tenant screening and emotions...

[Tom Liu]

Currently in tenant search mode. Have my criteria set. Trying to follow strictly. Had this one family come see the place. Its a modest 3br 1 bath home. 1000 sq ft. Husband wife and 4 kids. Husband has a decent job as a mechanic for a big name dealership. Makes approximately $50k a year. Wife is a housewife. 

They have 4 issues, the income level is at 2.5 times the rent. His credit is 615 and hers 515 approximately. They both smoke. Do not have landlord references due to supposedly living in mother's home. Other than that, they seem like good people. Very enthusiastic about wanting to move into the area. My criteria range was credit >650, 3x rent, no smoking and three landlord references. I'm leaning towards turning them down because they don't meet my criteria which is legitimate. But I'm having some inner conflict about doing so because the parents seem like they are trying their best to move their kids into a better area. Makes me think about myself growing up and my own kids...

Any thoughts, insight about this situation and my sappy feelings? 

[Dave Passey]

You are probably going to feel all sappy for them when they don't have the rent check on time this month because <insert any valid or ridiculous excuse here>. Being a landlord is tough enough as it is and you have those safeguards in place so that you don't have to have it be tough on a day to day basis. Make the tough choice now and go with someone else. It will be infinitely harder when you are at their door on Christmas Eve with the Sheriff to kick them out.