Renting out my home-- group of "airmen" coming to look at it... (Grand Forks: credit rating)

[jojo61397]

I have no property manager, I am privately renting out my home. Is it legal for me to state what my criteria is for renting out my house, and do these sound reasonable?

Here they are:

- No more than 3 unrelated persons on the lease
- For 3 or less, unrelated persons on the lease monthly income must equal $4800 or 1/4 of agreed upon lease for EACH renter OR if military BAH must equal $1300 or more for EACH person.
- Individual families must have a family income of $4800
- Individual Credit rating of 650
- Individual families no more than 3 people to a bedroom (in accordance with ND Law).

Or do I just tell the people or persons they don't qualify sorry.

[Corbay]

http://www.ndaa.net/rights.htm

[roundball]

Originally Posted by jojo61397

if military BAH must equal $1300 or more for EACH person.

That seems very high...........Unless you only want to rent to a married Major through General.

Grand Forks AFB, ND Housing Relocation Information

[waccamatt]

Originally Posted by jojo61397

I have no property manager, I am privately renting out my home. Is it legal for me to state what my criteria is for renting out my house, and do these sound reasonable?

Here they are:

- No more than 3 unrelated persons on the lease
- For 3 or less, unrelated persons on the lease monthly income must equal $4800 or 1/4 of agreed upon lease for EACH renter OR if military BAH must equal $1300 or more for EACH person.
- Individual families must have a family income of $4800
- Individual Credit rating of 650
- Individual families no more than 3 people to a bedroom (in accordance with ND Law).

Or do I just tell the people or persons they don't qualify sorry.

It doesn't sound like you want to be able to rent the house.

[jojo61397]

I have rented the house before. The first time it was to four college students, when they couldn't come up with the money for rent they stiffed us, according to ND law it takes a few months of this before you can evict. The second set of renters were five airmen, they utterly and completely destroyed our home to the tune of over $30,000. Our insurance only paid a portion, we had to pay the rest out of pocket. I'm not repeating that again. Our home is valued at around $300,000, if you were to buy it, the morgage would be around $1900. Banks would not loan money to people who don't make enough money to cover a morgage, I have the right to set the same limits of credit and ability to pay for possible tenants.

I guess my question is do I have to state why someone can't rent the house if they don't fit my set of requirements?

[Clay Lady]

Originally Posted by jojo61397

I guess my question is do I have to state why someone can't rent the house if they don't fit my set of requirements?

I would think that you could just tell them you are not renting to them - it is your house. Why should you have to explain anything?

I personally would not rent my rental to "a group of airmen" or a "group of young people". You are asking for trouble. Think about the lifestyle of young single people!! It's a different time of life then "married with kids" or "Grandma and Gramps". Income level is not a guarantee of anything. Why don't you ask for a security deposit? First and last months rent as well is not unusual.

[Corbay]

I would think that you could just tell them you are not renting to them - it is your house. Why should you have to explain anything?

AHHHH if it were only that easy.

[jojo61397]

Thanks Corbay-- it truly isn't that easy. I had one couple look at the house. We lowered our standards quite a bit to only include people:
1. Make $4800 a month in income or more.
2. Are no more than three unrelated individuals.

When I interviewed one couple I explained to them that if they didn't get selected for renting the place that it was based on income. I know it sounds cruel but it's financial unwise for me to rent to someone who doesn't make at least $4800. My rent doesn't include utilities which average for a house my houses size around $350-400 a month. I have one couple looking at the house making only $3800 a month. Subtract everything that leaves only $2200 a month to put food on the table and pay for gas. We spend around $120-150 a week on groceries (and I am FRUGAL!)-- that brings the total down to 1600. It costs my husband nearly $7 a day in gas to get to and from work-- $1390. If they have a car payment or any other debt (say around $500 per car)-- $390. That leaves little to no money for savings, or emergencies. And the last time I had renters there when they had to get their pet neutered, I ended up getting $300 less in rent, they just docked it, when I asked why, they said, "fluffy needs a snip snip, we couldn't afford the full amount." I told them that the leases says then they owe me $6.00 retroactive, until I get the full amount-- I had to take their damage deposit.

And to the PP who said I would only be able to rent to generals and up with my standards-- actually it would be TSgt and up (with dependents) and 1st Lt and up (with dependents). Single it would be Msgt/Capt and up.

[Sparco]

Originally Posted by jojo61397

I have rented the house before. The first time it was to four college students, when they couldn't come up with the money for rent they stiffed us, according to ND law it takes a few months of this before you can evict. The second set of renters were five airmen, they utterly and completely destroyed our home to the tune of over $30,000. Our insurance only paid a portion, we had to pay the rest out of pocket. I'm not repeating that again. Our home is valued at around $300,000, if you were to buy it, the morgage would be around $1900. Banks would not loan money to people who don't make enough money to cover a morgage, I have the right to set the same limits of credit and ability to pay for possible tenants.

I guess my question is do I have to state why someone can't rent the house if they don't fit my set of requirements?

I was in the Navy as an active duty person for over 20 years, and tho Im not that familiar with how the Air Force allows their active duty or inactive, or reservists to reside off base, I will explain a few things to you that you might want to research further about military personnel residing off base in any branch of the service, because I know if the rules have changed in any capacity, they have probably only become stricter, and the Air Force has usually boasted in the past, how "technical" they are....so put them to this test:

first of all, if they are E3 or below, which is what an Airman's rank is, then they have to get permission to even live off the bases usually, it was that way in the Navy, and they have to officially run the chit (permission slip) through their chain of command, which in the Navy runs all the way up to your Commanding Officer, when this is done, each and every supervisor is informed the individual lives, or is planning to live off base instead of in the enlisted housing area for single airmen, by doing this, they can monitor them coming to work on time, paying their rent on time, AND any damage or destruction they do to local landlords or renters....in your case, you say you lost $30,000 in damages to the last group of airmen?....well, YOU CAN STILL PROSECUTE THEM...AND BE SURE YOU DO.... take your damages to a lawyer and they will turn it over to the military, BECAUSE...these people will be required to pay you back and they cant even dispute it if you have a formal suit against them, the military will automatically take it out of their pay, AND they will be seriously punsihed for what they did to your home, possibly even discharged...those are serious charges, and also, they are liable for losing their rank, which for them, is going to be very bad....

but you go to the military base with all the names, see the officer in charge at the main gate and explain what has happened, or....just call the base legal officer, they will put you in touch, and the commanding officer of these no goods is going to have to fix this for you....THATS HIS JOB TOO...to make sure his troops do what they are morally and legally responsible for....

make no mistake about this, the military WILL BACK YOU UP...and if they dont, trust me, you can come after them big time...but get yourself a lawyer, and if not, DEFINITELY GET A HOLD OF THE BASE TODAY, WITH THE NAMES, AND THE DAMAGES OF THESE PEOPLE, UNLESS THEY ARE ALREADY GONE FROM THE MILITARY, YOU CAN STILL PROSECUTE THEM WHEREVER THEY ARE....I am not just kidding around with you, or exaggerating to any degree that you will be reimbursed...because they have to make those kids pay you.... trust me also that they brag about the zero tolerance of drugs, and bad behavior so....put them to their test....the Air Force is a good strength, and they will back you I know...the Navy was, they tolerated NONE of that... I know, I was at every Non Judicial Punishment case they had because I was the Master Chief for most of my commands, and any airman/seaman/petty officer/commissioned officer HAS TO TOW THE LINE....call them...you dont deserve what you got...and when renting to them further, demand to see their chits to move off base, and find out ALWAYS who their superior officers are, their phone numbers to their command, and so on....any problems you have with them OFF BASE, call the base and let their commands know, they will yank them back on base ASAP when they hear your story.... I feel sure I am right, please do push your case tho, you will get your money returned for the damages, and quite possibly they will be out if they are still doing the same thing elsewhere, if you need any further help, dont hesitate to ask me, I want to see you get this corrected.

[jojo61397]

In the AF at this particular base, if you are E2/E3 you can live off base. You don't have to channel a permission slip. There is an overabundance of personnel in the dorms, so they generally kick you out of the dorms once you promote to E3.

We actually went through our insurance company who in turned sued them. I know that they are having a difficult time of it, because I still get calls from creditors and one time one of their cars was repo-ed (I know this because my husband's and the airman's car was the same make, and the repo guy tried to take our car, which had been paid off for over 3 years). But again this is not something I want to live through. I was an active duty officer, and my husband still is, and the damage done to our house has really negatively painted young enlisted personnel. Some of the stuff done to our house was downright dangerous-- they played with pellet guns, and my son put one in his mouth and almost choked to death, and when we moved back to the home, I couldn't live there for over 12 weeks (I was 12 weeks pregnant at the time), because they kept field mice as pets not in cages, and my entire basement was covered in mouse feces. So it's not just about the money, it's about the maturity. They also had a party where a young woman was seriously injured driving drunk and underage.