Landlords beware!!! Tenants have a new way to cheat.

[Nathan Gesner]

A property manager in Florida just received an application from someone using something called a "Renter's Identification Number" instead of a social security number. They've researched it and discovered this new service that helps people qualify for rentals even though they have bad credit, broken leases, history of late payments, or other negative issues on their record.

From what I can see, the applicant submits their information to the web site and pays a hefty fee. An attorney rubber stamps it to give it a modicum of legitimacy and then hands it off to a lackey referred to as a "case manager". The case manager then works on behalf of the applicant to get into a rental. When the Landlord or Property Manager questions the applicant's qualifications, the case manager throws in some legal mumbo-jumbo or an official-looking letter that says there's no risk because the applicant has been screened by the attorney. 

I personally wouldn't accept it for a minute.

Read it for yourself at Second Chance Rental Program

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Janie Grayson:

I just don't buy it.

I know some people were hit hard by COVID and lost jobs. However, there was an exorbitant amount of money available to help them. Increased unemployment benefits alone ensured people were making more than if they were working. Checks were mailed directly to people's houses. Then there's the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) that was available to just about everyone and didn't even require a loss of income! I had tenants in small-town Wyoming that worked full-time and made 3x the rent, but they still qualified for ERAP funds that paid their entire rent for an entire year or more!

There's another issue with your story that always concerns me. Your industry shut down so you had to wait tables. Then restaurants shut down. Why did you stay in an expensive market with no job? Why didn't you sell your stuff or throw it in storage, pack your bags, and hop on a Greyhound to one of the hundreds of cities across America that were wide open, affordable, and begging for employees? You could have found two full-time jobs, made a ton of money, saved up tens of thousands, and then head back to California when it opened and was affordable. I see younger people constantly complaining about the lack of jobs or how expensive housing is in their area, yet they refuse to take action to put themselves in a better position. They want what they want, when they want it, but they refuse to make any sacrifice.

There are many Landlords and Property Managers that look at the whole person. If your story were verifiable, I would definitely rent to you. I would rent you something affordable and well maintained. You could have earned $50,000+ per year, earned free rent from ERAP, and saved $20,000 - $30,000 per year while living a very comfortable life in one of the friendliest, most beautiful areas in America while waiting for the California Crazy to die down. After two years, you could move back to LA with enough money to buy a house and never suffer under a Landlord again.

America is full of opportunity, but success isn't free. You have to make smart choices, put in the effort, delay gratification, and sometimes even sacrifice.