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 

[Russell Brazil]

Theres certainly no problem with asking for an ID. Simply safety screening criteria. We dont show homes without an ID.

[Kevin Sobilo]

@Fareen E., I think you are on solid ground because they won't provide their ID. I wouldn't tell them its because you have drawn a conclusion about them being difficult because that is subjective. I would just not move forward with scheduling a showing until/unless they comply with the procedure to do so (providing ID, pre-screening, etc).

I understand the safety concern. I personally avoid individual showings and schedule open houses instead. That lessens the concern as there are often multiple groups of people at the house at a given time. 

[Nathan Gesner]

You are perfectly legal and right to do so.

[Arvand Sabetian]

That is entirely acceptable. If you're clear about your expectations then that's their issue. Ask yourself, if they're exhibiting this behavior now how will they conduct themselves once they become a tenant?

[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. 

[Mackaylee Beach]

Absolutely not a problem. If you have clearly communicated your requirements to the prospect, then they are simply not adhering to them.

[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. 

[Henry T.]

For property security reasons, please send me a photo ID and your number, I'll be happy to call you and set up an appointment after I talk to you and go over a few pre-screen questions.

[Fareen E.]

Quote from @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. 

Yes to all the posters that agree with my policy of requiring an ID. It didn’t help that Facebook put a little note: “this may be a scam” under my message after I mentioned my expectations. I’ll have to re-think how I manage FB Messenger communications moving forward, like perhaps switching to the corporate email once anything goes past the initial inquiry. 

[Gregory Schwartz]

A few thoughts, 

- let him know you're unable to show due to your showing policy. Are you not necessarily denying him based on screening criteria 
- Some landlords make it a requirement to view the property prior to letting the applicant apply. We don't have that policy and I don't ever tell an applicant they can't apply I just make sure that there are multiple correspondences documenting our screening criteria. This helps keep me out of hot water with fairhousing. 

[Fareen E.]

Quote from @Gregory Schwartz:

A few thoughts, 

- let him know you're unable to show due to your showing policy. Are you not necessarily denying him based on screening criteria 
- Some landlords make it a requirement to view the property prior to letting the applicant apply. We don't have that policy and I don't ever tell an applicant they can't apply I just make sure that there are multiple correspondences documenting our screening criteria. This helps keep me out of hot water with fairhousing. 

Yes. Thank you for your feedback. I did exactly that. I’m hyper-conscious of fair housing and only alluded to the showing not being possible due to my not being able to secure his ID per policy as stated. Also: I must have mentioned the request several times so it was clear. 

[Fareen E.]

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. 

Yes, I provided my corporate email for him to share his ID. He was able to verify my identity as a longtime local realtor also. 

My safety and the security of my property are fair reasons and have my policy for all my showings- regardless of whether I’m a listing, selling agent or landlord.

Finally, no I didn’t discourage an application; I wanted to say “we’re not a good fit” but realized this would be egregious on my part and simply stated the showing was canceled due to my not receiving the ID per policy (in so many words).

I appreciate your input :)

[Adam Bartomeo]

We deny showing all the time because people won't share their contact info. There is a safety and follow up piece to have the proper information. There are so many scams out there that we have to protect ourselves and unsuspecting tenants before allowing a showing.

[David Spurlock]

Quote from @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. 

@Steve K. Please take a minute to reread what I wrote. You can deny a showing, but you cannot prevent/discourage someone from applying. That would be a fair housing violation. 

"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 waste their time" These are valid reasons but depend greatly on your market and who is showing the property. 

Theft - No one is going to steal while you are there. Someone planning on stealing anything of worth is going to do it while you are gone. You could argue that they are using the tour to scope out the building. However, a simple security system would deter this.

Personal Safety -  I assume you are using their ID to run a background check and deciding if their history affects your safety, correct?

Wasting Time - @Fareen E. I've found this to be super helpful: When someone inquires about the property Thank them and Send them the pre-requirements (Income, credit, no evictions) and ask if they meet them. The vast majority of them will out themselves and you can decline to show the property. 

[Gregory Schwartz]

Quote from @Fareen E.:

Quote from @Gregory Schwartz:

A few thoughts, 

- let him know you're unable to show due to your showing policy. Are you not necessarily denying him based on screening criteria 
- Some landlords make it a requirement to view the property prior to letting the applicant apply. We don't have that policy and I don't ever tell an applicant they can't apply I just make sure that there are multiple correspondences documenting our screening criteria. This helps keep me out of hot water with fairhousing. 

Yes. Thank you for your feedback. I did exactly that. I’m hyper-conscious of fair housing and only alluded to the showing not being possible due to my not being able to secure his ID per policy as stated. Also: I must have mentioned the request several times so it was clear. 

 Smart move. documentation is your best friend :)  Stay safe out there. I worked for a property management company that requires all potential tenants to check into the main office prior to showing as a means to provide a safe showing for the employees. Despite the extra requirements we had plenty of showing and very little vacancy. 

[Steve K.]

Quote from @David Spurlock:

Quote from @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. 

@Steve K. Please take a minute to reread what I wrote. You can deny a showing, but you cannot prevent/discourage someone from applying. That would be a fair housing violation. 

"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 waste their time" These are valid reasons but depend greatly on your market and who is showing the property. 

Theft - No one is going to steal while you are there. Someone planning on stealing anything of worth is going to do it while you are gone. You could argue that they are using the tour to scope out the building. However, a simple security system would deter this.

Personal Safety -  I assume you are using their ID to run a background check and deciding if their history affects your safety, correct?

Wasting Time - @Fareen E. I've found this to be super helpful: When someone inquires about the property Thank them and Send them the pre-requirements (Income, credit, no evictions) and ask if they meet them. The vast majority of them will out themselves and you can decline to show the property. 

Oh boy. First day on the job? They don’t steal in front of you, they come back later and steal. Security systems are easily outsmarted, that’s the point of the initial visit, to case the joint. Or they run a scam where they pretend to be the landlord and steal prospective tenants security deposits. Or any number of other scams. Asking for ID for a showing is a pro move. You should be doing this IMO. There’s no risk and all reward because if somebody can’t provide ID, they’re not going to be able to rent from me anyway. 

[Drew Sygit]

@Fareen E. as long as you don't violate Fair Housing and are CONSISTENT, you can do whatever.

If you require an ID from EVERYONE, you are safe.

[Patricia Steiner]

What starts out crazy, ends crazier.  

He's not worth the thought process/second guessing your putting yourself through.  Move on to finding a credible/chaos-free tenant.

[Fareen E.]

Quote from @Patricia Steiner:

What starts out crazy, ends crazier.  

He's not worth the thought process/second guessing your putting yourself through.  Move on to finding a credible/chaos-free tenant.

Such a short, succinct reply. Love it. Thanks!

[David Spurlock]

Quote from @Steve K.:

Quote from @David Spurlock:

Quote from @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. 

@Steve K. Please take a minute to reread what I wrote. You can deny a showing, but you cannot prevent/discourage someone from applying. That would be a fair housing violation. 

"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 waste their time" These are valid reasons but depend greatly on your market and who is showing the property. 

Theft - No one is going to steal while you are there. Someone planning on stealing anything of worth is going to do it while you are gone. You could argue that they are using the tour to scope out the building. However, a simple security system would deter this.

Personal Safety -  I assume you are using their ID to run a background check and deciding if their history affects your safety, correct?

Wasting Time - @Fareen E. I've found this to be super helpful: When someone inquires about the property Thank them and Send them the pre-requirements (Income, credit, no evictions) and ask if they meet them. The vast majority of them will out themselves and you can decline to show the property. 

Oh boy. First day on the job? They don’t steal in front of you, they come back later and steal. Security systems are easily outsmarted, that’s the point of the initial visit, to case the joint. Or they run a scam where they pretend to be the landlord and steal prospective tenants security deposits. Or any number of other scams. Asking for ID for a showing is a pro move. You should be doing this IMO. There’s no risk and all reward because if somebody can’t provide ID, they’re not going to be able to rent from me anyway. 

 Again, you're repeating what I have said. Sounds like you have a pretty poor security system.

[Steve K.]

Quote from @David Spurlock:

Quote from @Steve K.:

Quote from @David Spurlock:

Quote from @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. 

@Steve K. Please take a minute to reread what I wrote. You can deny a showing, but you cannot prevent/discourage someone from applying. That would be a fair housing violation. 

"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 waste their time" These are valid reasons but depend greatly on your market and who is showing the property. 

Theft - No one is going to steal while you are there. Someone planning on stealing anything of worth is going to do it while you are gone. You could argue that they are using the tour to scope out the building. However, a simple security system would deter this.

Personal Safety -  I assume you are using their ID to run a background check and deciding if their history affects your safety, correct?

Wasting Time - @Fareen E. I've found this to be super helpful: When someone inquires about the property Thank them and Send them the pre-requirements (Income, credit, no evictions) and ask if they meet them. The vast majority of them will out themselves and you can decline to show the property. 

Oh boy. First day on the job? They don’t steal in front of you, they come back later and steal. Security systems are easily outsmarted, that’s the point of the initial visit, to case the joint. Or they run a scam where they pretend to be the landlord and steal prospective tenants security deposits. Or any number of other scams. Asking for ID for a showing is a pro move. You should be doing this IMO. There’s no risk and all reward because if somebody can’t provide ID, they’re not going to be able to rent from me anyway. 

 Again, you're repeating what I have said. Sounds like you have a pretty poor security system.

Even with a good security system, having a tenant provide ID is the first step in a professional screening process. It would be great if security systems stopped all crimes, but they don’t.