How big deposit, bad credit and poor income?

[Jeff S.]

If you have an applicant you denied and they are persistent, how big of a deposit would you ask for if they are weak financially and one of the 2 has bad credit?

[Lynn McGeein]

Jeff, Move on. Do not give them hope. If they are asking to pay a larger deposit to overlook not qualifying, that is a huge warning sign. Bigger deposits do not mean better tenants. Not even a full year's rent in advance is enough to risk one of my homes to someone who has bad credit and is weak financially, as tenants can destroy a house fairly quickly, and you're left to repair the damage. Not them. All you get is a judgment in court that you probably can't collect on, so if they don't meet your criteria, keep looking. Also, some areas limit the amount you can collect and keep as a deposit, so that wouldn't work anyway, if your property is in one of those states.