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cl for Craigslist? And no those ads don't always expire. I have had ads last for a month before they are finally deleted. I know as I often see old ads and contact them only to find out it's been sold a month before.
Just googled it, unless you are in certain cities, it's N/A for expiration dates.
I would never, ever give out my SS# on any application. It's extremely odd, too, that although they're requiring such sensitive information they're not asking for an application fee at the sme time which would normally be asked for to cover the cost of a background check. It does smell rather fishy. I've no idea who you could call with your suspicions but the PD seems a good enough place to start.
how do you run a credit report without a ss#? i was thinking in the future, i will leave it blank and give a copy of my credit report. then if they approve me, based on later verifying that my credit report and other criteria is good enough, I will supply my ss#. that way I'm not just giving out my credit report to landlords who would not rent to me.
......... with the property manager using the empty unit to collect large number of personal financial data on prospective tennants......... .
If this is an apartment building, they probably have an ongoing supply of freshly vacated apartments and just keep the same ad up all the time. Large apartment complexes will keep a freshly decorated apartment vacant all the time to show to prospective renters. If you are accepted, you get an apartment, but not the very nice clean one you were shown.
If it is a management company and not an apartment manager, they also have an ongoing supply of freshly vacated rentals, although usually, they change the ad for each house. But maybe they keep an ad up that looks desirable just to bring people in to show them whatever else they have (bait and switch isn't really legal, so it depends upon just what exactly they are doing with their advertising. Did they show you lots of different rentals when you went in and applied?
You can't but it's just a personal thing with me and I've NEVER been asked to fill out an application for a rental, either residential or commercial, so it's not something I've yet had to deal with. I'll cross that bridge if it's ever in my path but I'm in a rather odd (I know) position at this point in my life as I have no credit to check anyway! After a bad experience 30 years ago I ditched all the credit cards and live solely within my means.
how do you run a credit report without a ss#? i was thinking in the future, i will leave it blank and give a copy of my credit report. then if they approve me, based on later verifying that my credit report and other criteria is good enough, I will supply my ss#. that way I'm not just giving out my credit report to landlords who would not rent to me.
I required SS#'s for that exact reason - I can't run your report without it. And I denied applicants who didn't completely fill out the application. And I didn't accept a report that an applicant printed out himself.
But, if this is just one unit, and not a complex, I do think it's weird, and it would be a good idea to call the local police and let them know about it.
I would never, ever give out my SS# on any application. It's extremely odd, too, that although they're requiring such sensitive information they're not asking for an application fee at the sme time which would normally be asked for to cover the cost of a background check. It does smell rather fishy. I've no idea who you could call with your suspicions but the PD seems a good enough place to start.
We require SSN#s on all of our applications in order to do background checks and we do not charge a fee. He says he does it because he doesn't want to deal with making sure all applicants get their fees back if he doesn't run BG checks on them if he finds another good renter right away. It is just the way the owner does business. We sometimes get 50 or more applications for one apt.
There are many PM/LLs in my city who do not charge application fees. It has been awhile for me but when I was looking for apts, I was never asked to pay an application fee, including my current apt.
I put in an application for a rental about a month ago. I had been looking at ads for a couple months before that and noticed that rental advertized for at least a month. When I had gone to look at in during a weekend open house, there were other people looking at it and taking applications.
Anyway, I had never heard back about my application. I even asked that the property manager let me know about how long it would take to process. Up to the time I put in my application, she responded to questions quickly. But after, no response. There wasn't anything bad on my application and credit is good.
I thought it was odd after seeing the place continue to be advertised. The rental market is tight, so it does't make sense that it's being advertized and shown, but not rented for at least 3 months. I know it's at least 3 months, because I have looked up old expired ads.
So now I'm kind of worried that this is an ID theft scam, with the property manager using the empty unit to collect large number of personal financial data on prospective tennants. The property manager, doesn't have a business website, so that's strange too.
I would be a bit skeptical as well however, sometimes it is justified. We, as a matter of fact, currently have somewhat of the same situation right now with an apartment we have available. It was first scheduled to be rented for April 1st because tenants bought a house but then their closing date got changed so the LL agreed to let them move out on April 20th instead. I had already been showing the apt the last 2 weeks of March so we had applications in already.
LL decided to keep the ads running knowing that the tenants were moving April 20th and I also continued to show it still planning on renting by May 1st. The LL was in the apt once while tenants were still there and thought everything looked pretty good but there was so much crap in there (family of 4) he couldn't tell for sure. Once they moved and he did a walk through with the tenants he found tons of major repairs that needed to be done that he could not see while they were living there. Stand up shower was totally busted and shower full of mold, holes punched in walls behind the bed, closet doors damaged on insides and broken off the tracks, hard wood floors damaged in areas that needed replacement, etc. LL initially thought it would just need a paint job and cleaning and it would be ready which he would have 10 days to do so.
LL had a trip planned out of country for 3 weeks and leaving April 30th so there was no way with all the major work to be done and parts to be ordered/installed, etc that he would have it ready for May 1st but he asked that I keep the ad running and renewing it regularly but to push rental date to June 1st and continue showing it while he was gone.
He has now found out he won't be back in country until end of this month so I doubt we will get it rented now until July 1st because he still needs to do all of the repairs, etc. So that has now pushed us back 4 months from original date. Who knows what else might happen lol
So because he doesn't charge application fees and he knew applicants were looking for rentals starting April 1st or May 1st he has not contacted anyone to let them know either way on the apt (his choice, not mine) because now it won't be ready until possibly July 1st and he figures all applications in already have more than likely found other places.
I know it is only one case but there definitely are reasons it can get delayed. But I would still check into your situation as much as you possibly can. Try the Chamber of Commerce also. Most owners/LLs in my city are members so he may possibly be IF he isn't a crook that is. But googling should give you some good results as well. If worse comes to worse you might be able to also speak to a tenant that is living in that building now. Have you driven by to see if you can tell if it is still vacant?
Good luck and please report back what you end up finding out about this.
Last edited by Corn-fused; 05-21-2015 at 03:17 PM..
I know it is only one case but there definitely are reasons it can get delayed. But I would still check into your situation as much as you possibly can. Try the Chamber of Commerce also. Most owners/LLs in my city are members so he may possibly be IF he isn't a crook that is. But googling should give you some good results as well. If worse comes to worse you might be able to also speak to a tenant that is living in that building now. Have you driven by to see if you can tell if it is still vacant?
Good luck and please report back what you end up finding out about this.
It's about a 30 min drive away, so I haven't driven by. The ad has be updated every week or two and there is a number that has a recording to let people know about showings.
I'll check to see if the ad is up again in a couple weeks and if there are still showings. But at some point I'll probably call the local police and see is they can check into it.
Maybe they are legitamate and maybe they are not. If they are really looking for tenants, it's really not necessary to waste people's time with months of multi week showings. I've been a landlord myself in less tight markets and was able to rent out a house in a couple weeks to good tenants. The place is vacant, so no need to make sure the last tenants moved out and get the place ready. If they are super picky, then they should say in their ad something like "700 credit or better, no evictions, verifiable income of 3x rent, background check, etc."
I googled the property manager and there were just a few comments she made about home showing. She's a real estate agent. I don't think she is an established property manager. She is pretty young. If not a scam, maybe is friends with the owner or something. But if she is, it's kind of sad the owner is wasting their time with all the showings.
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