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Why do landlords make appointments to show property, and not keep them. Furthermore, why don't they answer they phone when you attempt to find out why they aren't there as you are standing in front of the property they were going to show you?

It is a two-way street.

Unless you are paying for their utilities, why would you want to bother with this?

Yes, I've read about those options. I think California allows for the insurance option. At least I've run across it quite a few times searching for an apartment. However, the landlords weren't charging anything close to resembling a reasonable monthly fee. They were looking for $50 a month and up. Any renter with even the most basic math skills can see this isn't really a good deal. I also think this is going to become the standard for high-risk tenants that typically don't have money on hand for deposits, with the better tenants paying standard security deposits.

But as it is now, non-refundable fees are illegal in most areas, and after this type of deposit is sorted out, I would guess the same thing will very much apply, such as laws prohibiting landlords from charging tenants $50 a month for insurance when their real cost is $25 (no charging more than the actual cost).

Making a deposit a fee is illegal in quite a few locations as well.

At some point being protective becomes ridiculous. Prohibiting guests is ridiculous, unless these guests are making noise, loitering, etc. Guest aren't people living in the apartment. Again, there is a difference between having a guest spend the night (it shouldn't matter if it is an out of town friend, girlfriend, or relative).

Really, if you are having these problems it is very possible you failed to screen your tenant properly (yes, I know Fair Housing laws sometimes make it difficult).

If you are too ridiculous you are going to drive away the good tenants, which is why I'm looking for another place right now. I'm dealing with someone that has an irrational fear that I'm going to move out without paying rent, even though I've never been late on the rent payment going on seven years at this place. I've had it with the landlord calling the property manager to check up on me, then seeing her creeping around the building, knocking on the door, leaving notes on the door that require me to call, or calling me when I'm working out of town.

Yes, I'm fully aware people move without paying rent. In most cases this type of person would likely be doing things that make you question them. Someone that pays rent on time for seven months typically doesn't fit that profile.

Just looking around on the application fee, I didn't go as far as looking through legal codes, but the State of Alaska's landlord-tenant guide states out of pocket expenses are probably lawful. I would interpret that as making money off of application fees as being illegal.

Interestingly, in Texas you have to refund the application fee if you don't rent to them. I'll have to check on California's laws regarding this. There is no shortage of landlords here that think it is perfectly acceptable to collect money for application fees when they have no intention of renting to the applicants, which is illegal (illegal to take and charge application fees if you have no intention to rent).

I ask for a copy of my report, which I have a right to do in California. This pretty much tells me if they are attempting to collect money, or if they are seriously considering me as an applicant. The clowns trying to make money off of application fees refuse to give me a report, so I don't bother applying with them. It just tells me their mindset is of a nature that can be a potential problem down the road.

Keep in mind that some places prohibit application fees to be more than the costs to screen the applicant.

Non-refundable deposits are illegal in many places as well.

It depends on the laws in the state you are in.

Generally, tenants are liable for all damages, excluding normal wear and tear Don't expect the carpet to look new after seven years, for example. Quite a few locales state a tenant has to notify and give the landlord reasonable time to make the repairs. So, if two months go by and you haven't bothered to make the repairs, it is perfectly reasonable for a tenant to call someone and take it off the rent. In these cases the landlord has nobody to blame but themselves.

Unless, of course, the tenant caused the damage. They they should ideally be liable

I think a few pictures of what you are working on will net you some replies and perhaps a few suggestions.

That isn't the situation I'm talking about. I'm talking about someone spending the night, not living there. Two completely different situations. Furthermore, I meant landlords having a problem with it specifically because they don't agree with it on some "moral" mindset.