Jon Doe wants to rent from me!

[Account Closed]

Uh, yeah. -eyeroll-

I’m a new landlord BUT I also wasn’t born yesterday. Got this response from Jon to my Craigslist ad, the first vacancy I’m working to fill:

“Hey I am interested in the place I have no rental history what so ever and I need a place asap I am working so “

Would you delete this with a chuckle and move on or respond with something like this?

“Hello, Jon. Thanks for your interest.

Trust and honesty are key elements of a landlord-tenant relationship for me.

I’d like to start our conversation by having an external validation of your identity that will also serve as meeting some of the initial criteria for applicants. Please send me the name, address, and phone number of your employer that I may call and confirm with, and a copy of your last 2 months of pay stubs, blotting out your social security number”

[Marcus Auerbach]

@Account Closed after doing this for over 10 years and having made many mistakes, here is what we do today. Every time we deviate from this process, the outcome is compromised.

1. have professional pictures of the property taken, about $100 and we re-use pictures. Quality pictures attract quality tenants.

2. Post on Zillow. Audience quality is better than CL. It's free for one unit.

3. Interview on the phone - do not book showings via email, you get a lot more no-shows

4. Invite all interested parties to a private showing in 15 minute intervalls, we often double book

5. Fill out a full paper application form, no fee

6. Rank paper applications based on our point system, invite the best ones to do a background check

7. have them self qualify on mysmartmove.com (credit, criminal, financial, evic, sex off..) $40 for applicant. Takes me 1 min, very thorough report

8. 2nd interview to clarify findings, often on phone

9. sign lease, or repeat

We don't stop marketing and showing until we have a signed lease and a check for SD. I do never want to see my appliacntas SS# for liability reasons. We ask for ID and paystubs to bring to lease signing and we tell them up front. All our paperwork is from Wisconsin Legal blank, you can order online or go to their brick and mortar store downtown Milwaukee. The contracts are excellent and very popular, so people are familiar with them. We uses all forms from the small kit and occasionally some additional ones, you'll be surprised how many there are.