Choose between two candidates

[Maria G.]

Hello!

I am renting in a new rental condo (which was my home for 10 years, so I'm attached). I spent a lot of money adding new laminate, fresh paint, and a new water heater when I moved out, so the property is in good shape. Here is my dilemma:

- Candidate 1 (since Saturday): a couple in their 30s with a 5-month old, wanting to move yesterday. They have a termite issue in their condo and the complex is OK with them breaking the lease. Both have families around. Great renting history for 10 years, a discharged bankrupt from 3 years ago, credit scores of 770, income 6.5 times the rent. Wants to rent for 18-24 months.

- Candidate 2 (since Monday): a couple in their 30s with no children, willing to move next Monday. They have a mold issue in their condo and the complex is OK with them breaking the lease. They have lived in the US for 1.5 years, no family around. Great renting history, credit scores of 770, income 5 times the rent. Wants to rent for 18-24 months.

As you can see, they are very similar. So I asked both to meet them at their home to get to know them better, including their homes. Both were open to it. Candidate 1 had an impeccable 1-bedroom condo in a 2-year apartment complex. Candidate 2 had an OK 2-bedroom condo in an older apartment complex and also had more stuff (partly because of the baby, I guess). Candidate 1 is potentially more picky (from the way they checked everything out in my condo) although probably cleaner.

I haven't checked their references yet, do you check references in order to pick a candidate? For my other rental, I did only once I had chosen a candidate, but I am wondering if I should do it differently this time.

Anything I am overlooking? Any ideas of how to go about this?

Thank you (I'm a bit out of practice :)!

[Dennis M.]

So it’s a toss up between the young bankrupt folks who didn’t pay their bills or some illegal immigrants you found at a test stop .. me I’d pick neither . Geez your scraping the barrel here ..Can you not find more than 2 families ? How much marketing have you actually done ? What’s this business about them all willing to stay for 24 months on a lease . That’s a rookie mistake you want short lease terms not long ones !