Refusing a Tenant Prospect Before Showing/Application

[Fareen E.]

Hi, question:

May I tell a prospective tenant he's not a good fit before showing the house to him because he's refusing to comply with my showing policy of sharing a copy of his ID with me prior to the showing? He's from Facebook. I do have a lot of interest in the home and it will rent soon. But this guy gives me the indication he will be difficult.

Note: as a realtor, I’m already used to this as a safety measure. 

Thanks in advance 

[Steve K.]

Quote from @David Spurlock:

Hey @Fareen E.,

You've gotten a lot of feedback here saying you are in the clear to decline them. However, I would disagree. I do the majority of my leasing on Facebook and Zillow and I never ask for an ID. You need to think about this from the tenant's perspective. While Facebook Marketplace isn't the sketchiest site (craigslist), I personally would never give my ID across it. If the only indication that he is difficult is not wanting to send his ID to a stranger on Facebook, I wouldn't blame him. 

You are more than welcome to decline a showing because he is not comfortable with your requirements, but you are not allowed to discourage someone from applying to your apartment. That is an easy way to get a Fair Housing Violation case.

Lastly, why do you care who is looking at the property? When they apply is when you should confirm their identity. 

 Asking for ID as a requirement to show a rental is not a fair housing violation, and there are plenty of reasons why a landlord should care who is looking at their property, theft and their own personal safety being the first 2 that spring to mind, followed closely by not wanting to waster their time. If someone isn’t willing to provide ID, they are not a serious applicant and possibly a scammer, so it’s a good screening tool to weed out the tire-kickers and sketch balls. My PM asks for ID as step #1 for these reasons.