State Specific Question About: MINNESOTA (MN)

I showed a couple with a house I have for rent. I told the lady I had just come from cleaning another house when I got to the showing. She said she would help me clean that house.

So I scheduled another cleaning two days later and told her to be there at 9 am. She showed up at 1 pm, lighted a cigarette puffed on it and then throw it on the ground next to my door on the house I was cleaning. She was in the basement for an hour then said she had to go run an errand. I looked at the basement I couldn't see where she swept up anything.

She comes back 2 hours later and works 1 more hour and says had to leave. I pay her for her worthless (got nothing done) 2 hours of work and she leaves.

She has no job, but social security payments. She has been calling and texting me everyday to rent that house I showed her. I don't want her to rent my house. She proved to me she is undependable, does not clean, and has no care about throwing her cigarettes in my yard.

How do I deny her of renting my house?

I can choose who I want to live in my houses correct?

Also do I have to respond with a written denial within so many days of someone applying to rent my house? She demanding an answer.

It is not available until Nov. 1 so I want to keep accepting applications until I find the most qualified person that I feel will keep my house clean and pay me.

Boy, that's tough.

Say nothing lay low

Once i said" Thay won't work for me"

Unless there is something in Minnesota law about providing a reason, you don't have to respond, unless you denied based on a credit check, in that case you're supposed to mail an adverse action letter. But you do need a valid reason to deny, for your own records.

You could say it is not available until Nov. 1 and you have many applications ahead of hers. It isn't any of her business who was in line first.

Joe,

To avoid Fair Housing discrimination charges we invite everyone to complete and written application. We do not approve or deny until we have the app in hand and have taken time to screen it.

So unless she has submitted a signed written, and complete app, there is nothing to talk about.

If she HAS and you have screened, I doubt she met your qualifications for income, employment (garnishable) , good references, non-smoking...

We don't call to tell them "their app" did not qualify but if they ask we tell them straight - "The office did not approve your application." Notice the slight deflection by saying "the office" and "the app", not them personally.

If they want to know more they can submit a written request. Never received one yet!

We like to keep things peaceful because you never know about her drunk brother in law who knows where you live.

As Brad says, definitely encourage EVERYONE to Apply! I used to try to save folks some $$$ (and me some hassle) after my phone screening if they said something like, "Well, my ex-con boyfriend just got out of the poky and will be living with me to babysit my four kids since he doesn't have a job." But the laws are getting stricter by the day about 'discriminating' against these poor folks who cannot be bothered to think of the consequences of their actions beyond tomorrow.

So don't just LET them apply...ENCOURAGE them to Apply! Prove to all the world that you are a fair-minded person who obeys the law. Then once you have all the info in hand plus their fee, there will be plenty of reasons to deny them based on legitimate criteria: bad credit, evictions, unpaid money judgments, lack of income, bad or no land lord references, violent felony and/or drug convictions, etc.

Also, I second Brad's suggestion about requiring them to send a self-addressed, stamped envelop along with a request for details about WHY they were denied. That way they cannot claim you said something over the phone that could potentially be construed as discriminatory.

The sad part is, I used to be able to save these folks the time and money lost when I knew they'd never qualify. "No longer!" says Big Brother. You simply MUST let people make the decision to waste money themselves. Welcome to the world of our Govt 'protecting' people from the evil land lords!

"That's awesome. Here's an application. Go ahead and fill out all the information, and then mail it to me at the address on the top. It usually takes about two days to process, so I'll give you a call if it's successful."

She may or may not get past that step-- many people in a certain socioeconomic strata have an odd intolerance for stamps, envelopes, and snail mail. She'll obviously fail on at least one point, so you won't call her. If she calls you and presses for a reason, pick one thing for her to work on.

"I've put a sticky note on it and put it in my 'pending' file. We like to see people at a W2 job for at least six months. It's a stability thing, you know how it is. Go ahead and work on that, and when you've got that job stability, feel free to give me a call."

I don't mix business. If you're my tenant, you don't work for me. If you want to work for me, move. That would have simplified this significantly.

I shut down bad labor quickly. If I look and you did nothing, I ask you not to come back. Some people think of it as unkind. I find it to be the kind of life lesson that has made me who I am. I pay the bills. I know what an hour's worth of cleaning looks like. If I go down there after an hour and you didn't reach that threshold, I give you some guidance. If I go down there after an hour and you did twice that much work, you will work for me for a long time. If somebody comes to work for me and has to leave after an hour and says they'll be back in an hour, I tell them not to worry about it, pay them for what they did, and we're done.

The advice about getting a written application and fee is spot-on.

I don't accept smokers. DQ'd with one punch. I also don't allow littering. If she littered in front of me, that'd be DQ #2.

I agree with Mike from SD. I wouldn't hire a tenant to do work, and I definitely never hire an applicant to do anything.

"How do I deny her of renting my house?

I can choose who I want to live in my houses correct?"

PLEASE join a local landlord group.

We all know what the supposed to be the oldest profession (and it's not a baker); landlording surely has to be the second.

These are Landlording 101 questions, and I don't say this to make fun of you; we were all new once. Just get with a local group who can help you with some guideance and keep reading here, too!

In hindsight - the 1pm show-up would have been the end unless they had an incredibly bullet-proof excuse.

Moving forward, I often check out social media, court records during the initial phone call. I always shoot to become their best buddy and cheerleader on the phone:

Me: "Why are you moving?"

Him: "Landlord issues..."

Me: "That sucks - some landlords can be total jerks..."

Him: [feeling validated] "Yeah, he said we couldn't have grills. I showed him, I got one I hide."

Me: "Good for you! That's awesome!" [Mental note: authority issues, does not follow rules]

LLs get sued by Fair Housing over what they SAY. Stop SAYING stuff. Your words like "I don't think you'll qualify" will be used against you.

take her application and process it. that person you describe will rarely pass muster. if you decline her based on the credit report, which will likely stink like a fish house dumpster, you do need to issue a formal decline that advises her how to get a copy of that report to review it. if you are not pulling credit reports then you have no business landlording.

demand complete applications from all applicants. take application fees as well. develop your own minimum standards and apply them evenly to all applicants...this let's you state that you have a standard AND saves you a ton of time. program her number into your phone and let it go to v/mail. the fact that she's desperate is a red flag.

social security income is some of the best as long as it's long term, and i am pretty sure toy can ask. if they are on temporary disability that is not as great as permanent.

Let me weigh in again. Be aware that there are TESTERS out there ready to pounce! If you put everything in writing, regarding applications and your Do's & Don'ts list, you protect yourself from serious HE SAID, SHE SAID accusations.It is easier to remember the truth. But y'all knew that.