With all of the supposed demand for rentals, here are my numbers after four days:

Zillow: 21 inquiries

FB: 26 inquiries

Turbotenant: 10 inquiries

Of those inquiries, I've only had one person who has completed my pre-screening form. I accept the Zillow application for prescreening purposes and I've received seven of those. None pass the muster. When I check the stats on other ads on Zillow in my area, others are doing about the same or worst as far as inquiries and applications go.

Just got a application from someone. Income looks good but credit is in the dumps. Score is 562. This is supposedly a single person looking to occupy a 3 bedroom--which is suspect. Only has $ 992 of debt but was recently late on all payments. This is someone who's making about $ 65,000 a year and this is the best application I've gotten so far.

This is why I prepare for a long hard slog to find apartment tenants.

Apartments seem harder to fill. I can sympathize. My one experience with this was living in a dorm room my frosh year in college. Neighbors above, below and on all sides. The jerks were...jerks. Loud noise, odd odors in the hall, etc. Not much you could do. RAs would babysit some, but most times it was a slap on the wrist and nothing more. Fortunately, most of them flunked out or left for other reasons after 1st semester, so 2nd semester was much quieter. I still moved off campus the next year.

I don't have apartments, but my duplexes and quad plex always take longer to fill than my SFH's. Folks want yards for the kiddies and pups to play, and to cook out, etc. Something about having "your own space"...

562 wouldn't be an automatic DQ for me, but it would definitely be a double deposit...and that's if EVERYTHING else looks good. Put them on bi-weekly payments so there's smaller chance of getting to rent due date and he's already spent it all.

People with decent income and few responsibilities often don't have a real budget. It's all "in their head". Then they lose track and five bounced payments later the fees add up and leave nothing.

The unprecedented increases the past 2 years remind me that when most things rise so sharply over a relatively short time line, they usually don't stay at an artificial high but rather correct and drop softly.

It seems that 57 people made an inquiry on your rental with only 1 completing the Pre-Screening Process. It seems that you are the one with the problem! 1 out of 57, a failure in results.

On my last advertised rental, I had around 30 responses. I had an online brochure with pictures and sufficient information to have 16 show up at 2 of my open houses. One during the week and one on the weekend. That's a 50% response.

Out of those 16 who showed up, 9 tired to hand in their application. They either dropped of their application in person, emailed it or sent it by fax. I quickly reviewed their applications and rejected 1/3 on the spot.

I then ran 6 of the applicants and checked their background information. I was able to offer the unit to 4 of the applicants. Two backed out and changed their minds. Two were left. One being able to sign the lease and provide all of the move in money within a day or two. The other needed a week to get the funds together and couldn't sign a lease until then.

Here in NY, we don't have the option of collecting a double deposit. Tish James has made that illegal.

Overabundance of vacancies=eviction proceedings gaining steam after moratorum ended + LL tightening their screening process due to moratoriums ended--keeping units vacant as opposed to filling with marginal applicants.

More deadbeats who were riding the "cancel rent" movement wave have been exposed during screening and are being told "no thanks."

GKARL [PA], thank you for taking the time to explain and voice your valid opinions. I agree with the frustration on showing the rental to too many unqualified people. This is why I had 2 open houses to show my vacant unit. Two two hour windows, or 4 hours of my time. But my unit was almost ready, I left a few things for me to do while I was showing it. I greet the people at the door and have them look around while I go about my business. Like installing the new mini-blinds, etc.

I'm like you, I hate to wait around for those who said they show up and never do. But my on line ads are gems and get most to show.

What 6X6 says.

Recent applicant upon doing a quick search was busted for welfare fraud last year. One of my prequal questions is "is there anything we should know about?" (leading, open question admittedly)

She responded "No"

My experience is that with a vacancy, I would get 100 or more hopefuls that were looking for a "private landlord' who would hand out keys for cash (or the empty promise of cash) without doing any screening. As soon as they found out I do a standard screening, they melted away, not wanting to waste their time or application fee when they knew they wouldn't be accepted.

I also am considering targeting my new listing lower than I could as I mentioned in a recent reply in a thread. in ny it will be winter soon and I too believe quality prospects will be attracted to a good deal. Robert, is the unit you mention a C? I would consider what you mention for one of my B units, but not C.

if I make an appointment to show, I don't head to the unit till thy text and confirm the appointment an hour before.

>>>if I make an appointment to show, I don't head to the unit till thy text and confirm the appointment an hour before.<<<

I do the same thing. Over the past two days, I had three appointments all of whom cancelled or couldn't make it for various reasons. All were pre-screened also. I can't imagine how much time and frustration I save by pre-screening and insisting on a confirmation for showings.