Prospective tenant red flags at showing

[Kat Rathell]

We had a showing at one of our C class properties yesterday, and a propsective tenant came in with a boyfriend. She submitted an application (incomplete, and that in itself is a red flag, short rental and employment history, but not overly so), but preliminary check through the local courts shows no issues or criminal record. 

However, the boyfriend sat outside for a while blasting loud music, came in smelling of weed (illegal in our state) and immediately started asking questions about keeping multiple vehicles at the property (against the rules) and behaving in a manner that screams ‘problem/nuisance tenant’. 

He is NOT on the application, but implied that he will be there if his girlfriend lives there.

Do we have grounds to deny the application based on his behavior alone, despite him not having submitted an application or being on an application?

The upstairs tenants are great and have small kids, and I feel that in addition to safeguarding our investment we have a duty to the upstairs tenants as well.

[James Wise]

Originally posted by @Kat Rathell:

We had a showing at one of our C class properties yesterday, and a propsective tenant came in with a boyfriend. She submitted an application (incomplete, and that in itself is a red flag, short rental and employment history, but not overly so), but preliminary check through the local courts shows no issues or criminal record. 

However, the boyfriend sat outside for a while blasting loud music, came in smelling of weed (illegal in our state) and immediately started asking questions about keeping multiple vehicles at the property (against the rules) and behaving in a manner that screams ‘problem/nuisance tenant’. 

He is NOT on the application, but implied that he will be there if his girlfriend lives there.

Do we have grounds to deny the application based on his behavior alone, despite him not having submitted an application or being on an application?

The upstairs tenants are great and have small kids, and I feel that in addition to safeguarding our investment we have a duty to the upstairs tenants as well.

 Yes you can deny them for any reason you like so long as it's not a protected class. Protected classes are as follows

• Race
• Color
• Religion
• National origin
• Sex
• Disability
• Familial status

Beyond that I've dealt with 1,000's of tenants in my career. More or less what you've got on your hands here is a girl who's boyfriend has a criminal record or a terrible credit history or most likely a combination of both. She is trying to pull a fast one by not having him apply but I assure you they both plan on living there. Just deny them & move on. They sound like filthy savages. Don't give them a 2nd thought.