All Forum Posts by: Jon K.

Grades are a good idea. I'll ask, thanks. This student is just starting school I think, but at least a few grades would give me an idea.

This is a roommate setting with me living with this potential "tenant."

Month to month lease, 30 days notice either side.
Tenant is a full-time college student who attends classes a few days a week.
No job. Has worked before in the past.
Financial aid to pay rent.
No car, will walk very far to nearest bus then take long bus ride to school. Plans to get a car at some point.
No evictions or record that I can see.
No rental history-- has always lived with mom or a relative.
Relocating to this area, not a local.
About 22 years old.
Has service dog.

There's no rental history and no job, but no evictions either. I verified college.

Deposit is half of one month rent. First month rent due at lease signing.

I sometimes work from home, and without a car, this person is going to be here all the time I'm sure.

Would I be crazy to accept this person?

We're getting close to October, and I can't find a decent non-smoker match who doesn't have a massive dog, an eviction, or a record.

Am I likely to find a better last-minute match over the next week, or should I take this person? Are there any responsible tenants who wait until one week before move-in to find a place?

Houseshare/roommate setting.

Had one person want to bring their 60 pound dog. Said it was house-trained, not kennel-trained. Young tenant, probably 20 or 21 years old. Friendly breed of dog. Would you rent to that size of dog? Would you require it to always be in it's kennel when the owner was away if you were their roommate?

Had another person have a smaller dog, saying it's a service dog. Can/how can I verify that it's really a service dog, not an emotional therapy dog or someone bluffing wanting me to allow dogs and allow dogs with no deposit?

Maybe I should just add a pet deposit and let dogs roam free, then bill them for damages,... instead of trying so hard to prevent damages? I've got HUGE windows in the house that a dog could easily scratch, and white/light carpet.

I think I might lower rent or find some perk and try to get a non-smoker.

Funny you mention a dog... I had a 60 pound dog owner inquire.
I said dog must be crated when owner goes away--- I have large, low windows and had that problem with jumping dogs before. I guess I should think about being dog friendly.... even that seems better than smokers & kids.

Do you charge all smokers $50 a month more?

I suppose charging a higher deposit and higher rent and cleaning often would make the smell not be so awful.

I don't like stinky butts either. :D

Interesting view from "the other side." Thanks.

As far as honest, this is the person with the resolved bogus check.

It smells like they are indeed very hooked, as I could smell them a few feet away. The person came with their significant other, so at the time I couldn't tell which one of them smoked. I could smell it strongly. I'm guessing they smoke at least a few times a day.

I'm telling the person that there's no smoking on my property line, inside or outside. If they want to walk down the street off my property or smoke in their car, I'll likely accept them.

I'm guessing they won't be interested since they have to walk off my property line each time. And, if he's very hooked, no one is going to want to walk down the street 10 times a night to smoke. I would rather say "not on my property, must go off" that say "outside only" and it ends up a situation where they smoke out the window. Or, drop a stinky butt that catches the lawn on fire.

If it's "no smoking on my property, inside or outside," I won't end up with stinky butts or ash trays or potential fire on my porch.

Good/ok potential tenant otherwise, but not amazing. Kind of sad to have to turn them down (well, make them not interested with "must smoke off my property"). I'm hoping a better one will come along soon.

Yikes. We don't have balconies, so I could see this end up where the person would be smoking in their room. That's terrible. Indoor smoking reeks. And I'm worried about outdoor smoking... yikes.

I suppose I could require an additional deposit and a 30 foot rule, though I'm guessing the person would opt-out of renting here as that would make the total deposit a decent chunk.

I wouldn't allow it.

My lease says strictly for single family residential purposes only, no commercial use and no business purposes.

Daycare sounds like too much liability.

Kids get injured. What if they hire an assistant who turns out being a sex offender? What if there are too many kids, not enough adults... or adult gets sick and kids end up on their own for even a minute? What if some kid's parent claims something untrue about the daycare?

Plus, more wear and tear. Possibly (likely) damages.

More noise! Kids are noisy.

Any zoning issues there?

I'm not sure if you can "prevent" childcare at-home in your area from tenants, but if you can, I would. I can't imagine it being worth it. Then again, I'm picky, and it could mean lost tenant income for you.

I'm not dating them... hah! That's for sure. But, the smell carries, right?

What if it's cold or snowing outside and they smoke inside? What if they don't extinguish and burn the property down?

What about my lungs?

If they smoke outside, doesn't the smell come in with them?

If I'm never in the same room with them, would the smell from their clothes/self still linger in the room later?

I could smell these people a few feet away inside, and presumably they smoked even before they got to my property.

Won't the smell on them get on the furniture, washing machine, in the air?

What are the real risks of outdoor smokers bringing toxins and the smell inside afterwards... is lung cancer a risk? Is there little risk?

I've been to houses on the market that have sat empty for a year, and still REEK of smoke. Or hotel rooms or apartments that reek and have smoke stains all over the walls.

What if it's snowing, raining, or late at night and they smoke inside instead of wanting to go outside? Is that not common?

I'll have to see if there is any sort of "smoke-free" rental listings or city perks for being smoke free. Maybe this can be a perk for some.