Please tell me your disqualifying characteristics or the standards you expect of applicants. What written ( or unwritten) criteria do you use when vetting an applicant. How about these topics: petit theft, dui, stalking, etc. Give me the requirements that you use that you feel have enabled you to “dodge a bullet”.

1. When they start off by bad mouthing their landlord. (Won't fix anything, etc.)

2. Living with family.

3. Single parent that just needs another chance.

1. 2 minute in home inspection.

2. When they use a middle name for the first and you can’t find any info on

Mo.casenet then you flip the names and find they just served time for felonies.

3.Speaking with former LL.

Not cooperative/fails to follow directions during the screening process.

Violent felony conviction.

Drug manufacture conviction.

Registered sex offender.

Income < 3x the rent.

Ever been evicted... even once... even if it was 20 years ago.

More than 3 delinquent/past due accounts on credit report.

Owed previous landlord money at move out.

Non-renewed by last landlord for cause (i.e. lease violations).

Smoke of any type here also - I follow the 2009 -breath easy- federal rule prohibiting smoking at any rental - not many know about this. any leftover court balance, eviction in recent 7 years. dog warden problems, bites cost 60,000 legal fees - I don't want to be part of that bulloney.

In no particular order:

* Trashing ex-landlord

* Violent crimes against people or property OR

* too many police interactions altogether: pages of petty

crimes on rap sheet

* too MANY animals

* income

* doesn't have SD saved up ready to go, wants a payment plan

I've never had an assault family violence be successful. I think I've given that one a chance three times before I caught on. :P

Organized crime is another one to avoid. Normally, it's such a glaring red flag, but I let one in as a favor to a long-term tenant who promised to run his life. Spoiler: it didn't work out.

General cooperativeness is another one. When someone is going to tell you how it's going to be, at the stage when they're trying to impress you--- spoiler: they don't get more cooperative as time passes.

I GOTTA ADD:

O my g-d,…..we really love your house.

It’s perfect for us

We want it.

For "each and every different property and size of a unit in the property, " I have different qualifications that the applicant must pass". Way before I run an ad on the rental, I commit to paper, with a time and date stamp what I'm looking for and sometimes a deal killer!

Recently I had a 2 bedroom apartment with a large private 50' x 30' back yard. Since this is the "only" unit in this apartment complex that I will allow a mature trained gentle dog to live, I have exact language in my application and lease that covers the topic. Such as NO visiting dogs. Tenants dog must chipped, medical records from birth must be provided. Current vaccination and annual license must be provided by tenant to landlord upon request. Failure to comply will get the dog evicted by force and dropped off at Animal Control. Plus the tenant must carry renters insurance with dog rider covering the landlord. Failure to do so and a claim filed by a neighbor for their dog attacking them of their pet will trigger a $10,000 fine payable to the landlord and a lien will be placed on the tenants car or assets.

Oh, so many good ones here already - there's isn't much to add.

I will only point out that ALL screening criteria need to be WRITTEN DOWN. Like it has been said, the set of criteria for that specific house - before it's advertised.

Don't use UNWRITTEN criteria - that's just code for your gut. You must be ablate defend yourself with documentation if you are ever accused.

Yes, MC, that's exactly right. I forgot about that one.

Although I empathize with what you are saying about "God bless", it might be a regional thing.

In my neck of the woods, it would be a disqualifier if someone were offended by the use of "God bless" since it is such a common greeting. That would be a predictor of someone who would flunk the cooperation test. It is not so much a religious thing as an indicator of not being able to get along with others. If someone cannot be courteous or if they are contemptuous, that is a disqualifier.

1. Late for showing

2. Sec 8

3. Complains about current or landlord

DAVE, DEANNA: When I first started in this business, I wanted tenants that loved our places as much as I did; I still do. So when I showed my first rental, many came through. The one I really wanted was the young lady who came with her husband. When she first walked in she just loved the place. My favorite room in that house was the dining room, unique to many of the houses of that style...and that's what she fell in love with. She stayed for quite awhile. The carpet layers did not show up to put new carpet in the day before the Sunday ad came out (back when that's where you placed your ad in those days) and the ad had been placed on a deadline. But this person could see that with the carpet it would be the perfect place for them. They stayed for 5 years, then moved downstairs in the same building when they were expecting their first child and needed more room. Then stayed until they purchased a house.

@ Pat [VA]

1. When they start off by bad mouthing their landlord. (Won't fix anything, etc.) -> We actually do have some slum lord landlords and management around that some people will kindly "badmouth" but not too aggressively or nasty. Just mentioning some things that haven't been fixed or issues they have been having. We don't have a problem with this because we will also speak to the landlord and get that side of the story as well as a current residence inspection which is the real qualifier. You can tell fairly easily if they are clean and tidy people and the landlord just doesn't fix things that are not their responsibility. It does happen and some people are moving just because of it. The applicant has a higher standard than the current landlord and that is welcome in our units.

2. Living with family. -> there are many people we get that have been living with family either because they sold a house really fast and needed a place to live, moving out for the first time (even 30+ yr olds), had a baby, moved across the country and needed a place near family, etc. The rest of their application has far more to do with how they will be as a tenant rather than if they live with family or not. Plus, the current residence inspection will speak to how they were brought up and how they keep their space.

3. Single parent that just needs another chance -> We don't mind single parents. If they "need another chance" that usually means poor credit with lots of missed payments, lack of a job or job hopping, criminal background or something else. I would not turn someone down because they are a single parent. Rather, if they don't meet your criteria elsewhere that may be grounds for denial.

4. Just started a job or looking for one -> If they just started a job, we will look at the job history. If they are job hoppers (4 or more jobs in the last 3 years for a single applicant) than that is a denial. No steady income. If they are just starting a new job from a relocation or a significant pay increase, that is altogether reasonable. And some people are moving for just that purpose - to be closer to work. If you have no job, you have to have a good reason for it and be able to show sufficient income from elsewhere (Disability, child support, etc) or significant savings (Yes we have a criteria for that as well) that is not in a retirement account that can support living expenses.

As a general rule - you should have all your criteria written down and stick to it. No exceptions. If there is an exception it should be written in your criteria and therefore not an exception. Exceptions get you in trouble. Just had one the other day that was seemingly a decent candidate but exceeded the number of allowable jobs for our criteria. After discussion and revisiting the criteria, we stuck with it because it is a good metric and showed that the applicants didn't have a stable employment.

Any hinting of renting furniture or appliances is automatic denial.

I saw a few I'd fail.

-I'm looking for a job. I really was!

-I'm OCD about cleaning. I really am!

-Renting furniture or appliances I would do if I can't have such things furnished.

-Income < 3x rent - the story of my life, but I always am paid up 300% in advance.

-Smoking I did until 1997. My rentals all started prior to that.

-I wanted my distant girlfriend to move in with me so I left my parents' basement. The girlfriend didn't come, but it got me on the road to independence.

-No credit report, but back then (1983) no one asked for one.

-I have a cat.

-I currently live in a country motel.

After 52 years I trust my gut feeling about an applicant.