All Forum Posts by: Taylor Roeling

@Kate Kratochvil Like Ned mentioned, this would violate the "familial status" standard. Honestly, it doesn't make much sense because an extra bedroom can be turned into an office or something and they would be paying the same amount for a two bedroom apartment as two people who are just friends would be paying. Not a smart move on the building because they are actually losing money.... I would get details on what type of screening was done as well as other reasons they could've been denied for. Read about the Fair Housing Act here: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/fair_housing_act_overview. 

@Libo L. Make sure you know and they know exactly what the lease says! If they are expected to pay for this month as well as coming months then they are legally obligated to do so. If people are "skipping town" for a good job there's not really much you can do about it - I mean it's their choice and their life and if they choose to leave they have to fulfill their end of the bargain or find a sublet or something.

@Derrick White it sounds like a property that is doing its job for you! I don't think you should focus on if you like it or not because really it's your tenants who are living there and should like it. However, if you don't like it, could this increase the chance for your tenants disliking it too? Maybe consider doing some upgrades, changing the paint color, or other types of easy DIY renovations.

@Ken Wang If he is an older gentleman he might have bad credit for a bunch of different reasons like he already paid off his house or something like that. A general rule of thumb is that landlords will look for credit scores of 620 or higher. The decision will also be in part due to what is reported on your credit score. For example, a landlord will look critically at a low credit score that is due to late payments, wage garnishments, or unpaid items! 

I think your second solution is a better option if you have no other tenant applications coming in and you're wanting to fill your property soon. Don't let emotions get in the way of rejecting an application because when it comes down to it you want trustworthy and responsible tenants who will pay you on time! If you find another applicant that has a good screening report and credit report then I would personally go with them. 

Best of luck!

I thought this might be fake, but.... definitely a real story! https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/man-charged-with-cruelty-abandonment-of-pet-fish/2019/04/04/5e36eaf6-56fc-11e9-aa83-504f086bf5d6_story.html?utm_term=.7a24d587a866

Very interesting situation. What are your guys thoughts?

@Sean McNealley That is a good question because technically they will just need a letter from a licensed therapist declaring their pet is a ESA. There are technically no laws saying the pet has to have certain shots or be on a tick program - this might be something you can ask and request from your tenant in a casual way especially if you live in an area where pets are more prone to getting fleas or ticks. 

The ESA doctor website says: "Although support animals provide companionship, they are not given basic legal protections like service animals (SA) or Psychiatric Service Dogs (PSD) under ADA. Because of this, the regulations around ESAs become tricky....ESA are required to behave well in public, listen to their handlers, and not cause a disturbance.... For example, property owners cannot restrict the breed, size, or species of the ESA and they are required to make reasonable accommodations for people with a verified diagnosis...."

You might want to check local laws for pets generally - sometimes there can be requirements within a community.

@Tony Castronovo I'm sorry about all your trouble with your property management company - however, it can be comforting to know you aren't alone when it comes to struggles with PM. I would agree with others in that you can consider changing the wording in your contract in the future - I don't think it's worth filing a lawsuit, but you could always try to reach senior levels of the property management company to see what could happen. (You could also post bad reviews, but who really has time for that). Best of luck!

@Sean McNealley When addressing this issue it's hard because it shouldn't be anyone's business because ESA really are needed by a lot of people for mental or physical problems. Obviously, it's illegal to not allow emotional support animals as it is in violation of the Fair Housing Act (https://esadoctors.com/landlord-emotional-support-animal/). I say you can either go one of two ways - send out an email to the tenants to make them aware that you have a tenant who has adopted an ESA animal and if they have any questions or concerns to see you. If they do come to you then you can say it is the law and is a legality issue and try to be a transparent as possible. The other thing you could do is not alert any of the tenants because it isn't really their business and address it if questions or concerns get brought up! Best of luck.

@Janet Lancaster This is a tough one since they got their deposit back that day - how long has it been since the fire?

7 Things You Should be Asking on a Rental Application

The purpose of a rental application is to identify the best candidates for the property. The rental application gives you the opportunity to pull out vital information about the applicants to show you who is the most qualified candidate. Unfortunately, some landlords haven’t quite honed in on what information is most important in deciding who is a perfect fit for their property. Check out the seven things here that should be included in your rental application as well as what you should leave out due to the Fair Housing Act: