State Specific Question About: KANSAS (KS)

I wouldn't say the number of people is out of line with the number of bedrooms.

It's not a multi family rental is it? I'd reject based on that alone. Unless your state has rules that don't allow it.

Forgot to add, where are they going to park all the cars? My homes are single family homes for a reason.

The other red flags ARE the REASONs you want to deny, but you are having difficulty categorizing it, pinning it down maybe. But putting it on familial status will get you in trouble. The number of persons is probably fine for that size house. How they are related cannot be used to deny.

In my state, I do NOT have to give a reason to deny, other than the Federal credit rule. I have several 'soft' criteria on my written criteria that I review each time I am screening tenants.

I often amend my requirements after a screening session, but, the requirements have to be the same for all applicants during that session, according to a Fair Housing lecture I attended.

Some of the soft requirements are:

Applicants must speak and interact with each other in their group, in their surroundings, politely, respectfullyat all times. My basis for this is people who cannot ' put a best foot forward' cannot maintain employment and neighbor relations, and will likely have fights.

Another is: 3 ' you shoulds' and you're out. That one maybe speaks to my personal ego a lot, but I work my tail off to make the house very nice. You want to come in and nit-pick, uh-huh. This ain't the Ritz. I want someone who respects others efforts, isn't demanding perfection. I also bestow that same grace back to my tenants, btw. I do write down the ' you shoulds as applicants say them. They usually don't see me making notes, (hang back, look distracted, scribble quickly,) but, if they do, I will not make any comments, or let them know what is in the notes. Might be a quick note ' you should-flooring.' The applicant doesn't have to actually say ' you should' but if those words could be substituted for what they said, its a you-should.

The 3 you shoulds helps weed out dreamers. Dreamers like to think they are going to (clean better, pay bills on time, get along with neighbors better, et cetera,) Doers research it, do it, and shut up about it, mostly. Dreamers like to transfer that do nothing to others, have others handle their issues. You want better floors? Work your tail off and buy your own (@$!%) house. Doers accept things as they are, work to improve their own situation and move on. A lot of people might see this as 'picky', but picky people can hold themselves to a high standard, accept what is around them, as they know its temporary. Dreamers want to have others solve their problems.

So methinks you might need to put to paper just what are those 'red flags'. You WERE using them with other applicants, else they wouldn't be 'red flags'. They just need to be written in front of you, and dated.

Also, I am firmly in the club that says 'do not tell them more than required about denials. I do NOT give them a reason other than the Federal credit denial letter.

I want them thinking about their behavior, and maybe cleaning up multiple offenses for the next landlord. Dreamers won't, Doers will. Everybody can have bumps in the road. Doers use those as stepping stones to move up. (Sometimes, after they've found rock bottom. Ya gotta have something to push off of sometimes.) Dreamers like to waste others time arguing why your reasons for denial aren't valid.

We want immediately members, if not has to be in stable relationship, some tenants just get anyone from the street for money or for some kinds of relationships. That relationship will not last.

@LisasFL: "Family status" can be a prohibited basis for discrimination. Under the federal Fair Housing Act, all of us are prohibited from discriminating against families with children (except for senior living).

In many jurisdictions that do prohibit discrimination in housing based on family status, the "two families in a SFH" is not a valid ground to reject.

Would you allow four siblings to live in the 3/2 house? If so, you can't prohibit because they are not in fact siblings -- that is family status!

Just to beat a dead horse, still a good plan to develop a written list of criteria, one that puts 'gut feelings' and 'red flags' to paper.

Would either of these couples trigger gut feelings or red flags on their own? Now is a great time to articulate what it is that gives that feeling. Always keep sharpening the screening skills.

Using a shortcut can weed a lot of problems quickly, but, if lawmakers change the rules, its good to have that list of criteria.

Yep. What NC investor said. Although there may be jurisdictions that say otherwise. In most of them though you definitely can choose not to rent to roommates or multiple families.

Looks like the city of Milwaukee for example has an unrelated occupancy ordinance. If you want to allow more than three unrelated adults to rent a single family home you must obtain a rooming house license.

Thanks for trying to pick a fight. Don't know what is up with that.

At the landlord training, its been discussed that the no more than three unrelated is at odds with another ordinance. But maybe that's been sorted out.

Are you taking to me? I'm not in any way trying to pick a fight. Just sharing info. I'm sure plenty of people don't know that some cities, actually a lot of them ecen have unrelated occupancy standards.

You said "how they are related" can't be used as a reason to deny. I suggested that in many cases and in many areas this simply isn't true.

Lisa, well I was tired ( bad day) and when I sales you had googled my city, I took it personally. Sorry about that ! You do always offer useful advice , so I appreciate you were just trying to provide correct information.

There was much discussion in our community about how the ' no more than three unrelated person's was going to interact with the case law that said we couldn't discrimunate based on 'lack of familial status' or some such. I guess it points out that (to me) that I shouldn't post so much. Each area is different, and then, the judges interpret laws differnetly.

I didn't google your city because I don't know what city you are from. I did verify that a lot of jurisdictions do have limitations and mentioned the one in Wisconsin because you were from somewhere in Wisconsin so Wisconsin can't be one of the states that strictly does prohibit discrimination of roommates.

Milwaukee has a lot of ordinances. And some conflict with others. Makes us want to get a bowl of popcorn and watch the show sometimes, lol!

Yesterday was a day I got tired of having to learn new things about construction of my weird, non-standard houses. I should learn to just chill.

Dwane,

No red flags allowed. Sounds like hou have non-family related reasons to deny.

Discrimination? Good question.

I don’t want to be the first. The protected class Familial Status has evolved. It started to protect single, pregnant mothers from LLs who were afraid the monther would lose her job once the baby was born

Now it can mean ‘the homeless person is a socially adopted part of my familly.