I have two very nicely renovated apartments located in a decent area. With all of the talk of a housing shortage, I thought I'd get these rented in short order, but after a month, I'm coming up with zero. I approved two people, but the competition is tough for the best tenants as they have plenty of options and both went with the competition. It's the marginal tenants for who a housing shortage exists.

Here's an example. Young unmarried couple. He has a score of 565 while hers is 597. Between the both of them, they have $ 87,000 in student debt. Both have collections including a small utility bill and a $ 2000 bill to AT&T for what appears to be a phone. She works as an accounts receivable clerk primarily through agencies, but agency work was very spotty last year. From her W-2's, it looks like she spent a week here and there and put together about $ 18,000 in income. He works in customer service with an insurance company but has only been there since Feb 2020. Don't have his W-2's but I suspect the situation is probably spotty like hers. They just had a baby, but she claims she's going back to work in May and she can work from home. Many of these lower level accounting/clerical jobs are being shipped overseas, so her employment prospects may be cloudy and certainly over the past year that seemed to be the case. The income requirements for this unit are $ 4000 a month and I'm looking for folks who are making that with consistent employment, not employment that's cobbled together.

I can't take them and this seems to be what I'm getting and that's after culling the others with pre-screening. I've had 200 folks I've prescreened and about double that number as far as inquiries. I was thinking about an open house, but I really don't think that would do much for me. Some of these folks are desperate and I really don't want to hear stories. I'm using Zillow, Zumper, Turbotenant and FB. Zillow has yielded better quality but far fewer inquiries. Same with Zumper.

Plenty, these units are very nice with central air and in unit washer/dryer hookups. I think perhaps refreshing the pictures and adding video is something I'm going to do. The real problem is the tenant pool though. I have no shortage of interest, just a shortage of qualified applicants.

I would suggest to just keep looking. Take it down for a few days or a week, new pictures, maybe new price (higher by a few bucks). See what happens.

I just showed an apartment to a girl that said she's been looking for a month. The apartment she inquired on has been available for OVER a month. I had another one come available (needed to freshen up) in the same building that I also showed her. She said "OMG, I love this one!" She didn't say that to the other one but did say "I like it, it's bigger than the one I have now".

With that said, she's currently completing the application so I can run the credit and background checks on her. I also have someone coming in the next week from out of state to look at the other apartment anyway.

Just be patient. It's very frustrating and honestly, if they fit, they fit. My thought on these two people you are talking about is that they are actually WORKING and FINDING JOBS vs just taking what the gov't is handing out. However, that doesn't make everything "right" and fit in... still do your due diligence ... if they don't qualify, they don't.

I'm sorry, things are sometimes rough. After reading your post I have this to offer you:

When I have a vacancy, I don't just slap on a coat of paint and hang a out a "For Rent" sign. Instead I glamor up my units, making upgrades so even I could live in my own rental -- that nice!

The last couple I took had a toddler and two big dogs.

They both lost their jobs during the pandemic. Both of them immediately went out and found new jobs. Didn't try taking advantage of the free money being thrown around for sitting on their azzes. That was good enough for me. Obviously, they hadn't been at either job for long, but I didn't really care...

Try throwing in a perk like lawn service included. No one likes mowing a yard, but tenants in that economic range may not be able to justify paying for that luxury.

Here in my neck of the woods I've recently joined a local "tenant looking for rentals" facebook site and it's interesting to hear what the other side is posting. Many are looking for private landlords as their biggest concern are their lousy credit scores. For them, getting

to a 600 FICO is akin to climbing Mount Everest. Dismiss those with Section 8 vouchers or those with three dogs and the credit scores seem to be what keeps them looking endlessly for a rental.

Many have little understanding that a landlord may be super cautious about renting to them for fear of not being able to get them out for months at a time should things go belly up with them employment wise. For so many I'm reading how they just "want a chance".

GKARL, similar situation by me 100 inqueries now 30 pre-screened, showed to three, 2 who applied both w unqualified cosigner /guarantor.