Comments on: Tenant Application-Red Flags

By: Mathew

Mathew — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:30:06 +0000

Thanks for the tips. I agree how tenants carries themselves and how they have maintained their previous landlords house is very important. As it will gives us an overview of how they will maintain our property

By: Missy

Missy — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:59:49 +0000

Have you checked out http://nopaytenants.com/

By: Scott Ficek

Scott Ficek — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:20:47 +0000

I am actually pretty lenient on the app fee. The only time I keep the $25 is when the tenant is approved and decides not to rent the apartment or if they tell me their record is clean and they have a problem on their record (that they should have known about-convictions, evictions, etc). Seems like they are just wasting my time.

If I deny them because they don’t a strong enough credit or other issues, but they were up front with me, I give the money back. I am not making money on taking applications. I pay that entire $25 to the screening company. I have never been to small claims court.

Not sure what you mean about month to month and section 8.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Sat, 02 May 2009 02:56:36 +0000

I certainly hope you screen your tenants before you charge them a 25 dollar application fee that way they’re not wasting their cash. Also, just by the way you write and screen your tenants I wouldn’t doubt you been to small claims court every month because you cashed the security deposits and didn’t tell them it was non-refundable.I can understand the whole not allowing section 8 housing, but I hope for the sake of your tenants the rent doesn’t go up every time their month to month. Have a nice day.

By: Scott Ficek

Scott Ficek — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 04:25:18 +0000

I am running a business, not a charity. I did not cause these potential tenants to have bad credit. They did it themselves. They therefore are seeing the consequences of their choices.

The application fee is to offset the money that I pay to the tenant screening company.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 04:57:04 +0000

With this article i see a sever problem because there are alot of low income families out there that have credit problems. The main reason for the high homeless rate in mineesota has been proven to be because of the same reasons that alot of you deny applications and how those of us who provide low income housing are actually making more money then those that have no trust and want to play hard ball. Another thing that is wrong with the post is that not all landlords require an application fee only about 35% of them do and 9 times out of 10 those are the landlords that keep loosing money

By: Scott Ficek

Scott Ficek — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 05:27:55 +0000

I had to chuckle when I read your comment. I was not laughing at you, but at myself. I have had those internal voices trying to talk me into making a bad decision more than a few times!

It is tough when you have a vacant unit and you see money just pouring out. You want to just stop the bleeding and get anyone in there.

90% of the time when I listen to the voices, I live to regret it! Keep going, you will find your tenant. Check out the post on Reverse Prospecting and the one on advertising.

By: John Gall

John Gall — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 05:22:56 +0000

I just had one of those applicants wanting to be in by the 15th. I can’t tell you how hard it was not to be blinded by green as I viewed a terrible credit report telling the tale of a house of cards waiting to fall apart. In my mind I tried to make it work, but in the end after re-reading this post I decided to do what is almost certainly the correct decision and deny the application.