do the landlords care about what kind of car you drive? (fit in, apartment)

[max.b]

It's a dumb question probably, but do the commercial apartment landords/property managers in SoCal care about what kind of car a prospective tenant drives?

I noticed that the rental applications ask about it, but I don't know if this information is used solely to make sure your car fits in the parking spot, or to determine your eligibility.

The reason I'm asking is my car is super-cheap (20 year old Corolla). I have good credit and income, but I just never got around to buying a new(er) car. Is this something I should prioritize before looking for apartment rentals in SoCal?

[infinitekid]

yes, they will check your car, bags, and your watch.

in west la you have to have bmw/merc or above, in glendale you can get away with an infiniti and lexus, central la as long as there's no bullet holes you're good

[max.b]

Seriously though, does anyone know how property managers look at this?

I need to move soon, and buying a car has been on my to-do list for a while. Rushing to buy a car first before moving seems like quite a bit of extra hassle.

[LALifestyle]

I seriously question the logic of any person who would go out and make a major purchase based on what a prospective landlord might think about their car.

Unless you driver a beater with no muffler I don't understand how any of this makes a difference. It doesn't matter what you spend your money on so long as you can afford the rent.

[GatsbyGatz]

Yeah, the property manager will ask you to drive him around the block, possibly to the country club to play some golf. If you don't let him win, you won't get the apartment. I'd recommend putting with your eyes closed. Be sure to order an old fashioned when you have cocktails after. If you have a sharp suit, you might be able to pull off a good Don Draper impression.

[stock66]

I would suspect that is more about knowing what cars belong on their lot if they rent to you. Most places have limited parking so knowing which cars "belong" there is important.
That said, I used to own a bunch of rental property. I never asked what sort of car people had but always took a glance at what they rolled up in. Everything else being equal, someone with an older well maintained vehicle ranked above a new one.
Just my experience but the tenants that took care of older cars seemed to take good care of the property. YMMV

[SpaceMonkyPunks]

the only time a landlord asked us what kind of car we drove was to make sure it fit in the parking spot available for our unit, which was bit of a tight fit. Of course with an older corolla, you'll have zero problems in that department.

I used to drive one of those, for a short while. Toyotas last forever, and everyone knows that, so don't worry what they'll think.

[timtemtym]

Those apps ask about your car but not the year or condition. That is just so they know which cars belong on their lot. If someone is parked in my spot, I Call the office. I tell them the car and they check first to see if it is a resident who made a mistake or one of their workers who might be doing maintenance in that area. If it is, they call that person to move their car, otherwise they call the tow company.

And yes there are PLENTY of beat up old corollas in West LA. My partner lives that way and I am always surprised to find little pockets of poverty and beat up cars in the middle of some nice areas.

[max.b]

Originally Posted by timtemtym

Those apps ask about your car but not the year or condition. That is just so they know which cars belong on their lot. If someone is parked in my spot, I Call the office. I tell them the car and they check first to see if it is a resident who made a mistake or one of their workers who might be doing maintenance in that area. If it is, they call that person to move their car, otherwise they call the tow company.

Wouldn't it make more sense to ask people to write down their license plate numbers instead then?

I figured it was either about the excessive size of the vehicles or to reject deadbeats who lie about their income.

[Moriarti]

Originally Posted by max.b

It's a dumb question probably, but do the commercial apartment landords/property managers in SoCal care about what kind of car a prospective tenant drives?

I noticed that the rental applications ask about it, but I don't know if this information is used solely to make sure your car fits in the parking spot, or to determine your eligibility.

The reason I'm asking is my car is super-cheap (20 year old Corolla). I have good credit and income, but I just never got around to buying a new(er) car. Is this something I should prioritize before looking for apartment rentals in SoCal?

Could be for logistic reasons like others have suggested (how much of a parking space you would need)

Another possible reason is that if you drive a brand new car it would most likely mean that you have a car payment. I think landlords may factor that in to whether or not you'd be able to afford rent.