How To Secure Rental With Savings But No Income

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by wsamon

........PMs: what would you do if a good tenant that lived by his/herself had a relationship go to the next level mid-lease and a SO move in? Would you require him/her to submit to a full applicant background check? Would the lease need to be modified? What if the SO had bad credit or no income, but the tenant was already easily paying, and liable for everything with no assistance? .......

No one 18 years old and over moves in without a full application and complete background check, including credit and criminal background. (If someone is adding a child, I expect to be notified, so that I can add the child's name to my paperwork)

For an unemployed SO who passes the screening and is otherwise acceptable except for income, I would allow the existing tenant to co-sign for their sweetie.

I get lots of applicants who try to get the house based upon one acceptable partner and then plans to sneak their spouse or friend in who is completely unacceptable. They know the partner will never be accepted by any landlord, so that is their cute little trick to cheat the system. Thus, no one is allowed in without a full application, application fee, and thorough screening.

Every landlord who has been in the business more than about 2 months has seen this behavior and the majority of landlords are on guard against it. So, you girlfriend will have to submit an application. I suggest that you both just apply right up front. Deceit is not an attractive trait in an applicant. Any landlord that catches the deceit will automatically reject your application.

[wsamon]

Cool. Thanks everyone. We actually were able to get a place without too many issues.

To be clear, I was not suggesting that I was going to try to sneak my girlfriend in after I had already gotten a place (I know it sounded that way). I asked because I could very realistically see a situation where I would be a single guy living in a place, get a girlfriend, want her to move in a few months later, and never even think to tell the landlord; not because I'm trying to get around anything, just because I wouldn't think of it being necessary. I don't date people that are shady, irresponsible, etc. so that end of things wouldn't even occur to me, and I am already affording the place, so the money wouldn't play a role (in my mind).

Anyway, thanks to everyone for the replies and the information

[wsamon]

Originally Posted by Squirl

To add someone other than a spouse to a lease, I require full app and all the background stuff I do. The addl tenant needs to prove income enough to support the rental. However, with a criminal background only being checked and if ok, I will let an approved resident live there. They will not be on the lease and have no rights or obligations to the property beyond that as a guest.

This is what I was curious about the situation I was thinking of.