Showing / Screening / Application

[Edward Westwood]

I had a question about the screening process. Do people normally show a property before having the potential tenant fill out an application. I get that the tenant wants to see the property first before making a decision on whether to rent it, but if they don't meet the minimum qualifying standards I have set forth in the pre-screening process then I don't want to waste my time showing them the property. I guess I want to make sure they are invested in renting by filling out an application with an application fee before I show the property. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated

[Michelle Elsaid]

I would recommend reading BP's new book Managing rental properties. It lays out this process in detail. Before wasting time showing a property, at the time of the call or scheduling you should go over the criteria that you look for in order to have an application accepted. If they feel comfortable meeting the criteria, setup and show.

Make sure they decide whether or not they should apply. If you deter someone from applying, it can come back to haunt you in some fair housing laws or state laws. More examples in that book... :-)