Hi,

I'm looking for advice on a proper procedure to cancel showing if I caught a potential applicant lying. I pre-screened the caller over the phone but after checking her FB I found out she lied about pets and smoking. The posts were from fall 2016, so technically she can say they don't have the cat anymore and that she and her husband quit smoking, but now I have doubts about these people.

Given I can't deny their application as I didn't send them one yet, are there any formalities I must follow to cancel the showing? Or do I just call/write to her and inform her about my findings?

Thank you!

Ludmila M. · Answer

Hmm, Account Closed, I don't agree with this. I asked the person if anyone in her household smokes, and she says no, and then I see on her FB page a video where her husband smokes and she comments that they are smoking before going into a hotel - why should I not believe it?

Or when I asked her about pets, she tells me they have none, but yet there are multiple FB posts about a cat and she explicitly makes a reference about owning a cat - I shouldn't believe this either?

I find social media a powerful tool when it comes to learning about people, just obviously need to be able to separate junk and focus on what matters.

Thomas S. · Answer

Just call and inform them you are canceling the showing. You have no further obligation to these people, if they press tell them you do not rent to smokers and hang up. If they are in fact smokers you will not hear from them again.

Account Closed · Answer

@Ludmila M. I personally tell people straight up.  There is nothing worse than a tenant trying lie.

Deanna McCormick · Answer

Send a text your cancelling appointment.

Kimberly H. · Answer

@Ludmila M. I recently dealt with this very same thing.  Sometimes I sent an email cancelling the showing saying they didn't meet the criteria. Other times I cancelled the showing and didn't say anything, or just never confirmed the showing, or said we already had 3 applications, which was sorta true as I already had rejected 3 applications, and gave addresses and phone numbers of other similar properties.  I never said that we were going with another applicant because it implies you have the place rented already, and what if it's still listed for rent a two months from now?  I never said what criteria they didn't meet or where I got the info, the last thing I wanna do is tip these people off about how they use Facebook.

I actually had one guy recently who's facebook profile pic was him giving two middle fingers to the camera while chillin with his pitbull, and online records showed 3 felonies including weapons, mob action, theft, and some other misdemeanor stuff.  For about 2 months until we got it rented he became obssessed with trying to get a showing, left a note at the house saying he was trying to get a showing, called often, his girlfriend called often, at first calls and messages went to my listing number, but then he visited the house and got my cell off the business card I had in the window and started calling there too.  I basically just kept ignoring it thinking he would move on. Finally once we got it rented he stopped.

Had another guy who was a felon multiple times over, I cancelled saying he didn't meet the criteria, he wrote back and said that he read the criteria and met everything.  With trying to rent over the winter when tenant quality is worse, I caught about half applicants lying on their applications, ridiculous.

Kyle Blake · Answer

I would take screenshots of these omissions on their page, then tell them straight you wont be renting to them. If they for some reason want to press the issue legally, let them try to explain their own confessions. Not likely to go well for them. Just saying it was rented already will likely cause issues when they see it still listed days later.

Account Closed · Answer

What could possibly be illegal about someone asking if they can come over to visit your place???

Account Closed · Answer

Some people have multiple Fb accunts. Good ones for public and the bad ones for associates.

Caught potential applicant lying - how do I cancel the showing?

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