Is everyone out there just plain nuts?

To give some background, we use BUILDIUM for accepting applications and signing leases electronically..

Been trying for 2 weeks to have a current resident sign a MTM e-Lease (no paper involved and no Post Office delays). Prior to sending the eLease, I asked for updated information from the co-tenants (married couple) (so the e-Lease can be filled out -- no "fill in the blanks" allowed by the Tenants). Took forever to get the information out of them.

Sent e-Lease with all the proper information filled in. One signed, but the other did not. Several prompts to get the second one to sign.

Finally, it comes back, but it was signed twice by the wife, but not by the husband. Will have to start over......sigh with preparing the electronic docs. If all the apartments in the complex were full, I would just give them a 30 day notice and be done with them. This couple has paid pretty steady (late a few times, but always paid the fees), so they aren't horrible, but annoying that they do not follow the written directions provided.

Odd thing, when their lease was up for renewal, they only wanted MTM; said they had been looking for some time, but could not find anything else. He also posted on FB in one of the Real Estate groups that they were looking. From what I have seen, there is not much available for rent in the area. Are all the good ones staying put for now? Seems so......

Had a couple apply for an empty this week; he had rental history (checked out), but she did not (moving in together for the first time). Finally get all information from them (NO ONE ever gives you everything you need on the first pass!). Turns out he has a less than stellar credit -- about 100 points below our minimum. Pass on them!

While I am vetting them, I get another different application for the same apartment, but waited to check it out until AFTER I dispatched the couple that was less than stellar.

This one is from out of state (really leery of these right now). Applicant is unemployed right now (fleeing NY state), has had 2 jobs, neither of which lasted more than 6 months. Oh yeah, 22 years old and has 2 kids to boot. PASS!

What are these people thinking? Or are they thinking?

Thank you! Rant is over (for now!)

Rants here are fine! We can blow off steam and regroup. That said, I have a few suggestions to make your future less rant-full.

1) "they said they wanted M2M". Nope. Our leases are year long. If they need to leave early, they can pay the early lease termination fee = 6 weeks of rent.

2) I use PDFFiller.com for our leases, and the way it's set up is I control who can sign where. At the end of the day, I don't care who clicks the box: if it goes to email A and email B I define which name goes with which email address and it comes back to me with "A" and "B" signatures on it. Might check to see if your software can be customized to make this a more "foolproof" process. And yes, I realize fools prove foolproof invalid all the time. I'm one of them! (*grins)

3) Lease Renewals. Use automatic renewals if notice is not received by the 1st day of the month in which the lease is set to expire. Then there's nothing to sign. It just happens. Makes life easy.

Just a few tips from someone who has had similar frustrations in the past. I believe land lording should be easy, fun, and profitable.

This is why after 42 years of face to face renting I still require all applicants to see the rental (even if one applicant has to video-chat room by room) and have applications not signed in person notarized. I'm more strict with leases. I don't mind making several "original" leases, NOT SIGNED BY OWNER UNTIL ALL RENTERS HAVE TURNED IN THEIR SIGNED ORIGINALS, and let someone sign their lease before a notary.

I am with Robert J on this one. We still do face to face sit down lease signings with all parties at the same time - that way, everyone hears the same exact thing and there is no He said she said bs happening.

We have been getting people that apply, that current live together, but the information is all different. Like term that they have lived there, rent price etc.

And mercy..... those that says they have no criminal background - and then I pull Iowa Courts and am blow away with everything on there.

I am amazed and amused at how many people don't read the disclosure that we have attached to the application that shows exactly how we qualify - yet they still turn in the application.

Thanks for the input. Unfortunately for us, the apartments are 90 miles away from us, cannot do face to face for everything, hence the On-line approach. The gentleman who used to handle the day-to-day for us for the past 12 years retired -- at 90 years old, I think he was ready!

Until we can find a replacement for him, we need to use on-line applications, renewals, and collections of rent. That is where BUILDIUM is helping us out.

We are trying to get the complex updated to the point we can sell it and get away from the long-distance hassle.

I think doing electronic documentation is the way of the future. Nothing wrong with it.

It seems the problem may have been you not setting a deadline - like what Sid did: if this is not coveted/signed & returned by this date, then this (fill in the bank - automatically be the agreement/term/price/ management wants) will happen.

After the second run along the tenant trail I would simply say - Next Batter-, I learned that phrase here about 10 years - thanx to whoever posted that about these type applicants.

There is no reason for them to stall on signing a month to month rental agreement. If they find another place, all they have to do is to give 30 days notice, which they are required to do even if they haven't signed the rental agreement.

Annie, re-send the rental agreement and also send a rental termination notice based upon "tenants refused to sign renewal of rental agreement"

They will quickly sign those papers and get them back to you.