All Forum Posts by: Cali Skier

To be clear I am not doing this until after i have met the tenant, talked to them, asked probing questions and they have seen my house.  

What I am assuming is that other landlords / PMCs are doing somthing I am not that is closing on these potential tenants.

When you see a good prospective tenant, after talking to them you get a good feeling, but before they have filled out the application... 

Do any of you, "chase" them? in order to get them to apply?  Here is an escalating list of chasing options, where would you stop...

(Note 2-4 would be contingent on them qualifying)

1. Follow up with a phone call the next day

2. Offer to apply application fee to first months rent

3. Offer to buy them something they mentioned when walking around the house (i.e. Ceiling fan)

4. Offer to include a refrigerator if it was mentioned that they don't have one.

Other options?

Reason I am asking is we are getting good prospective tenants calling, however a few have "found something" before we got our chance to show it and I am wondering if the other landlords are doing something to close the deal.

Maybe that is a better question, how do you close?

Thanks all for your responses, much appreciated

So I have read and am following the Bigger Pockets Tenant Screening Guide, and it is very clear that this is a denial, and I understand the reasons for not renting to tenants to prior evictions, because they understand the process.  But what does "I paid it off mean"? Does that mean, they were evicted but they paid off the debt owed?  I want to know how to respond to them as they are being persistent.  

So that's a good point.  What you are telling me is I have to treat the married couple the same way as two adults renting the house.  I can't sum the incomes of a married couple to qualify them an not a dating couple.  Correct?

Thanks Steve, you are spot on, but the part I am not getting past is how does your gut stand up in a court of law.  What I am gathering is, find the objective thing that disqualifies them if your gut is seeing red flags.  I am being very clear up front what the qualifications are.

Thank you.  Thinking about my screening process.  Would it be acceptable to state in the policy that when a group of renters attempts to rent the house (i.e. college students, girlfriend, boyfriend, and a sister, or whatever) all possible combinations of 2 people must make enough money to equal 3 times the rent?  What i am meaning is, say the sister moves out, or one college student gets married, now I have problem with rent.  Or say the boyfriend and girlfriend split up and the sister and girlfriend can't afford rent.  now I am stuck.

I think its acceptable for me to do this.  

I think I can treat this like a job interview, right? I am looking for stability.

Thank you very much, that makes sense.

I know you screen, but if they qualify how do you go with your gut

How do you legally go with your gut?