up-front application charges - *please* help me with this!!

[Daniel Miller]

This topic is the one that I am *most* uncomfortable about, among all the things involved in renting a house - The up-front fees for submitting an application.

Okay, we want the applicant to to pay us for running their credit reports. No problem, and I'll demand cash for that. In addition, we don't want to do alot of work to check out an applicant, call to tell them they are accepted, and have them say "never-mind, I already found a place somewhere else"... Yes, I understand that if I take a check for deposit to ensure the applicant is serious, but then they back out later on, they almost certainly will stop payment on the check, and lose $20 or so instead of $200.

But really, if one applicant back down and I have other applicant, have I *really* lost all that much??

For a moment, let me skip the pros and cons of those arguments. What I'm finding in three viewings so far, is that *nobody* has had $225 to $250 in their pocket. Frankly, *I* never have that much cash in my pocket, I feel it just makes me a target for lurkers in the world. Besides, I manage almost everything by credit or debit card these days. (Let me note that there are not many banks near my parents' house; sending them to a bank on Saturday would likely be very awkward.)

Anyway, tomorrow I am going to be showing the house to at least 5 people, with one more unknown. I showed it to a surprisingly normal person today; he did not have $200 in his pocket, but he paid $25 cash for credit check, and is willing to include a check for the deposit when he sends the application - except that I'd actually prefer that he sent the application via email, and he can't sent a check that way.

So what do I do, reasonably?? My first appointment tomorrow is at 1200, and they run to 1500 so far. I'm pretty sure all local banks will be closed by the time I can ask a prospect for a deposit. I'm also pretty sure most or all prospects will not have that kind of cash in pocket. If they want to deliver it later, they have many ugly options (and no good ones, AFAIKT)... mail a signed money order?? mail cash?? Drive to Fremont to hand over the check?? (The latter is a *really* unpleasant option, especially in afternoon commute traffic.)

Frankly, I'm inclined to drop the early deposit, I don't think I'm running that much risk!! I'll take $25-$50 non-refundable fee for checking credit, and leave it at that...

Thoughts??