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So my latest self screener was a police officer inquiring about the property. I replied with my boilerplate "background check, no smokers, no pets, etc". as well what times I'm available to show the property.
He writes back that "first of all, the property is for my son, not me. I'm a police officer with 40 years and still working. My son makes tons of money and has a clean MVR. I don't know what kind of degenerates you have been getting but my son is NOT one of them! If you find this email rude, it's because you were RUDE TO ME FIRST!"
Huh? He continued to contact me and then threatened to report me to the state Reality (sic) bureau.
I'm hoping they give him a reality check if he does that as I'm not licensed by the state.
I just got off the phone with his chief of police. The chief had reviewed the email communications I forwarded to him before he called me. Apparently I was not the only one who thought the officer's communication was unusual...
I'm sure some of you other landlords and tenants must have some interesting rental screening stories. Let's hear 'em.
I served 6 years as an MP, among the civilian and military LEO components that I rubbed elbows with, were many who had developed their own private 'realities' concerning their role in society and what they felt society owes them.
I get a lot of no-shows, probably about 50%, who are screening themselves out. For all I know, they found something else to rent and couldn't be bothered to cancel their appointment, but at that point, they are not my problem. No-shows are a common compliant among landlords.
Quote:
Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke
Possibly the post might remind a hopeful tenant to keep their appointment and to fill out the application accurately. Many of the hopeful tenants who complain to me that they can't find a place to live are the same people who show up late and/or leave blanks on their application because they have not organized their information and taken it with them.
Back in the day, when I was looking for an apartment, I remember the people showing me the apartments often being late. And twice the person never showed to even show us the building. Between the individual landlords, management companies, rental agencies, etc. it was hard to know who was even showing us the building.
OP, I think it's good that you changed your listing to "no smokers" because there are a lot of people who are smokers but they never smoke indoors so yes they would take "no smoking" to mean just in the house. Good luck---doesn't sound like you rent to the easiest crowd.
I had a guy contact me from out of state. He was flying in. I agreed to meet him at 3:30 x day. He called at 12:30 and said he was kandung and wants to see the property asap. I moved things around went home changed and drove down. 3:30. No show
. 3:45 no show. I texted. 4:00 called left vm. 4:30 I got a text Hey I found a place thanks.
That was pretty much the last time i had any applicant dictate a appointment time. I'll show up. I'll wait 15 minutes. If you don't call and tell me you're running late I'll lock up and leave.
Whenever I ran late I called. Not texted. Called.
I understand life happens. And sometimes people are late. That's ok. But call and say hey I'm running late. It's rude.
I recently had a guy who called on a listing. All he wanted was to know when he can cone check the place out. I told him that I gave a prequalificarion procedure. He didn't care. I just want to see it so I know if I want it. And I want to make sure that you'll pass the requirements before I waste time showing it.
I decline 80% of inquiries off the prescreening questionnaire.
So my latest self screener was a police officer inquiring about the property. I replied with my boilerplate "background check, no smokers, no pets, etc". as well what times I'm available to show the property.
He writes back that "first of all, the property is for my son, not me. I'm a police officer with 40 years and still working. My son makes tons of money and has a clean MVR. I don't know what kind of degenerates you have been getting but my son is NOT one of them! If you find this email rude, it's because you were RUDE TO ME FIRST!"
Huh? He continued to contact me and then threatened to report me to the state Reality (sic) bureau.
I'm hoping they give him a reality check if he does that as I'm not licensed by the state.
I just got off the phone with his chief of police. The chief had reviewed the email communications I forwarded to him before he called me. Apparently I was not the only one who thought the officer's communication was unusual...
I'm sure some of you other landlords and tenants must have some interesting rental screening stories. Let's hear 'em.
What an entitled moran, sigh ....
I've had non-reading flakes that called me in the past about my rental properties and would ask on many occasions if it was Section 8, even if I had "No Section 8" listed in the ads. Same with numerous calls about specifics on pets and would ask questions that were already listed on the rental ad.
I've had non-reading flakes that called me in the past about my rental properties and would ask on many occasions if it was Section 8, even if I had "No Section 8" listed in the ads. Same with numerous calls about specifics on pets and would ask questions that were already listed on the rental ad.
Stupid.
Ever heard of the word-of mouth "Telephone" game? Among the Section 8 crowd, information (incl housing leads) often spreads by word of mouth, rather than through print or pixels.
In real life - just as in the Telephone game - information becomes much less reliable, and truthful information can be lost (someone leaves out the part about "No Section 8") and false information can be mysteriously added (someone else adds "Section 8 ok").
Your non-reading flakes were often given bad information by someone else.
I've had non-reading flakes that called me in the past about my rental properties and would ask on many occasions if it was Section 8, even if I had "No Section 8" listed in the ads. Same with numerous calls about specifics on pets and would ask questions that were already listed on the rental ad.
Stupid.
That happens everywhere.
The last time I had some piglets ready to sell, I said in the ad that the boars were not cut. Nearly every call I got they asked about if the boars were cut.
One guy came here and looked them over, then asked when I was going to cut the boars, so he could load up.
The best time to cut boars is when they are about one week old. As they gain weight the chore of cutting grows exponentially. Our pigs live in the forest free-ranging under the forest canopy. I was not able to capture these guys to cut them when they were a week old. [An often repeated myth is that boars must have been cut as a piglet for their meat to be edible. In reality we butcher un-cut boars on a regular basis.]
People will willfully ignore the parts of an ad that they do not want to hear.
If you ran an ad saying: "1960 Ford Thunderbird convertible in top shape, but has not been started in 20 years, parked in a cow pasture, asking $500". You know you would get prospective buyers who will have convinced themselves all it needs is a shot of ether to start-up.
I get the point of the OP though. We are very specific on what paperwork must be submitted to be considered. Probably 90% of the applications I get are incomplete. I will contact the applicant ONCE and say "I received A, B and C for person 1 but not person 2" or "I received A and B, but not C" or whatever. If they don't answer and get me what I need, I'm not their babysitter. Once is all I'll follow up.
I had 12 properties for rent this month and so far, I've gotten about 40 applications. About half of them were declined right off the bat for being incomplete. Another half of the rest were declined for other reasons. I've rented 5 of the 12 so far and am waiting for landlord rent verifications on a few more, hoping to have most of them rented by Tuesday this week.
And I get all those same calls. My favorite is "Where is the house?" The address is clearly posted in all forms of advertising, along with a google map showing where the house is located. I check those maps before posting to make sure they are right. I also get "Do you take pets" far too often, given that our pet policy is clearly stated in the ad as well.
And I had one just the other day on the smoking thing. Our application says along the lines of "All of our properties are completely non-smoking. Is anyone in your household a smoker?" NOT "do you smoke in the house", but "are you a smoker". I had one the other day who marked no. I called her on it and told her I could smell the smoke. Her answer "well I only smoke in my car", as if that made the answer on the application less of a lie.
When I get a tenant who brings in a 100% complete application on the first try, that tells me that they are good at listening skills and following directions. They go on the top of the stack right off the bat.
I get the point of the OP though. We are very specific on what paperwork must be submitted to be considered. Probably 90% of the applications I get are incomplete. I will contact the applicant ONCE and say "I received A, B and C for person 1 but not person 2" or "I received A and B, but not C" or whatever. If they don't answer and get me what I need, I'm not their babysitter. Once is all I'll follow up.
I had 12 properties for rent this month and so far, I've gotten about 40 applications. About half of them were declined right off the bat for being incomplete. Another half of the rest were declined for other reasons. I've rented 5 of the 12 so far and am waiting for landlord rent verifications on a few more, hoping to have most of them rented by Tuesday this week.
And I get all those same calls. My favorite is "Where is the house?" The address is clearly posted in all forms of advertising, along with a google map showing where the house is located. I check those maps before posting to make sure they are right. I also get "Do you take pets" far too often, given that our pet policy is clearly stated in the ad as well.
And I had one just the other day on the smoking thing. Our application says along the lines of "All of our properties are completely non-smoking. Is anyone in your household a smoker?" NOT "do you smoke in the house", but "are you a smoker". I had one the other day who marked no. I called her on it and told her I could smell the smoke. Her answer "well I only smoke in my car", as if that made the answer on the application less of a lie.
When I get a tenant who brings in a 100% complete application on the first try, that tells me that they are good at listening skills and following directions. They go on the top of the stack right off the bat.
People who find you by word of mouth often do not have an address or map to go by, and may have been given inaccurate or incomplete information.
What do you do with applicants who do not smoke, but who live in smoke-filled houses? I once rented a room from a drunk who smoked like a chimney (and of course drank like a fish). His live-in girlfriend did likewise. Only when the basement occupant moved out was I able to drop down a level (with a side-door entry to boot) and get away from the ambient smoke.
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