Author Topic: Don't want to rent to someone  (Read 3611 times)

SwordGuy

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Don't want to rent to someone
« on: October 01, 2017, 04:12:03 PM »
Here's a situation I want advice for.  I want to be sure I follow the law and treat people fairly.

I also want to protect our interests.

We have some properties that have been under repair and thus vacant for two years.   As we've worked on them we've paid attention to the neighborhood.

One of the neighbors wanted to know if they could rent one of the properties from us when it's ready.

As far as we can tell, they are pigs.   

Their yard routinely had food garbage and trash in it.  The food garbage was attracting wild dogs to come and eat it.  A neighbor was attacked and bit by one of the dogs - and on my property!   Thankfully, he's a reasonable person and didn't get me involved in it.

These folks would let their trashcans overflow because they couldn't be bothered to take them to the street for pickup.   It took repeated calls to the city complaining about it before they got better. Now they just leave their trashcans at the street 100% of the time, which is also against city ordinances.   

I've seen inside their garage a couple of times and it looked like it was filled with bags of trash.   

We've seen dirty diapers on their roof where they were apparently tossed out the 2nd story window.  They were there for quite a while.

They've torn up the front yard parking in it. 

God knows what the inside of the place looks like.

I don't know how many people live in that house.  Maybe 8 children and 2 to 4 adults.

I simply don't want tenants like that and I don't feel that's unreasonable.

What can I do to avoid it rather than simply hope they fail the financial or background check?   

Paul der Krake

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Re: Don't want to rent to someone
« Reply #1 on: October 01, 2017, 04:19:55 PM »
Couldn't you just forget to tell them that the house is now ready to be rented?

SwordGuy

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Re: Don't want to rent to someone
« Reply #2 on: October 01, 2017, 05:16:37 PM »
I prefer not to trust to luck.


Megma

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Re: Don't want to rent to someone
« Reply #3 on: October 01, 2017, 05:26:36 PM »
 Definitely don't see any reason why you need to tell them when you're renting the place. And don't put a sign in the yard. If you show it a few times they might notice, is the market such that you won't have a applicant by then? Someone who would meet your criteria before them.

Also, there could be lots of legit reasons not to rent to them that you don't know yet such as credit score, criminal history, income requirements...i know this isn't guaranteed but it seems like they don't have their lives together so it seems likely to me. Maybe I'm wrong and people with diapers on their roof are inherently credit worthy but i doubt it.

Capt j-rod

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Re: Don't want to rent to someone
« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2017, 05:46:08 PM »
It is a thin line to walk... I always advertise my property as "not approved for metro", "ideal for senior living", and "privately owned rental". I always have a ton of applicants. I choose the best fit for my needs. Never speak of a deadline to find tenants. It once took me three months to find the "right" tenant. It is MY property and MY investment. I will rent to whoever the hell I want. Is it legal? Honestly I don't care. Come and get me and prove I broke the law. These properties are investments... The right people make money, the wrong people cost TONS of money. It's like hiring an employee for your company. Word it carefully and communicate with those who have potential.

tralfamadorian

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Re: Don't want to rent to someone
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2017, 05:54:49 PM »
Slob is not a protected class.  You are under no obligation to accommodate them in any way or find an additional reason not to rent to them.  To avoid garnering ill will, I would play mildly incompetent and absentminded as to why you forgot to tell them it was ready.

Another Reader

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Re: Don't want to rent to someone
« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2017, 05:55:06 PM »
I don't see a problem with telling them if they ask that they don't meet a reasonable standard of care for the property they live in now, which is something you would have found out in your previous landlord interview that yo do for applicants that meet the other basic criteria.

tralfamadorian

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Re: Don't want to rent to someone
« Reply #7 on: October 01, 2017, 06:25:07 PM »
I don't see a problem with telling them...

Throwing diapers on their own roof may expand to throwing dirty diapers in the OP's rental's yard or against the house if they are not let down gently. 

Car Jack

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Re: Don't want to rent to someone
« Reply #8 on: October 02, 2017, 07:32:33 AM »
Your response: "Oh, I don't get involved with renting.  I hire a management company to do that.  I think they said they're setting the rent at $3500 (or some obscenely high number) to help to keep them dis-interested.

JayKay

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Re: Don't want to rent to someone
« Reply #9 on: October 02, 2017, 09:03:40 AM »
I don't see a big issue here.  Just because they asked first, that doesn't mean you have to select them.

If it makes you feel better, you can take their application, but remind them that they are competing against "a ton of interested people".


powskier

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Re: Don't want to rent to someone
« Reply #10 on: October 08, 2017, 06:38:54 PM »
Options:
1) say "no" and do not elaborate.
2) say " I've seen how you have no regard for the property you are renting and  don't want to rent to you.
3) random lie, "already have a few interested folks" or whatever.

I wouldn't even let them apply, I've turned down people on the initial phone call because of things they mentioned ( hoping to get by not working all winter). You don't have to tell them why, although it sounds like these pigs could use the feedback.
You do not have to rent to somebody you don't want to rent to. END OF STORY.

SwordGuy

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Re: Don't want to rent to someone
« Reply #11 on: October 08, 2017, 07:54:31 PM »
Options:
1) say "no" and do not elaborate.
2) say " I've seen how you have no regard for the property you are renting and  don't want to rent to you.
3) random lie, "already have a few interested folks" or whatever.

I wouldn't even let them apply, I've turned down people on the initial phone call because of things they mentioned ( hoping to get by not working all winter). You don't have to tell them why, although it sounds like these pigs could use the feedback.
You do not have to rent to somebody you don't want to rent to. END OF STORY.

Actually, if they claim you did not rent to them for a reason like gender, national origin, or religion, or race, etc., and convince a judge or jury that's why you didn't rent to them - they can win a shitload of money from you in damages.   

So, while I don't HAVE to rent to someone I don't want to - it might not be the end of the story.

For this particular property, it's a moot point.  We decided to sell because the quality of folks in the neighborhood has been decreasing.   It's fairly common to see bums with the aimless poor person shuffle wandering down the next street over.  And since we don't live in the neighborhood anymore, the fact that we see a goodly number of them means the problem is most likely even worse.

clarkfan1979

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Re: Don't want to rent to someone
« Reply #12 on: October 20, 2017, 11:35:37 PM »
In the future, I would just quote a high number that you don't think they can afford.

Dicey

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Re: Don't want to rent to someone
« Reply #13 on: October 21, 2017, 08:29:57 AM »
In the future, I would just quote a high number that you don't think they can afford.
Nope. If your prospective tenants are deadbeats who know they're not going to pay, this won't phase them.