Screening = Anger (by Pat [VA]) Jul 9, 2018 4:15 PM
Screening = Anger (by JB [OR]) Jul 9, 2018 4:28 PM
Screening = Anger (by plenty [MO]) Jul 9, 2018 5:48 PM
Screening = Anger (by bet [MA]) Jul 9, 2018 5:58 PM
Screening = Anger (by Sisco [MO]) Jul 9, 2018 6:24 PM
Screening = Anger (by AllyM [NJ]) Jul 9, 2018 7:22 PM
Screening = Anger (by Gail K [GA]) Jul 9, 2018 7:56 PM
Screening = Anger (by BRAD 20,000 [IN]) Jul 9, 2018 9:49 PM
Screening = Anger (by Pat [VA]) Jul 10, 2018 4:37 AM
Screening = Anger (by S i d [MO]) Jul 10, 2018 5:36 AM
Screening = Anger (by Robin [FL]) Jul 10, 2018 7:37 AM
Screening = Anger (by Richard [MI]) Jul 10, 2018 8:00 AM
Screening = Anger (by bet [MA]) Jul 10, 2018 8:02 AM
Screening = Anger (by RathdrumGal [ID]) Jul 10, 2018 8:32 AM
Screening = Anger (by Jen Z [CT]) Jul 11, 2018 6:43 PM
Screening = Anger (by Jen Z [CT]) Jul 11, 2018 6:43 PM
Screening = Anger (by Jen Z. [CT]) Jul 11, 2018 6:45 PM
Screening = Anger (by bet [MA]) Jul 12, 2018 6:26 AM
Screening = Anger (by Pat [VA]) Posted on: Jul 9, 2018 4:15 PM Message:
We put signs out at vacancy and nearest heavy intersection today. I finished cleaning my bargain GE black flat top range for 100.00. Each time I clean one I say the last time, we have a guy that will bring a clean used one for 200. & warranty it for 30 days. Before someone criticizes manually cleaning, let me say that is why I got it so cheap, it was FILTHY! I would have been afraid it would have caught on fire if I used self clean on it, grease & spills in the bottom 1/2" thick in spots.
Anyway, I digress, the calls are coming in and the screening begins. Some people are afraid they won't pass I guess, plus there is a large population of people that just don't want to give out their personal info. We ask, where do you work? How long have you been there? What is your total income? How many people do you need a place for? What is your reason for moving? Pretty much covers it for initial conversation. Lady hung up on my husband tonight when he asked her where she was living now, I guess she thought he was coming on to her, or she felt like it was too many questions. IDK.
--71.219.xx.xxx |
Screening = Anger (by JB [OR]) Posted on: Jul 9, 2018 4:28 PM Message:
Yep. Just another day in the life of a LL. --50.45.xxx.xx |
Screening = Anger (by plenty [MO]) Posted on: Jul 9, 2018 5:48 PM Message:
So many here, that i stopped asking questions, just group their showing together and let them pay the $10 application fee and then review and give my thumbs down. Might as well get paid to read their answers to my printed questions. Crazy stories. Crazy. I'll post one that WOW sounded great... Turned ugly real quick. That will be another post! But i feel your frustration! --99.203.xx.xxx |
Screening = Anger (by bet [MA]) Posted on: Jul 9, 2018 5:58 PM Message:
The lying is eptic. I make it a policy to never let them know they are disqualified for all their evictions. But every now and then I get dragged into the conversation. It never ends well. We have a online application but have to remember to collect pre approved applicants driver licenses and screen twice in case they spelled their name wrong on the application. I think the best advice is they are all lying and to dig deep and screen them thoroughly. --74.104.xxx.xxx |
Screening = Anger (by Sisco [MO]) Posted on: Jul 9, 2018 6:24 PM Message:
If you are swamped by inquiries who won’t fill out an application, then it is well past time to cease taking calls and handle this step via email or text.
Stay strong and raise your application fee. You need a very professional image to discourage these time wasters. --72.172.xxx.xx |
Screening = Anger (by AllyM [NJ]) Posted on: Jul 9, 2018 7:22 PM Message:
If they don't answer, it would have been a bad answer and they know it. When questions are asked, they know they are in over their heads and will not qualify. --73.178.xxx.xx |
Screening = Anger (by Gail K [GA]) Posted on: Jul 9, 2018 7:56 PM Message:
I think it all boils down to those with a lousy rental history, poor credit and a poor income tend to seek out private landlords with the hope those won't do any type of screening.
Gail --71.203.xx.xx |
Screening = Anger (by BRAD 20,000 [IN]) Posted on: Jul 9, 2018 9:49 PM Message:
Pat,
Great real life story!
I agree with Gail- when they figure out you’re not a pushover they hang up or make excuses like “privacy”.
If this helps, back when we used to answer the phone, these 3.5 questions saved me HOURS! on the phone.
Do NOT give them a chance to start telling stories and you control the conversation. Stay on the questions, don’t let them take control.
-Thanks for calling when do you need a place?
-Are you working?
-How much rent do you pay now?
-Tell me about your animals.
Put a value on your time (your life!)
BRAD --68.50.xxx.xxx |
Screening = Anger (by Pat [VA]) Posted on: Jul 10, 2018 4:37 AM Message:
I am doing it the old fashioned/hard way for sure. I envy the ones that are hip enough to know how to have a website and let people apply online. We do not charge an application fee, we should. I've learned enough on here over the years, plus the school of hard knocks to avoid a lot of the pitfalls but I still make mistakes in times of weakness. I'm still getting calls from mostly the working poor, CNA's (10.00 an hr). A lot of our units are not high class (this is a singlewide 2001) and don't draw professional people. Trying to find a couple that both have income is the goal. --71.219.xx.xxx |
Screening = Anger (by S i d [MO]) Posted on: Jul 10, 2018 5:36 AM Message:
Pat....
I have been on a campaign (unofficially) lately to make life easier for folks in your situation, but in spite of that I still see a lot of the same old, worn out excuses why these very successful solutions doesn't or can't work.
"envy the one's who are hip enough to do a website"...huh? I stopped being "hip" 15 years ago: ask my kids! (grins) This 42-year-old who programs on an IBM green-screen mainframe developed in the 1970s and Brad 20K (older than me, doesn't program at all) either figured it out or HIRED SOMEONE who knows how to do it.
At the Convention (yay!) we learned about people on sites like Fivvr and UpWork who will build a custom website for you for LESS THAN the cost of a cheap stove.
Ask yourself a few questions:
1) Would you be willing to spend $100 (price of a cheap stove) on a website that will improve your quality of life and protect your sanity?
2) Which will be a better use of your time: posting excuses for why life stinks or taking the solutions offered here every day?
3) Would you run all of the apps for someone elses' rental paying out of your own pocket? If not for someone else, why do you treat yourself worse than someone else by not charging an app fee?
All legit questions....think about them.
I echo Brad's advice: even if you decide not to follow any of the suggestions above, always stay in control of the conversation with key questions. Back in the day when I talked to every caller, if my calls went over 90 second I felt like I had failed.
Even better yet, "all calls go to voicemail". You've probably seen me post that at least a dozen times here. My voice mail message helps weed out a LOT of unqualified callers.
Here's a cool trick: hire someone who does professional voice work to record your voicemail message. It costs about $20-25 for someone with a smooth, polished, professional voice to record a 30-45 second message for you. The deadbeats, looky-loos, and "privacy advocates" will hear that you have professionals on staff and will know their BS won't fly with you, so they'll move on elsewhere.
The more unqualified prospects you weed out on the front end, the more time you have to spend on those who may truly qualify. --173.19.x.xxx |
Screening = Anger (by Robin [FL]) Posted on: Jul 10, 2018 7:37 AM Message:
Screening = Anger (by Richard [MI]) Posted on: Jul 10, 2018 8:00 AM Message:
I always try to get their names and numbers. Build a database of these, especially the ones who get an immediate disqualification.
I keep this database for comparison.
Over time, as units become available, the same bad names and numbers come up over and over.
When they do, I have an easy decision. --66.188.xx.xxx |
Screening = Anger (by bet [MA]) Posted on: Jul 10, 2018 8:02 AM Message:
You can tell these people till YOU are blue in the face what your qualifications are and they still pretend none applies to them. So the more of your screening is done with the least amount of personal time, emails, calls, face to face the better. They complete an online application and you review and schedule a showing . That is where your time should be spent. Listening to people stories, excuses, blah blah blah, unless that is actually how you like spending your time. You can go to jot forms, copy one of their applications and put the link in your ads. You don't even need a web page. Application gets emailed to you. How is that for a low tech no cost solution? --74.104.xxx.xxx |
Screening = Anger (by RathdrumGal [ID]) Posted on: Jul 10, 2018 8:32 AM Message:
I agree with Sid. Projecting a professional image helps weed out the low life people seeking to pull one over on Mom and Pop LLs. Make a logo, and put on all your documents -- no more fill in the blank leases from Staples. Shake hands and give out business cards at you open house showings. Project a professional, confident image, and the low lifes slink away.
Our app fee is now $40 per adult (over age 18). So at $80 a couple, prospective tenants are going to be confident that they are going to pass screening before they even apply.
We don't have a website. We only have six units and only have 1-2 vacancies a year. But we are able to market and fill units with a minimum of phone calls and get good tenants who pay on time and follow rules. I detailed how we do it in the For Alice Wonder post. --98.146.xxx.xxx |
Screening = Anger (by Jen Z [CT]) Posted on: Jul 11, 2018 6:43 PM Message:
I feel really blessed to live in CT because we have a fantastic judicial website that weeds out about half of the nonsense. The judicial website shows me past & pending lawsuits and past & pending criminal cases. I have an apartment for rent in which I am looking for a quality tenant. Just had an inquiry from Zillow today. Gave his first and last name. I was able to ascertain from the judicial website that this guy has multiple convictions. I was able to Google him, which also listed the arrests in local newspapers. From that, I was able to ascertain that he is 38 years old and still living with his momma. Took me about 5 minutes of being proactive. I had one woman who also emailed me. Guess what - she just had a judgment lien put against her for owing $2k to Victoria Secrets. I don't even contact these people because it is going to waste everyone's time. --32.211.xxx.xxx |
Screening = Anger (by Jen Z [CT]) Posted on: Jul 11, 2018 6:43 PM Message:
I feel really blessed to live in CT because we have a fantastic judicial website that weeds out about half of the nonsense. The judicial website shows me past & pending lawsuits and past & pending criminal cases. I have an apartment for rent in which I am looking for a quality tenant. Just had an inquiry from Zillow today. Gave his first and last name. I was able to ascertain from the judicial website that this guy has multiple convictions. I was able to Google him, which also listed the arrests in local newspapers. From that, I was able to ascertain that he is 38 years old and still living with his momma. Took me about 5 minutes of being proactive. I had one woman who also emailed me. Guess what - she just had a judgment lien put against her for owing $2k to Victoria Secrets. I don't even contact these people because it is going to waste everyone's time. --32.211.xxx.xxx |
Screening = Anger (by Jen Z. [CT]) Posted on: Jul 11, 2018 6:45 PM Message:
I do feel your frustration though overall. Either I am becoming a better screener or the quality of tenants has severely diminished overall. --32.211.xxx.xxx |
Screening = Anger (by bet [MA]) Posted on: Jul 12, 2018 6:26 AM Message:
JenZ we go this daily with the online eviction records. I would guess that 65% of the people that contact us are not qualified, or dont pass our qualifications based on eviction history. --74.104.xxx.xxx |
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