Originally posted by @Karen O.:
Originally posted by @Aralyn Austin:
Hello all,
I have a very young married couple and the son's mother looking to rent my SFH. Once we began the screening process, I was told that the mother does not yet have her green card. The couple are both US citizens. I am not able to do a proper screening of the mother, but she is the breadwinner among the three.
Should I even attempt to move forward with them?
So, they are married, no income (and don't want you to run
credit/bkgrnd checks, right?) and living off what Mom can make cash,
under the table (so, no check possible here, as no SSN). That would be a hard pass, for me.
Set your criteria - all adults 18+ must have credit and background checks done. Income must be provable (not cash under table or drug income). You can't discriminate on immigration status in most places - but you can require that someone be able to get utilities in their name (and no keys until that happens). That reduces the chances they've burned the utility company multiple times in the past, but doesn't eliminate it entirely -- unless you put the SSN on the lease, which is required to be shown by our utility companies, so they run all of them at their end, too. Those with zero legal documents (not just green cards, but work visas and other status are legal) can't get power turned on at all, so are locked out here from long term rentals. Which is why the weekly motels tend to attract them.
Thank you for the input!
The married couple does have some income, but it is not nearly what the mother makes. I’ve run credit checks on the two of them, but when it was the mothers turn, that’s when I was told she did not have an SSN.
I did speak with her two precious landlords that have positive feedback. I reached out to her employer as well, who told me she has been a contractor with the company for 4 years and confirmed her income.
I’m considering asking for first and last months rent in addition to a security deposit as @Danny Webber suggested.
