If you were interested in viewing a house for rent ...

originally posted by: Mandroid7
Awful lot of info wanted BEFORE a meetup.
This is the same thing scammers do...
Deposit scams are extremely common and so is identity theft.
You need to actually background, or title check landlords to be sure they are the actual owners.
Probably turning off renters with the up front data requirements.
Hit them with the questions/app after the meeting ephasis on application, not background check etc...

Again many rental/management companies follow the same exact questioning, like i said to the other poster, theres no sense in scheduling a walk through and wasting time if they cannot qualify for the place anyway. Thats taking up spots for qualified renters.

If they dont want to answer the questions you probably dont want them as renters anyway TBH.

Seems like a lot of people here havent rented very often or own any property

a reply to: RKWWWW

Not unusual in this day of renting via digital means -- text, email, etc. I would, however, insist on an application to complete and return to a verifiable USPS (not returned via email), or an online application hosted on reputable site. Craig's List phantom "landlords" scam renters with fake property listings, and collection of personal data.

Do a deep dive on the landlord. Isn't hard these days.

a reply to: SailorJerry

It's standard info when you fill out an application - not for merely scheduling a viewing! Not once, in any state I've lived in, have I been expected, much less asked, to volunteer all the particulars in the OP just to look at a house or apartment.

There's no point, and potential danger, in volunteering information unnecessarily. Again, this is part of an official rental/leasing process, for good reason.

originally posted by: RKWWWW
If you were interested in viewing a house for rent and the property manager asked for the following information before making an appointment, what would your reaction be?

1) Full name and date of birth
2) Your place of employment
3) Length of employment
4) Yearly income
5) Have you ever been convicted of a felony?
6) Any past evictions?
7) Ever been taken to court for a unpaid debt?

Viewing? Yeah...I've had that. And it usually means you don't really want it any-way

a reply to: RKWWWW


I would like to know if they are black or any version of queer under the sun. If their answer was yes, then I would let them live there for free - forever.

originally posted by: DictionaryOfExcuses
a reply to: SailorJerry

It's standard info when you fill out an application - not for merely scheduling a viewing! Not once, in any state I've lived in, have I been expected, much less asked, to volunteer all the particulars in the OP just to look at a house or apartment.

There's no point, and potential danger, in volunteering information unnecessarily. Again, this is part of an official rental/leasing process, for good reason.

We own 7 properties here in Hawaii and 1 in the PNW and we pretty much ask the same questions just to even look at a house, theres no reason to waste our time, or get someone into a rental and then have them default in an area that doesnt take felons in the home owners association, that would mean we took a renter and did away with potential income just to have it bite us later (We have to pay our mortgages and property taxes too)

So yes there is absolutely every reason to have them give all that information up front, again its a waste of time if they cannot pass those questions.

And again you either Do not own and rent properties or have never been in the business.

These questions cut through the BS and wasted time on both parties parts

originally posted by: Fools
a reply to: RKWWWW


I would like to know if they are black or any version of queer under the sun. If their answer was yes, then I would let them live there for free - forever.

Well thats racist

a reply to: SailorJerry

I have twenty years of rental history, have never been asked anything other than "What time would you like to see the place?", and I have always gotten the places I wanted. Based on the fact that I've rented and leased houses and apartments in cities, small towns, and the country, and have never been asked a list of personal questions prior to a viewing, I would move on from someone that did.

I'm happy to leave you to your experience and principles. I'll have mine.

a reply to: DictionaryOfExcuses

I have twenty years of rental history, have never been asked anything other than "What time would you like to see the place?", and I have always gotten the places I wanted.

Congrats im coming on age 70 weve had rentals for almost 40 years (not just history as a rentee as you do), weve always asked questions in advance, however as people have gotten more irresponsible with paying their rent, or more and more HOAs are only accepting people without a criminal background, or its become an issue even more for people to make their rent we have modified , and STREAMLINED how we go about our process.

Just like this, it streamlines it, from the questions you can tell if they are a felon, you can tell if they have current employment or how long they have been there (longevity), we can pull a credit check to see if there might be some issues with paying what they owe in the past or even if what they owe might cause issues with making their rent, I could go on and on.

If you had anywhere near the experience in rental properties that you say you do, you would have indeed had questions like these and IMPLEMENTED them yourself, im calling BS.

I dont need to to explain myself any further, its justified, it cuts down on the process, and it keeps both parties from wasting time.

Dont want to answer them? Then go somewhere else, and NO its not out of the norm unless youre use to renting out of very low income housing.

originally posted by: DictionaryOfExcuses
a reply to: SailorJerry

I have twenty years of rental history, have never been asked anything other than "What time would you like to see the place?", and I have always gotten the places I wanted. Based on the fact that I've rented and leased houses and apartments in cities, small towns, and the country, and have never been asked a list of personal questions prior to a viewing, I would move on from someone that did.

I'm happy to leave you to your experience and principles. I'll have mine.

How many of those rentals were you allowed to rent without eventually providing the answers to the aforementioned questions?

a reply to: RKWWWW

I have always submitted to a background check once I was certain I wanted to pursue tenancy, i.e., after a viewing.

a reply to: SailorJerry

What am I supposed to say? "Good for you"? What you're doing sounds like it's working for you, just like what I'm doing works for me.

Ha, nice psych experiment, OP. Granted, you are the landlord and can do and ask whatever you please within the limits of the law where you live, it seems most people aren't bothering to read the thread before replying.

We had to do exactly the same before we viewed, and subsequently rented this house. It was no problem, it weeds out the unreliable flakes. We aren't unreliable flakes, so we were not offended by the requirements and ponied up the info and the $100 per adult for a background check. Passed with ease, no problemo.

Methinks the ladies protesting...doth protest too much. it's telling, those aren't the kind of people landlords want for tenants at all. if they can't be bothered to pre-qualify, as it were, why bother wasting the time to show it to someone who would flunk the checks later? And after that, why risk renting to them anyway?

You're good, it's plenty fair. If people don't like it, they can always live under a bridge instead.

Heretofore I've always let anyone look at rentals anytime they wanted. It's worked out OK doing that. I'm a people person so it wasn't a burden. Lately I've gotten so many no shows and looky-loos that I wanted to screen a bit to make sure the potential tenants are serious. As others have noted in this thread, the information I'm requesting would need to be furnished at some point anyway.

I personally have never been asked any of this before viewing a place, upon application of course. Have never been turned down for a place once. I'll be glad to be out of here though when my house is finally done, as nice as the place is, the area around it has gone downhill more than I would care for.