Funny you should ask.

I was brought up, (18 years and Out)

3/1, 1200 SQ. Ft. Ranch Home.

There were 10 Kids, 2 Parents. (that's 12 Total)

A Country Boy Can Survive. (Life is Better on a Dirt Road)

Families who need to feed and clothe their kids.

Its still a lot of people and it's hard on a house.

It may not be a matter of want as much as it is a matter of affordability. You need to be careful about not responding...familial issues are the number one fair housing complaint. There are testers out there who randomly call LL's to see their response.

I get your point Ken ... yikes. I totally understand that the cost may be the driver for these people but at the same time - they need to find a different "hobby" to pass their time!

I know Ken is intelligent enough NOT to say "sorry, too many kids" as MOST on here are (I said most). That's sometimes the "beauty" of craigslist - you CAN just delete an email and "never receive it". I do that with people that I recognize that are "always" looking for an apartment or just don't even bother to read the ad. My thought is that "if you don't have the time to read my ad ... I don't have time to read yours".

Not that I would want to rent to 8 kids in any amount of bedrooms, but, I think Americans are to spoiled in what a lot of them expect. A bedroom and a bath per person. Family room and living room and game room.

So true LindaJ ... I also grew up in a farm house with 3 bed and one bath no air (until later) and they were window units.

2 girls, 1 boy and my parents.

Now I have a 3 bed 1.5 bath home and only have a daughter (now moved out). We purchased this home because we were thinking we would have more than one and wouldn't need to purchase more ... oh well ... wasn't "our" decision on that.

My wife grew up in a 3 bed one bath home with her parents and 7 brothers and sisters! Yup ... 7. BUT - they OWNED their house and converted and added to the house (but it wasn't until AFTER the older ones moved on and out)! HA HA ...

If a group exceeds the "2 per bedroom + 1" guidelines, is it safe to say "no" during prescreening, or are we supposed to still meet with them, take an application and then deny later based on that?

The difference between owning and renting, I spent many summers (other seasons later on - no 18 and out) on family farms staying in farmhouses but I doubt they were larger than 900-1000 sq ft, boys bedroom, girls bedroom and grownup bedroom and someone slept on a sofa bed to keep the kids from sneeking out, we got caught instantly crawling out the windows because there were rose bushes planted there (even with 2 layers the prickers were too much), country girls survive too, life on a dirt road is wonderful. We experimented with electricity a lot but no toys like todays kids, we had electric trains, easybake oven was used to melt plastic sickening everyone in the house, made jacobs ladder, modified ham radios into broadcast stations, hydrogen manufacturing, gunpowder for rockets, kids today have not a clue.

As a tenant - no. I don't want that many people in my home.

The way Fair Housing is written is very confusing but everyone assumes we only have to allow 2/BR. No so. They also factor SF. A room doesn't have to technically be a BR it could be a den or LR. Their standard is 50SF / person in sleeping quarters especially for children. I agree that it is a ton of excess wear and tear.I'm not defending the guidelines we just need to be aware of it.

This past fall I had a single mother with 8 kids(<1-17) apply for a 4 BR. That's 2 /BR plus it has a large LR, separate DR and eat-in kitchen more than enough space to meet FH regs. I knew she wouldn't qualify on income so I wasn't really concerned but I still tread very carefully and din't just blow her off.

J: I think you just follow your normal qualifications. And yes, it starts with your income guidelines which is another reason for all of us to have a written policy on that and enforce it.

You can respond that they are welcome to look and apply, but that your state/local housing codes do not permit more than x-number of people in a house with 3 bedrooms. The only exception is if children are born during the

Then it's up to them. If they apply after you've told them you legally cannot approve them, that mistake is on their dime.

SID:

That is a slippery slope. It is not occupants as much as SF. I just looked at how Charlotte defines it:

150 SF for 1st occupant, 100 additional SF for the next 3 and 50SF for each additional occupant over 4 people and children under 1 are not counted.

Sleeping qtrs:

80SF for 1, 30 for the 2nd and 20 for each add"l person.

Assuming his city has the same ordinance he only needs 310 SF sleeping area for 12 people and 1050 SF in living space.

We've had 7 kids in 2 bedrooms. 3 boys in one and 4 girls in the other. Double bunk beds make it work. They also all share a bathroom.

Thank goodness we are in a position to own our home. It would be nearly impossible to find a place to rent.

Ken