23rd August 2009

How Not To Inquire About Rentals

posted in Care and Feeding of Tenants |

home-for-rentOne of our rentals recently became vacant and we’re in the process of doing landscaping, painting and advertising. The advertising part right now is limited to a “For Rent” sign in the front yard which seems to attract “tire-kickers” of the worst kind.

Some of these people’s communication skills leave a lot to be desired and so, without further ado, here are some suggestions for tenants when looking for a place to rent:

DO NOT:

  • Use your worst English when calling to inquire.
  • Tell your 7-year old to call to inquire.
  • Act clueless when I call you back to give you information.
  • Let me hear a ringback tone when I call to give you information.
  • Ask me how much I want to SELL the place for.
  • Ask me how many properties I own.
  • Ask to set up a showing appointment…and then not show up.
  • DO NOT expect to house 9 children in a 3-bed 2-bath home.

DO:

  • Be sure your income  exceeds your expenses by an acceptable margin.
  • Be able to use math to calculate the move-in amount on your own.
  • Be aware of what your credit/criminal background report contains.
  • Be sure your employer/ex-landlord/references are reachable.
  • Be able to write legibly on your rental application.
  • Be able to follow instructions on your rental application.
  • Be sure your  car at least looks clean and reliable.

There are currently 4 responses to “How Not To Inquire About Rentals”

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  1. 1 On August 23rd, 2009, Jessica Hickok said:

    OMG! Hilarious and so true! The only thing I would add to the “don’t” list is…

    Don’t be demanding. We work on my terms, not yours.

  2. 2 On September 2nd, 2009, Kansas Landlord said:

    Good Stuff…a couple more DON’Ts – these always blow me away:

    DON’T ask if I expect the FULL deposit and rent upfront.

    DON’T tell me you don’t want me running a credit/background check on you, because it’s not necessary.

    DON’T tell me you can’t afford a $25 application fee.

  3. 3 On October 4th, 2009, Tenants: How To Get Your Application Approved » The Successful Landlord Blog said:

    [...] I made a post directed at tenants about how NOT to inquire about a rental property. This post is sort of a follow-up to that [...]

  4. 4 On October 8th, 2009, ghina said:

    Or ask to see my HUD-1 form!

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