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WorldKlas,
My mother was a landlord and I plan on being one eventually. I'm curious-- when you look at all these social media things, what are you looking to find? Well besides a possible puppy. This seems like it could be a slippery slope, an excellent way to create a discrimination claim. In particular since you use this as a prescreening method. There are a few human resources people that got on that bandwagon a long while ago.
I think, if you treat everyone like they are out to cheat you, eventually they will. Respect goes both ways. I would love to study you and your stats in comparison to other landlords and theirs because I find you fascinating. Good luck
NG
Quote:
Originally Posted by WorldKlas
I always look on social media including Linked in for any applicant. And, as long as I'm in those sites, sometimes I look up existing tenants. Its part of doing due diligence. Its called minding the store.
WorldKlas,
My mother was a landlord and I plan on being one eventually. I'm curious-- when you look at all these social media things, what are you looking to find? Well besides a possible puppy. This seems like it could be a slippery slope, an excellent way to create a discrimination claim. In particular since you use this as a prescreening method. There are a few human resources people that got on that bandwagon a long while ago.
I think, if you treat everyone like they are out to cheat you, eventually they will. Respect goes both ways. I would love to study you and your stats in comparison to other landlords and theirs because I find you fascinating. Good luck
NG
I try and learn as much as possible about an applicant before I approve him/her to lease one of our properties and social media is occasionally helpful. I don't want to lease to smokers, and I look to see if there are photos of applicants smoking. I look for pets if applicants indicate they don't have pets to avoid pet deposits. I look at language used by the applicants and anything else that gives insight to lifestyle that may impact use/wear on the property or impact to the neighborhood. I have leased to people of all ages, genders, races. I have leased to retired people and minimum wage workers. I have leased to roommates (not my preference) and most have been pet owners. But I do avoid people who tend to have many parties, those who smoke, those who express resentment of authority such as law enforcement and/or their employers and others. I don't want tenants who will wind up in jail or fired ....... or just have an attitude of general hostility.
And yes, in my corporate life I was an HR specialist. And I screened candidates for employment and found many of the techniques for employment screening are helpful to identify tenants.
UPDATE: My tenants say they have NOT added any pets and still have the same 3 pets as when they moved in. I have not disclosed that I noticed posts on a facebook page because I don't want them to be aware of that. I never do "surprise" visits and I have a lot better things to do with my life than stalk them.
However, I am having some work done on that house next month and my long-time handyman will be there working for a couple of days. I will ask him to keep an eye out for a new puppy. If he does confirm they have a puppy/second dog, I will take action. Of course if he doesn't see a puppy, I'll do nothing....
I try and learn as much as possible about an applicant before I approve him/her to lease one of our properties and social media is occasionally helpful. I don't want to lease to smokers, and I look to see if there are photos of applicants smoking. I look for pets if applicants indicate they don't have pets to avoid pet deposits. I look at language used by the applicants and anything else that gives insight to lifestyle that may impact use/wear on the property or impact to the neighborhood. I have leased to people of all ages, genders, races. I have leased to retired people and minimum wage workers. I have leased to roommates (not my preference) and most have been pet owners. But I do avoid people who tend to have many parties, those who smoke, those who express resentment of authority such as law enforcement and/or their employers and others. I don't want tenants who will wind up in jail or fired ....... or just have an attitude of general hostility.
And yes, in my corporate life I was an HR specialist. And I screened candidates for employment and found many of the techniques for employment screening are helpful to identify tenants.
And what if the applicant keeps their personal stuff Friends Only, or Private? I do, and the only photos of me non-Friends can view is my current profile and cover photos. My Friends, my posts, my other photos, everything else is not visible to anyone not a mutual FB Friend.
Let me guess, you worked for one of those companies obnoxious enough to ask for applicants' passwords?
WorldKlas,
My mother was a landlord and I plan on being one eventually. I'm curious-- when you look at all these social media things, what are you looking to find? Well besides a possible puppy. This seems like it could be a slippery slope, an excellent way to create a discrimination claim. In particular since you use this as a prescreening method. There are a few human resources people that got on that bandwagon a long while ago.
I think, if you treat everyone like they are out to cheat you, eventually they will. Respect goes both ways. I would love to study you and your stats in comparison to other landlords and theirs because I find you fascinating. Good luck
NG
There is nothing against the law, including discrimination law, that prohibits anyone from looking at a public website. Nor, from using the public info to make a business decision.
If these guys didn't want their landlord to know what they were doing, they should have made their FB page private.
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