Hi,

This applicant approached me for the lease this afternoon.

I share it with you and seek your input.

He said, he was a 27 VA, honorable discharge.

He is now a licensed plumber.

However, due to bad experiences, he told me he has no savings, and have been evicted a couple times (it means the apartment does not lease to him.....), so he said his niece will co-signed the lease.

How will you do, and what kind of information do you need in order to lease to him, and to make sure he is no fly risk. to give him a second chance. Yes, he said he made a lot of money from plumbing jobs, but he also paid off all his debtors,and other debts.

I don't know how to make a decision yet. No, I have not received his rental application, but he wrote to me that he wants me to keep the place for him until his niece back from the vacation next Monday.

How do I know or can I tell someone lied? some of his stories is not adding up. I told him so.

Oh, well, how can I find a decent tenant?

Alice, get a good basic landlording book -- like Landlording by Leigh Robinson (avail on this site) and read it. You are putting the cart before the horse in tenant selection.

Set your rental criteria FIRST -- write it out. Minimum credit score, no evictions, no felony convictions, time on job, minimum income, LL references. Then you screen prospects against your written criteria. Run credit, criminal and eviction reports. Make sure the addresses listed on the app match the one on the credit report. Be willing to say NO to an unqualified applicant.

Don't believe applicants. Bad people lie. Good people are honest and straightforward -- everything checks out and makes sense. Don't try to MAKE an applicant qualify. You also need to run credit checks on co-signers. A co-signer who does not have significant assets of their own is worthless as a co-singer.

Forgive my bluntness...but are you crazy? It appears this guy has already been given a second and third and fourth chance. And still he hasn't gotten his act together.

There is nothing to consider from this person except in 10-12 years, nothing worthwhile for an adult anyway - well this is even a bad idea for kids at a lemonade stand. I would not hold a unit for someone in this condition of financial despair unless you have lottery winnings to waste away.

2 evictions under his belt by age 27? No money? Hold unit for a week while niece co-signer who may be no better than he is gets back from vacation ? And you are considering it enough to ask total strangers on the internet for advice?

I can't believe you're even considering this? And holding the place vacant too???

Don't give this person a second chance or you will end up with a $10,000 make

ready.

Keep it vacant until a qualified tenant with good rental history, references and

Good morning,

Thank you for all your input.

No, I have not received the applications, I am not holding the place for him. It is a case study. No, I don't feel comfortable.

Yes, I asked him to submit the application, so I can verify and check the story.

He is a VA and honorable discharge after 27 years. He is not 27 years old. Sorry, if you mis-read the contents. Did he have some kind an official paper to show his VA record?

oh, well...He told me that apartment does not lease to him due to the evictions, he was hoping that an individual landlord may give him a leeway..

By the way, it is the trend nowadays, the lease will ask the first month and the last month rent, plus a month security?

Thanks.

Case Study??? Reality??? Applied??? Not Applied???

E V I C T I O N!!!

Key word!!!

It's a NO!!!

AND IF you rent to him. You will be out money and starting the next eviction!!!

OH YEAH! He's playing you and hoping you are one that does not do a credit check or is TONE DEAF!!!

WHY are you wasting your time on this prospect?

TONE DEAF: Landlord does not listen to prospective tenants spew valuable signs of a deadbeat tenant.

SURE give him a second chance, BEFORE doing so change your rental business model to a 501K charity. "Alice In The Sky With Diamonds Charity Of Texas"

No second chance!!

This is the response that landlord hostile legislation creates (for wise and experienced landlords).

I honestly dislike saying no to prospective tenants, who may be good people and deserving of a second chance.

But in ontario, landlords are legally required to become social workers and financially accomodate tenant's emotional, physical and financial issues. That statement is not a falsehood and can be confirmed by carefully reading and understanding our rental laws and ontario human rights housing commission policy.

It makes me angry to turn away good people who are suffering hardship. But our rental laws punish landlords who take chances.

Not long ago I had a war vet apply for a rental. It was a basic apt in a well kept building at a great price.

While showing him the apt, he began to tell me of some of his battle experiences. His eyes welled, I had a lump in my throat. I WANTED to help him. The apt would have been a great fit for him. He would have had stability, low rent, a caring landlord.

But I knew if things went south, as they were likely to, I would be severly punished by the rental rules of ontario.

We shook hands and parted ways. He was too much of a gentleman to ask the obvious question.

My answer:

There are many reasons to break a lease. There are many reasons one may end up short of rent money. There are many reasons one might have to move on. Life happens to us all.

But to force a landlord all the way through the eviction process is unconscionable. Leave with dignity, when asked. Or even before being asked, if you know you cannot afford to pay. Give notice and go.

I used to allow one eviction in the past. But I realized I've had way way way too many decent partings of the ways with decent tenants, without involving the courts, to ever allow that again.

WMH of NC,

LEAVE WITH DIGNITY!!!

It's an excellent thought process and a common sense approach to resolve the problem.

HOWEVER!!!

The deadbeat tenant wants to stick it to that wealthy money hungry landlord...

...the entitlement mentality!!!

During the foreclosures years of 2008 to 2012, give or take a few years. Look at the houses that were destroyed by owners taking out their frustrations on the house. The house did not cause the frustration!!! THAT EVIL BANK, did it!!!

MAYBE the bank was part of the problem. BUT did the bank FORCE the owner to sign the mortgage docs. NO. For what ever the reason they lost the house. Income too low!!! Gamble on hot market failed!!! Adjustable rate increased to the max but income did not. House was in a hot market, the crash cut the value by 50%.

Whatever the case??? LEAVE WITH DIGNITY!!!

HOWEVER...

"I asked him to submit the application, so I can verify and check the story. He is a VA and honorable discharge after 27 years. He is not 27 years old. Sorry, if you mis-read the contents. Did he have some kind an official paper to show his VA record? oh, well...He told me that apartment does not lease to him due to the evictions, he was hoping that an individual landlord may give him a leeway.."

I think you have to learn to distinguish what matters in this situation...the evictions (and "no savings") are what matter. The rest -- VA, down on his luck -- is just a bunch of white noise and distraction for your purposes. And I don't mean any disrespect to veterans...but you can't rent to this person or you'll get screwed over.

If it were me I'd just say "no" politely on the phone. If he insisted I would let him apply, because of fair housing concerns...and then deny the application.

I understand how you feel, and many have been in your shoes. Please be strong, and please do not rent your place to the guy. Please reread the posts from this thread at least several times. Please do keep us posted and share what happens for your sake.

He's pulling your heartstrings -or leg. The better the storyteller, the bigger the lie.

Alice,

I knew my answer when I read the subject line. We are not in the business of repairing people. We're not trained therapists. This guy was playing you and it seems he got thru to you.

My business model is to rent to STABLE people with a proven record of STABILITY.

Side note: our county just started a new court for vets which allows them extra grace to solve problems considering PTSD etc. My fear is a resident claiming to be a vet, the case being moved into this new court and getting more time at eviction.

You only have one chance to make a first impression.

You only get one second chance.

This guy has used up his first impression and his second, third, fourth and fifth chances.

I rejected him at the point of "no savings".

After working for the VA, vets largely fail to impress. The prevalence of psychiatric problems and ethanol and drug abuse meant many of them live on the fringes going from halfway house to the streets and being unable to maintain a life. Frequent evictions is the norm. The WW2, Korean war and Vietnam War vets had some good men, but also their share of losers. The younger vets with multiple tours behind them were the worst. My VA county had a "special" court for veterans and most of their shenanigans were forgiven.

I am with Lana on this one. I worked for the VA for 30 years and also come with a strong military background in my own family, including a father, a former husbands father, a current partners father and my own son who were/are veterans.

Having said that, it always curls my toenails when the first thing out of an applicants mouth is pointing out that they are a veteran (and especially a "disabled" veteran). It always worries me that someone who makes it a point to immediately tell a landlord this has something to hide or is attempting to gain sympathy to cover up some poor choices in the their past.

One of the WORST tenants I ever had was a young (under 30) 100 percent service connected vet who also received social security and made 7 times my rent in income PLUS managed to finagle the Wounded Warriers Project to pay both his first months rent AND security deposit and then followed up by NEVER paying his rent on time and, eventually, skipping out, leading to an eviction.

As an aside, my son never uses the "I'm a vet" excuse and loathes those vets that do.

Gail

Just read in news this morning. when age 16 guy had killed someone during robbery --- got out at age 18 because a company said he should not go to big boy prison. That he was salvageable using THEIR program for second chances. This even after 20 violations while in juvenile prison. While he was being rehabbed court had been shown pictures of him with guns - gang member and trying to sell drugs online. Judge would not revoke the release.

Yesterday he killed a 34 year old father of a 9 month old who was here for a friends party. the now 18 year old wanted the guys money and the guy tried to "Negotiate" with the robber/killer and was shot point blank in the chest or belly area.

Yea second chance. Judge who let him loose-- couldn't or wouldn't comment. She was probable on vacation. worse part is not locking him back up when evidence was presented showing violation of probation. Judge should now do HIS time.