I haven’t had a vacancy in a while and, judging by my ad replies, it seems that the entire world has gone insane in that time. I’m going to screen everyone properly and fairly . There seem to be a lot of roomates looking. I don’t like those situations but I have done them. In that case I require both roomates to be able to seperately income qualify. Every time I’ve had a married couple or shacking up couple apply they were always both working and both income qualified. What about stay at home moms? If husband/ boyfriend/ fiancé qualifies alone then I know the rent will get paid.....but does that mean I’m discriminating against roomates? Sometimes you don’t know if they are roomies or boyfriend and girlfriend , boyfriend and boyfriend, etc. I had what I assumed to be a male couple several years, but never asked. Not my business. Where’s the line here because my state says I can’t discriminate on marital status.

You can but you shouldn't. Marital status is not a protected class, FAMILIAL status is but that just means you can't discriminate based on the presence of CHILDREN, not legal status of the couple.

If you want only married couples, by all means make that a criteria for every unit and don't allow unmarried people, or roommates as you have NO IDEA who sleeps with who (or shouldn't!)

But you DO realize more and more people are DELAYING marriage these days and living together first to AVOID the traumatic divorce THEY had to go through with their parents and grandparents?

RD,

You've made a good observation.

The following is just my opinion. I could be wrong.

In a previous post I said that I felt wages were basically stagnant for the last 50 years for people who make less than $12-$15 per hour now. Especially considering inflation. In 1972,minimum wage was about $3.00 an hour.Even by 1976 it really had not gone up much. Many people at the bottom only made $3.00-3.50 an hour. Gas was 60 cents a gallon in 1977 and 25 cents in 1972. My rent them was $85 a month.

Now, 47 years later, wages at the bottom are, what, about $7.25 an hour. Less than 3 times more in 47 years, since 1972. Wow.

Gas today here is $2.50 a gallon,down from $3.50 - $4.00+, house payment is $1125 a month, only because of 100K+ down. Cars that used to cost $3000 new are now $30,000, a factor of 10. A head of lettuce in the store yesterday was $2.50- for ONE head . My dog just had 3 teeth pulled and it was over $1000. Medical insurance hundreds a month. Car repairs $100+ per hour. I could go on.

Back when the woman's liberation movement became popular, they told the ladies to get their own jobs and more. They did. With the extra income, families could afford to pay more for homes. They did. Now they are slaves to debt.

Now prices have risen to the point where, unless someone or even a family makes a substantial income, about $80,000 or more, they can't afford a place unless they have a huge down payment or buy in small towns or the country. Child care costs have gone up to levels where that second income is often not enough. It might take a third income OR A ROOMMATE or an extended family situation.

So, what are we as landlords to do if our tenants don't make a big paycheck?

If they do make good money, most of them buy a place.

If they don't, they struggle.

I've seen recent info that 43% of people can't raise $400. 78 percent have less than $1000 in savings.

These numbers are frightening.

One slip, one unexpected problem and they can't pay the rent.

So, like I said, what are we to do?

I say, adjust our rentals to accommodate reality.

If it takes a roommate, allow one. If it takes two families in one house, do it. Would we rather have no income and an empty house? Would we prefer to wait until things get so bad the govt steps in and takes over our houses and puts landlords totally out of business? Would they? Some people in our own Congress seem to me they would gladly take our houses to distribute to needy people.

Married or not

All tenants and roommates and guarantors, are ‘equally and severally’ responsible for their performance under the entire agreement, addendums, laws and statutes.

The landlord has the option of seeking payment from all or any individual tenant/s and or the guarantor, and reporting breaches to the public records companies or credit bureaus.

Rents,

Everyone is a FIANCE these days, even the ones who met just last week.

In my city the statistics show it takes $16 / hour x 40 hours to survive. WalMart pays $8.25 and max 32 hours, and the factories pay $14 tops. That usually means 2 people.

By Federal Fair Housing law 2 adults are 2 adults no matter what they call their relationship.

MY local Fair Housing office says familial status means we cannot DEFINE a family. It can be Great Granny, weird Uncle Harry, and people who are LIKE family to each other.

(BTW the original law was to protect women whose status was “in a family way” - pregnant. LLs were refusing pregnant women anticipating a loss of income once the baby is born. The definition has evolved over the years and is subject to interpretation by local authorities. Don’t poke the bear and be the test case! Fair Housing offices do not lose! )

Roommates are a profitable part of our business. 2 or 3 incomes helps fill vacancies and assires payment

AND

when a roomie wants to leave they can pay the ELTF to be removed from the lease

IF

A fresh application from the remaining roomies shows they can afford it.

Screen and rent on!

BRAD

PS

My lease is clear: joint and severally.

Without this claise each roommates and shackups MIGHT be handled differently on legal service, evictions, and collections. Been there!

In the case of legally married couples, serving or speaking to ONE, a judgment on “them” is as good as speaking to both no matter who shows up or who signs.

BRAD

I have seen rental criteria where roommates -- either platonic, or romantic -- must have at least one year's prior rental history living together to qualify. In order to cut down on large group situations where people may find they do not get along once they start living together, which I've had to go through personally with tenants.

This policy seems to be legal in my state and I'm going to put it in my own criteria.

Yes, Ken is right. SERVICE ( and ANY policy) can vary from judge to judge, court to court, state to state.

My quick reply was based on MY court.

Gotta know YOUR judge!

RentsDue, marital status is also protected class in my state. I use total unit income to meet my income requirements, as I don’t want to pry into the relationship. (Big no-no in my area.) Rent receipts are filled out with all adult names, I just list the one whose account it actually was Zelled from first.

Rents Due, in your example, one couple earns 50k, other couple each earns 25k, in my state, married/ not married cannot come into it, (as you also know about your state.) For me, I would see both family units as meeting my 3X rent.