--71.207.xxx.x

I once rented to a female school principle with a bum husband and it went ok.If this is a class C or lower unit i would probably take her,woest case is she has a job you can garnishee and she will keep her credit good.I would end up dealing with only her,in part because he wont bother and she is the responsible one.I would want a 2 minute in home inspection to make sure there are not holes in the walls etc. If she made 100k per year and he was only capable of earning 25k it might be worthwhile to the family if he stayed home but with her only earning barely 3x your rent and him not working he is a bum by definition.I would be sure the lease has only her name or joint and several clause in case she ever wants to to leave and dump him on you.I hate to say i told everyone so,not really,spend enough time dealing with this level of renters and it was obvious --72.231.xxx.xxx

Perhaps have HER sign the lease and list him as an allowed OCCUPANT. That way if she leaves, he can't stay. --50.82.xxx.xxx

Let us know what you decide? --162.249.xx.xxx

I don’t rent to smokers period. On to the next. --73.177.xxx.xx

Every adult over 18 must fill out and pass an application. --24.152.xxx.xx

Thank you for the update. --73.120.xx.xxx

We have not heard if they also are hoarding a tow truck size ESA animal which thinks he or she is at the doggy dentist when anyone comes close to knocking at the door - Oh and they are pet sitting it for a good friend.... --76.190.xxx.xxx

--71.207.xxx.x

Roy, since you rent to smokers, when you have a vacancy, do you leave the unit smoke stained or do you clean it up and paint? --73.120.xx.xxx

You may attract a better tenant pool if your units don't reek like nicotine. But to each their own. --73.177.xxx.xx

I’m still wondering how you missed this guy in the first place? --24.152.xxx.xx

--71.207.xxx.x

Roy, just curious: Are you a smoker yourself? Because after growing up around it all my life, I can promise you airing a house out for three days does not get rid of the smell. --73.177.xxx.xx

I am trying to ignore you. You annoy me with your constant never ending stupid questions and rants about how I do things. --71.207.xxx.x

You just cater a niche market which comes with higher maintenance and drama. But it seems to be working for you. So suggestions from others who are more particular aren’t going to matter to you. --75.89.xxx.xxx

Just answer the question. It’s not a hard question. --24.152.xxx.xx

Jason and others that dont have class C and D rentals,Roy is correct if he didnt take smokers he wouldnt have tenants,in these neighborhoods 80% of the people smoke,it is just how it is,they tend to do things that are not in there own best interests to living a decent life.In many cases if Roy opens the windows for 3 days to air the place out that is better than other units he is in competition with.I know landlords who dont even clean a place out of junk that the former tenants left behind.These people are probably as good or better than most applicants he will get in this neighborhood,you can fix a place up all you want but most people will not choose to live there --72.231.xxx.xxx

You might not want to answer the question because it’s coming from me, so answer it for yourself. Pretend it’s coming from someone else. Whatever the answer is to my question, has led you to make multiple posts here about the same prospective tenant and set up multiple meetings with these prospective tenants. So the answer to my question is costing you time and money in your business. You don’t have to answer me here. You really should answer it for yourself. Whatever caused you to miss the husband you need to find and fix. --24.152.xxx.xx

Ken - how do you know so much about Class C and D hoods and the tenants that I deal with? I can tell you speak from years of experience there. --71.207.xxx.x

Roy,I have owned hundreds of low income rentals over a 35 year time frame,i prefer flips but many times they were 2 unit buildings where i put tenants in 1 unit to show rental income for the buyer.I grew up from the age of 3 going with my dad to work on his rentals which were all class C and D,every saturday morning was spent working on rentals,my dad was an old school slumlord so if they handed him money they got the apartment,he also at that time was able to physically remove tenants who didnt pay the rent and if the cops were called they told the tenants he owns the place so you are moving we are just here to make sure there is no violence.I didnt even know that anyone rented nice places that we would call class A or B,i thought they were all lived in by homeowners.My dad did all the work himself.When i was 20 I got involved as an owner and knew there had to be a better way than renting to a dirt bag then cleaning it out myself 6 months later when i kicked them out,that is when i started learning about how to pick tenants and hire employees.With the new eviction laws in my state i have no intentions of buying low end units to collect rent,i will still buy them with the intention of reselling but his state has lost another landlord for long term low end rentals which will just up prices further and further as more and more of us get out of it --72.231.xxx.xxx

I am able to do that because my clientele has changed - Roys' has not. He HAS to take smokers. --50.82.xxx.xxx

Thank you Roy --73.120.xx.xxx

--71.207.xxx.x

Roy, your comment about the wife transferring from Ohio made me suspicious of her barely making 3x the rent in wages. From various statements you've made in other posts, it appears that rent in AL is considerably less than OH. If she is a "career type" woman, she should be making more than enough to qualify for your rental. Something still doesn't ad up. Maybe you should check with her landlord from OH. --98.17.xx.xxx

Your Dad is my hero. He must of have been a 'Money talks and B.S. walks' type LL. I wish I could sit in a bar and trade war stories with that man! --71.207.xxx.x

Roy,thanks i will tell him that.He was tough on me as a kid but i was a handfull so i probably would have gotten into trouble if i hadnt had a tough man raising me.He let me learn things the hard way,i had a cow get out in the road when i was 12 and he went out to help me catch it but he made me figure out how to get it back,he didnt just do it for me,as a result i have always felt i could solve any problem and get myself out of any trouble i got into because i grew up having to solve problems,probably the best thing he ever did for me --72.231.xxx.xxx

Roy, if the family just moved to the area what is your criteria for time on the job or income verification? I pass on recent transplants who just landed a job at the warehouse or similar. unless it's a job that comes w an offer letter and a real income no dice. there is a risk they will get fired or get tired of that j o b. as a criteria I look for one year on the current job and a prior job. --172.58.xxx.xxx

--71.207.xxx.x

For those of us renting A and B properties vs D and F properties that want some perspective on the other end, the book Evicted by Matthew Desmond was enlightening. --75.67.xxx.xxx

I started with c tenants in c units and a PM that did not do right by me when it came to placement. As I became more active, I updated units. At first it was a losing proposition. Some were quickly beat up. My upside is that I made the bones better and have less service calls. As I made my units better and improved my screening I attracted a better c tenant. Now that NY has made it difficult to navigate removing a tenant I have to be even more carful in my screening process, which is how I arrived at my employment criteria. Do I take prospects that don't meet that specific criteria, yes but I have my benchmark. My area has a half dozen distribution centers, but I'm not seeing people flock from elsewhere to work in them. I do know that the target DC has a strict safety policy and it easy to get written up and DQ'd. What attracts these type of workers to your community, or what jobs are they coming for? I'll count my blessings that I can wait to take a tenant with no red flags. --24.194.xxx.xx

Since they have kids - it might be more cost effective for him to stay at home and watch the kids. --24.101.xxx.xxx

Hmmm. Some things I will never understand. --24.152.xxx.xx

Ray,the guy is a bum otherwise he would work a night shift somewhere and help the family financially.He is all about excuses --72.231.xxx.xxx

I aim for 2 people working now, if at all possible. --216.126.xx.xxx

I think I understand where you're coming from Roy. I think the stuff that some of the rest of us do simply isn't as effective in your market. The bottom line is that you have to do what works for you and the market you're operating in. I think this tenant will last six months. Might be able to get a year out of them. The husband will do something to mess up. Like Ken said, if he was about something he'd get a job at night. --209.122.xx.xxx

--71.207.xxx.x

Time to fire up that Zillow ad. --24.152.xxx.xx

I’m confused. We’re back to not renting to smokers now? --50.202.xxx.xx

I have several class D with floors painted brown. A lot cheaper than Allure. Looks good too. Each turnover, a quick coat and good as new. --24.152.xxx.xx

The wife's only red flag was that she married this worthless bum. And I don't need a crystal ball to tell me what is going to happen if I rent to them. --71.207.xxx.x

How much time do you have wrapped up in these prospects? --174.198.xx.xxx

That last explanation makes since Roy. --73.120.xx.xxx

In another case a couple presented themselves perfectly. My husband loved them but I sensed something was not right. Just a gut feeling as I know when I’m being bamboozled. Boy did I get an earful from their previous landlord who was so thankful to be getting rid of them, they were a non-renewal with a whole host of complaints against them from management and other tenants who had them fooled as well but they had to be honest because “they wouldn’t wish them in anyone”. So we dodged a bullet there just based on instinct and thorough screening. --75.89.xxx.xxx

--71.207.xxx.x

Very true Roy. Unless I wait for a unicorn, every vacancy brings me a handful of applicants. Sometimes it’s a slam dunk easy approve, sometimes I go with my best choice which isn’t perfect and occasionally I wait for more applicants but I get the rolling the dice comment. --75.67.xxx.xxx