Have a prospective tenant applying who has a job at the IRS.

She told me she has contacted other apartments in the area and not gotten any call back.

Just wondering if its considered a bad idea to rent to an IRS employee. Say for instance you get into a dispute with the tenant, and suddenly find you're being audited? Or is that realistic.

She also has a 3 month old collie, she claims is housebroken, and mentioned looking for a house. While it looks like a good job and income.... I'm inclined to think she'll move in and then be hot to leave once that house is found.

While it is not out of the realm of possibility that she ends up disliking you and you get audited, the possibility that some lowly employee is going to make that happen is pretty small. Of course if your tax issues are in order, it doesn't matter that much.

If we always worried about where people worked and if there was something that could be held against us in the future, our tenant pool would be even smaller.

Yes I admit the puppy is a sore hit. The apartment has had lots of renovations. I picture them moving in, the dog destroying everything, and in three months she looks at the wreckage she lives in and has her eye on a nice new house instead.

I try to keep the pet deposit and next thing you know I'm suddenly being audited.

Too pessimistic? LOL

IRS audits are determined by a number of facts, most of which will not apply to the small time individual land lord.

How do I know? I have a good friend who is an IRS auditor. We talked about this once, and per her their budget has been cut drastically in the past 5 years or so. If you have an adjusted gross income below $250,000, the chances of you being audited is less than one half of 1% in any given year.

All this to say, while it is possible, I do not think it is likely that anyone would audit you out of revenge. Even if they did, as long as you are doing things right and showing best effort, you will win your audit.

Btw, also per my friend, auditors CANNOT audit anyone with who they have a family, friend, or business relationship. So even if you DID end up with a vengeful auditor in your unit, and on the off chance this vengeful person were crazy enough to risk his/her career by messing with your records in an attempt to cause you grief, he/she would have to pass your case to someone else.

If you don't want to rent to a tenant with a puppy, use that as an excuse.

I would not be concerned with the auditor but with the puppy.

I don't take puppies. 1 year for most breeds, 18 moths for some of the breeds.