Still trying to fill the vacancies at my four plex and the applicant pool is bad. Many are crashing and burning on the pre-qualification not even getting through the application. If I can, I pre-qualify them before but others just show up at the open houses and apply then. Had a young lady yesterday who showed up who worked at a local hospital as a medical receptionist. Income was good and she seemed okay. Mentioned she had a couple of kids, no problem. She commenced completing the app and stalled when she got to the area about prior landlords--she had only been with her existing LL a month and claimed the LL didn't fix anything and that's why she wanted to move. My eyebrow was raised at that point, but told her to proceed and give me the information for the LL prior to the current one. She stalled again--"let me tell you my story". Apparently, she lived in local area government housing and was evicted because her male friend was "doing bad things without her knowledge".

I'm also getting a lot of "I'm currently living with relatives". I even had someone who as bi-polar call who was going have a ESA dog given to her. When I asked what sort of dog it might be, she said it was probably going to be a Lab. Her caseworker called back and thankfully said her income was insufficient. Can you imagine the combination of being bi-polar and an ESA? I can't begin to imagine how that one might end.

I was hoping to fill these by March 1, but it looks like April is more likely. I've been getting a lot more calls so, hopefully as we move toward April, the applicant pool improves.

Still looking at rent by the room scenarios and have settled doing it with one large apartment that I can rent as three rooms. Renting it as a single unit would be $ 900 but renting it as rooms would be $ 1700. The issue is whether I should just do it "undercover" without worrying about getting licensed. In my city, you're supposed to get a regulated rental license anytime you have 3 or more unrelated people living in an residence. However, tenants move folks in all of the time. I just had a call today from a group of three roommates looking for a 3 bedroom. Why should I let them split $ 900 rather than me getting $ 1700? If they show up, I think I'll propose renting to them by room. That way there's no problem if one roommate wants out. The others continue and I fill the vacancy.

The weather has been nicer and the dregs have been out lately. I'm finally filling one tomorrow after almost 3 months vacant. She's mediocre at best after countless bums. I've tried every trick in the book for this one. They just kept coming!

Some would disqualify me for some reason: too small, too far from work, whatever and then call back in 2 days, and call again and again and again. That stuff really gets old after a while.

I know what you mean. Perhaps tax return time will provide moving funds for those who use the IRS for their annual savings.

We have had a vacant 30 days now ...

And our area is in a great rental market just have not found a qualified applicant with move in $ yet.

Tax returns just started to show up this week I thought great !!!

We have had a vacant 30 days now ...

And our area is in a great rental market just have not found a qualified applicant with move in $ yet.

Tax returns just started to show up this week I thought great !!!

Just rented a SFH after being empty since December. Thought I died and went to heaven; went to a single engineer whose salary will be 100K a year.

On this house I first tried FB Marketplace. It has been a disappointment. While the ad clearly stated no history of evictions, at least 85 percent of the people who expressed interest had such. It is depressing how many are so casual about being evicted. In more than one instance folks had been evicted several times.

I was just talking to my wife about the lease signing at the unit I just rented to the "mediocre at best" prospect.

I told my wife that she is the best of the worst.

Sometimes that's what you get.

Crumby little units tend to get crumby little tenants, but

Just last week the church gave back the big house so time to take apps on a 3bd 2ba large colonial, large yard - you could have 2 families in this and they hardly see each other except the laundry has to go thru the kitchen.