All Forum Posts by: Justin Johnson

A rep just called me from my online property management site and discussed with me in detail many of the things that I was dealing with and felt nervous about.  He agreed that some of the things that I mentioned were big ticket items and was going to bring them up in the meeting this afternoon to discuss with the IT group.  His call really helped me feel much more at ease then I continued doing research and found this site that really helped and I hope will help anyone else who might be struggling with decisions about accepting/denying applicants: 

https://www.american-apartment-owners-association.org/property-management/tenant-screening/18-reasons-to-reject-a-tenant-application/

Verify with the local, state, federal, and any other applicable laws! but this has really helped me in defining much clearer my minimum requirements for each applicant (sidenote, both reasons for denying the applicant that spurred me to start this thread were listed in the article)

Sorry, total noob to all of this!  When I deny the applications, they are removed and destroyed and I thought that they had to be according to laws:

"
When you're done using a consumer report, you must securely dispose of the report and any information you gathered from it. That can include burning, pulverizing, or shredding paper documents and disposing of electronic information so that it can't be read or reconstructed. For more information, see Disposing of Consumer Report Information? Rule Tells How.
"

Since the application process online does both background and credit checks as part of the application, once I decide to deny the applicant, can I really save a copy of their application for future reference?

Thank you, @Jeff Bridges and @Zachary Ray.  I think she's going to disqualify herself today.  I had to call back to her HR department today to verify her employment (retail cashier at a making $60k?).

How do others keep track of their Accept/Deny applicants?  I am using an online rent tool to handle ads/applications/leases.

@Scott Hawks she was talking about helping a "friend" who would be living there "from time to time" for a week or so at a time. This "friend" would pay her a little rent, I don't allow subletting, and wouldn't be on the lease, only the girl who applied. This friend of hers sounds like her current roommate whom I have already declined ann application from because of her cat and many other negative entries, she also put the current girl down as a reference I her declined application. I have the feeling that this new girl is trying to get in and sneak her friend in under the radar.

@Scott Hawks thank you. if you don't trust a tenant after talking to them, like they said something that made you go "hmm" while showing the property, it's that reason enough? I'm just wanting to know that I'm not violating any of the fair housing rules or laws. I've been reading all I can about screening tenants and have read horror stories and I'm a little hesitant at the moment

I have just had two applicants that one does not meet my criteria, and the second does but the situation sounds very fishy and suspicious.  They have both used my Apartments.com listing to submit an application for the house, the first I declined due to my not pet policy.  The second, how do I decline with out potential legal issues?  They have zero credit, and a few statements they made during the showing raised some red flags to me.  Can I deny just solely on that even though apartments.com uses TransUnion for background/credit/etc. checks?  Do I need to send a letter to both applicants explaining why I denied their applications?

Thank you!

Does anyone use Apartments.com for tenant applications/screening?  My actual question is, once a person has submitted an application request through Apartments.com, is that giving consent to call their references/landlords/employers to verify the data or do you need to get more consent?

Thanks, @Eddie Mart, I've already learned so much and, more importantly, learned several big mistakes I made in the process and will hopefully not repeat those mistakes twice

@NaDean Bowles, it goes well thank you for following up!  I got the smell eliminated *finally*.  That took a lot of work.  I have created a listing on Apartments.com and several other sites stating that the unit is "For Rent"!  Now I am just waiting and taking calls/answering questions.  I'm still trying to figure out how all of the application process works, I've always been the renter and now I'm the one renting the unit out :-)

@Joe P. the numbers are for both sides being rented out. The smell appears to be from the inside pet bathroom in the corner of the living room/dining area. I think they had the kitty litterbox there and the cats would miss the box. As I was masking off the floors to start painting, I got hit in the face with with overwhelming ammonia smell from that corner. I put killz all over the walls, will probably end up replacing the trim boards, and drowning the corner in some kind of enzyme eliminating solution. Painting should be done later today/tonight yay!