Advice on Renting w/ an Eviction

[Mike Brody]

My brother is a US Army veteran who was evicted due to a government shutdown six years ago (he receives disability) and is finding it really hard to rent. Am now helping him financially, and even offering to pay 6 - 12 months rent in cash in advance + extra security having trouble finding a place in the LA area. 

Any recommendations on how to approach this with landlords or referrals for places in LA? He's quiet and works full-time, so this is a really good deal for someone willing to take on a little extra risk on paper. 

[Nathan Gesner]

First, for the benefit of the readers, I would like to point out the poor mindset that led to this situation. Your brother wasn't evicted due to the government shutdown. He was evicted for not paying rent. Why didn't he pay rent? Because he lost his income (not his fault) and had nothing saved up for emergencies (definitely his fault). The choices we make today determine how we're able to handle the bad things that happen to us in the future.

He was evicted six years ago. Why would a Landlord reject him when the eviction was that far in the past? Doesn't he have good Landlord references for the last six years?

As a person that screens hundreds of applications a year, I believe there's more to this story.