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It may very well have been. However, I'll go into a bit more detail regarding app fees and criteria.
As has been mentioned, app fees cover a cost that is involved in the rental process. A background check costs me money as a landlord and I can not afford to eat that cost every time an applicant, and I use that word loosely, wants to apply for a property.
My company tries to be more than fair and will apply what was paid in the app fee towards the 2nd month's rent. See, we're not all jerks.
I can't tell you all how many times I have had a house come up for rent and had a bunch of tire-kickers and daydreamers want to see it. I manage 50+ doors and I can not afoord to go driving all over town for every fool that wants to see a property. Berkshire Hathaway is in the rental business and they can't afford it, either. It gets expensive in a hurry. An app fee gets rid of 99% of the people who just want to see a particular property. It makes it more likely you will be showing to an actual applicant rather than some neighbor who wants to see what the house looks like since it was cleaned up.
The lower the expenses of the landlord, the lower the rent. This is something to consider the next time you're in the voting booth and vote for that awesome bond package that will generate $300,000,000 for the trendy project of the election cycle. Taxes go up, rent goes up. It's business. It's life. Get used to it. I don't care what you think. I'm in business to make money, not lose it. The same applies to all businesses from Wal-Mart to Bob's Crap 'N' Stuff.
I use 3x rent as another criteria on top of credit and criminal history. I'm well aware there are many people who have made mistakes in their past. I'm not willing to gamble thousands upon thousands of dollars on them. I wouldn't bet on a junior college football team to beat the New England Patriots, just the same.
3x rent as a criteria is a safeguard for me and you, the tenant. I don't want to see you in a bad situation because you got overextended and couldn't pay your rent. Back to the business part, if you don't pay rent, you get evicted. I understand people hit hard times but the mortgage company doens't give two sticks what your problems are when they come to me for the mortgage payment. I can't, and won't, roll the dice on your winning personality when you make $2000/mo and rent a $1100/month house. You wouldn't either if you sat down and looked at this from a reasonable perspective. It's not about keeping you out of a house or apartment. It's about keeping your ass out of eviction court. When you come to your senses you can thank us later.
With times being hard for peoples on a fix income why are landlord's asking for app. Fees & then you get a letter saying you where not approve . Why are they telling people's you need to make 3* the rent when you are on a fix income.
It may very well have been. However, I'll go into a bit more detail regarding app fees and criteria.
As has been mentioned, app fees cover a cost that is involved in the rental process. A background check costs me money as a landlord and I can not afford to eat that cost every time an applicant, and I use that word loosely, wants to apply for a property.
My company tries to be more than fair and will apply what was paid in the app fee towards the 2nd month's rent. See, we're not all jerks.
I can't tell you all how many times I have had a house come up for rent and had a bunch of tire-kickers and daydreamers want to see it. I manage 50+ doors and I can not afoord to go driving all over town for every fool that wants to see a property. Berkshire Hathaway is in the rental business and they can't afford it, either. It gets expensive in a hurry. An app fee gets rid of 99% of the people who just want to see a particular property. It makes it more likely you will be showing to an actual applicant rather than some neighbor who wants to see what the house looks like since it was cleaned up.
The lower the expenses of the landlord, the lower the rent. This is something to consider the next time you're in the voting booth and vote for that awesome bond package that will generate $300,000,000 for the trendy project of the election cycle. Taxes go up, rent goes up. It's business. It's life. Get used to it. I don't care what you think. I'm in business to make money, not lose it. The same applies to all businesses from Wal-Mart to Bob's Crap 'N' Stuff.
I use 3x rent as another criteria on top of credit and criminal history. I'm well aware there are many people who have made mistakes in their past. I'm not willing to gamble thousands upon thousands of dollars on them. I wouldn't bet on a junior college football team to beat the New England Patriots, just the same.
3x rent as a criteria is a safeguard for me and you, the tenant. I don't want to see you in a bad situation because you got overextended and couldn't pay your rent. Back to the business part, if you don't pay rent, you get evicted. I understand people hit hard times but the mortgage company doens't give two sticks what your problems are when they come to me for the mortgage payment. I can't, and won't, roll the dice on your winning personality when you make $2000/mo and rent a $1100/month house. You wouldn't either if you sat down and looked at this from a reasonable perspective. It's not about keeping you out of a house or apartment. It's about keeping your ass out of eviction court. When you come to your senses you can thank us later.
Screw that. How come when taxes FALL (several huge prop tax cuts including Prop 13) rents don't fall.
Landlords have been completely discredited and are unworthy of trust on this issue.
As for rent and your mortgage payment....apples and oranges. Your mortgage lender doesn't come knocking when your mortgage payment is five days delinquent. Umpteen gazillion homeowners have lived in their defaulted homes for free months or years after the mortgage payments stopped. With rent you're out in a few weeks.
It may very well have been. However, I'll go into a bit more detail regarding app fees and criteria.
As has been mentioned, app fees cover a cost that is involved in the rental process. A background check costs me money as a landlord and I can not afford to eat that cost every time an applicant, and I use that word loosely, wants to apply for a property.
My company tries to be more than fair and will apply what was paid in the app fee towards the 2nd month's rent. See, we're not all jerks.
I can't tell you all how many times I have had a house come up for rent and had a bunch of tire-kickers and daydreamers want to see it. I manage 50+ doors and I can not afoord to go driving all over town for every fool that wants to see a property. Berkshire Hathaway is in the rental business and they can't afford it, either. It gets expensive in a hurry. An app fee gets rid of 99% of the people who just want to see a particular property. It makes it more likely you will be showing to an actual applicant rather than some neighbor who wants to see what the house looks like since it was cleaned up.
The lower the expenses of the landlord, the lower the rent. This is something to consider the next time you're in the voting booth and vote for that awesome bond package that will generate $300,000,000 for the trendy project of the election cycle. Taxes go up, rent goes up. It's business. It's life. Get used to it. I don't care what you think. I'm in business to make money, not lose it. The same applies to all businesses from Wal-Mart to Bob's Crap 'N' Stuff.
I use 3x rent as another criteria on top of credit and criminal history. I'm well aware there are many people who have made mistakes in their past. I'm not willing to gamble thousands upon thousands of dollars on them. I wouldn't bet on a junior college football team to beat the New England Patriots, just the same.
3x rent as a criteria is a safeguard for me and you, the tenant. I don't want to see you in a bad situation because you got overextended and couldn't pay your rent. Back to the business part, if you don't pay rent, you get evicted. I understand people hit hard times but the mortgage company doens't give two sticks what your problems are when they come to me for the mortgage payment. I can't, and won't, roll the dice on your winning personality when you make $2000/mo and rent a $1100/month house. You wouldn't either if you sat down and looked at this from a reasonable perspective. It's not about keeping you out of a house or apartment. It's about keeping your ass out of eviction court. When you come to your senses you can thank us later.
As someone who has long timely paid 40% - 70% of my income on rent, I totally resent your paternalistic attitude. Why should I have to suffer because some other people can't pay rent on time?
Landlords have to run a background and credit check and it costs them money to do that. If the credit check comes back showing that your history shows that you need a higher income to cover your rent, that's what they tell you.
Most landlords are upfront about income requirements. Most I've dealt with tell you before even completing an application that your income needs to be 3x the monthly rent. Before I ever complete an application, I always ask about requirements.
If someone is able to tender FULL PAYMENT up front (e.g. 12 months' rent plus all fees and deposits), how is their income relevant?
Honestly, I only did a criminal check when I rented out my townhouse. However, I asked for two-months rent up-front and got it.
The OP might want to deal with Section 8 land lords only. Once you've been Section 8 approved, the land lord list in your area should be provided to you. Depending on your county, a set rent amount can be charged based on the number of bedrooms you seek. However, you must have enough occupants to justify the number of bedrooms. 1 person can only have a 1 bedroom for example unless there is a visiting child or a medical need (in which an adult medical provider has to use that 2nd bedroom).
Some people try to avoid government assisted living, but IMO that's plain silly if you truly need the help. Back when my funds were low, I did it. It's not so bad if you can find a well-kept neighborhood with trust-worthy neighbors.
What if I want to avoid Section 8 landlords? Shouldn't the same list be available to me?
Every landlord has different requirements, but if you have something specific you are being declined over and over on, then don't spend the application fee until you have asked what the requirement is.
Most landlords do have a minimum income requirement, because people who make less than that will be MUCH more likely to have trouble paying the rent. Some will have figured it out, so if you have not enough income, but EXCELLENT (over 750) credit, some landlords will understand that you have it figured out, and waive the income requirement. Or if you can show you have sufficient reserves in the bank, like retirees, who don't have verifiable income, but have plenty of money.
But otherwise, the landlord is doing themselves a disservice by not having an income requirement. Landlording is all about risk avoidance, which means you don't knowingly put yourself into a situation where you are likely going to end up evicting or suing. That means you don't rent to people who trashed their prior rental (rental verifications), you don't rent to people who have been evicted (background check), you don't rent to people who don't pay their bills (credit report) and you don't rent to people who don't make enough money to pay the rent (income requirement).
As for charging an application fee, it costs money in the form of both labor and membership/usage fees in order to check all of those things. If you are marginal, you should ask first.
Easy to say but nobody is willing to quantify that. IOW it's like they're making mental guesses out of their a**.
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