Investor · Santa Cruz, CA · Member since 2014 · 29 posts · 3 votes
For those who screen tenants on their own: does any of this feel like a trap?
- A prospective tenant replies via CL to my ad of a house.
- Says they (herself + husband of many years) are packing a car to move from a bank-owned house out of state and need a house to rent in my town. The story is that they have been renters for 10 years, the landlord dies in debt, the bank is taking the place and relocating them, the tenants. They chose my town because of its proximity to an ill friend. They claim both to be self-employed in personal assistant/mechanic kind of work.
- They offer friends' and family's phone numbers as references; of course, only the best character references.
- Here: They say they can prepay 6-7 months rent.
So far, sounds like a messy but possible story. No requests yet of my bank, paypal, etc. information, but they insist on the urgency of their situation.
Auburn, GA · Member since 2010 · 60 posts · 22 votes
10y
I would pass on them! They seem to have an answer for everything.
Without doing a credit/background check You have no way to verify past rental history or credit. They do not have verifiable income. If they are self employed did they show past income tax forms? If they have rented for 10 years why are they only packing "a car". If they pre pay for 6 months how will they be able to continue payments after that? There just isn't enough documentation presented to consider them potential tenants.
Auburn, GA · Member since 2010 · 60 posts · 22 votes
10y
I would pass on them! They seem to have an answer for everything.
Without doing a credit/background check You have no way to verify past rental history or credit. They do not have verifiable income. If they are self employed did they show past income tax forms? If they have rented for 10 years why are they only packing "a car". If they pre pay for 6 months how will they be able to continue payments after that? There just isn't enough documentation presented to consider them potential tenants.
Investor · Monroeville, PA · Member since 2014 · 102 posts · 32 votes
10y
They probably have money saved up because they have not been paying the rent while the bank was repossessing the house and now have to move quickly before they are evicted.
I might give it a shot with a 6 month lease and a big rent deposit or prepaid escrow if there were no other qualified applicants, but i would go with another qualified applicant if i had one.....
Ill follow this one to see what everyone else thinks....
Investor · Santa Cruz, CA · Member since 2014 · 29 posts · 3 votes
10y
Ditto about the savings. The realtor handling their case for the bank says they keep up the place well and with improvements. They do check out on FB...
Investor · Pelham, AL · Member since 2014 · 141 posts · 44 votes
10y
I agree with both @Silvia B. and @Rick C.. I would pass or shorten the lease to the amount they are prepaying. Another red flag is that they 'have to have this now'. Also they may have been self-employed as a personnel assistant and mechanic where they are now but that does not mean they will find that employment in your town.
Durham, NC · Member since 2013 · 502 posts · 215 votes
10y
Don't fall for the urgency argument. It is often used as an attempt to circumvent due diligence on the LL side. It might all be true but you need to be able to verify. Even if you become convinced that they are the right tenants, start with a month to month lease. And most definitely, don't hand over keys, not even temporarily before you have all verified funds for rent and sec. dep. Just my 2 cents.