Old truck driver trick to get rid of the smell in a trailer that had been used to haul something nasty was to throw some coffee around inside the trailer.

OUR CRITERIA:- No previous evictions- No felonies- Credit score minimum 650- Documented Income of at least 3 times rent amount- No current or pending lawsuits (check civil and criminal court records)- Must obtain renter's insurance prior to move-in- Rental application must be complete, no blank spaces, and no lies (we check every piece of information they give us)WHAT WE REQUIRE TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION- Completed rental application- $100 non-refundable application fee ($150 per couple)- 1 month rent as money order to hold property (refundable if application is denied)- 3 most recent paychecks / pay stubs- 3 most recent bank statements reflecting paychecks deposited- contact information for current employer(s)- contact information for previous 2-3 landlords- Copy of driver's license

But if you choose to require it, or a Drivers License/State ID, I know of nothing saying you can't...at least Federally.

If this person really went from Mom's house into his own house, well that doesn't provide any more references, so you'll have to do a little more digging.One thing I used to do, is ask to see their driver's license to prove they are who they say they are. 

On their applications I ask for drivers license number and state and they have both listed a license from a former state. 

It's not very hard if you're handy with a screw driver and not completely unaccustomed to such work, but you don't want your first time to be a tenant's unit.

Nothing too major surprisingly, but the driver and passenger fled the scene and were later caught.

As landlords, we need to be in the driver's seat at all times.  

Also, ask them for their IDs and write down the address - they'll think you're writing down the driver's license number. 

maybe requiring the original SS card (or an original certificate from SSA for originals lost) will help weed out illegal residents in CA where we are not allowed to discriminate between citizens vs non-citizen residents nor make unreasonable demands for documentation ie ask a person with a strong accent for a passport in addition to their driver's license when we just accept a driver's license (or combination of driver's license and SSN as 'two forms of official ID') from other applicants without a foreign accent or whatever?