Some applicants are sincere. That is, sincere in how ridiculous they can be.

While I was doing an open house a few days ago, I had an engaged couple come in to view the home. One of the first of many things they asked about was the animals. I had explained the terms, fees and that we only allow 2 animals, dog and/or cat. Right off the bat the female brought up their 3 ESA cats, and of course they are clean and don't do any damage. I told them to just turn in the proper papers, of which she said they have all of that.

They start looking around and then ask if I would work with them if they were late on rent as they were late all the time. I couldn't believe they just asked me that. Keep talking.

Then the male applicant asked about building a fire pit in the back yard. Keep talking.

Then the female applicant started talking about how there apartment was full of roaches, pest, and mold. I thought I was reading a prank post on this forum. No, they were sincere. Keep talking.

Then they tell me about how the apartments were remodeled and how they took the insulation out of the walls and did not put it back and left a big piece of trim off of one of the walls at the floor. They exclaimed how it got really cold in the apartment and they had to keep the heat turned down as there bill would get real high. HMMM, could this be on purpose? Keep talking.

It was around this point that I told them that I did have other applications to process and that I had a person (don't want to call her a lady at this point) who was supposed to meet me later to put a hold on the home. Keep talking.

They asked about move in cost and started talking to each other about how they would be pushing it to have enough money and then they would only have about $5 left. I told them again what I had just told them. I told them not to put themselves in a bind. They kept saying how they really loved the house. Keep talking.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing and experiencing. They were young and just barley getting by in life, but very friendly though. I really felt for them as at that time I still had a heart. They talked some more and went to go get some money to fill out an application and hoped the other person would fall through ( should have). they came back and filled them out. Keep talking.

Take their application shaking my head. I still live in TN.

I am grateful for this forum that taught you to wisely listen and scrutinize silently. I am glad that you have learned how to compose yourself during a showing. Thank you for having shared your experience that echoed S i d ' s recent one of taking a call for his vacancy.

Perhaps using a smaller marketing funnel will get you more targeted results. If the leads you got are deadbeatish, ask your current tenants for referral and pay them.

Ray N PA, not necessarily. I tried that with one of my good tenants. Unfortunately she and her mother (who is a bleeding heart and runs a "charity house") sent me one of the worst applicants I've had yet.

A S8 recipient with three teenage girls. Drove by her current unit to return her blank S8 voucher paperwork after getting a negative previous LL reference who said he had to "chase her for her share of the rent. " Looked like a Class F place...sheets in the windows and wide open on a raw early spring day. Had an outstanding $1,000 plus water bill to boot.

In my experience, any applicant who is wildly enthusiastic is not going to screen well. Good applicants who like the house are quietly appreciative not over the top bubbling with good cheer.

Of course I screen them just as carefully as any other applicant, but that excitement about finding a good place so far has always been a warning that they are not going to qualify.

I once had a pair of applicants who probably knew their credit score/rental history, etc. was in the trash try to "sell" me on how great they were by repeating "I looked good for my age". Repeated this three times. Like we're old buddies. I thought this isn't winning you guys any points here. I thought I would get rid of them by giving them an application and telling them to take it home, fill it out and provide it with proof of income. They insisted on filling it out right then although they had no proof of income with them. They insisted on providing me with the screening fee right then and said they would bring the income information "later". Just to finally get rid of them I ran the screening later that night. Their social security numbers didn't even exist. Shoved all the info in an envelope with a letter stating "incomplete" application, sent it off, blocked their number.