To those that esp use lock-boxes to show units or don't want to deal with

just hopeless applicants,..what do you think of this for help in slowing those that wouldn't qualify.

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Your date to see the apartment would be OK.The manager may or may not be around but you can access it and look at it yourself. It's a quiet top floor unit #6.

It will be left open, Do NOT lock the unit when leaving.

 Let us know when you will be there to ensure it's unlocked.

 Things to know:

It's a*non-smoking apartment*** No pets. (nope. not even that one.) the landlord

pays water/sewer, the tenant pays electricity. 1st and last, no application

fee...apply online on xxxxxx (each person 18 and

older must submit a separate application) If you have been evicted for

cause or non-payment in the last 3 years, you will not qualify. If you

owe another landlord or utility company money, you must be current on

a payment plan.

Be prepared to answer these 4 questions: 1) What is your monthly

household income before taxes? 2) Have you ever been served a notice

to quit for non-payment or for cause? 3) Do you have a CORI or a

SCORI? 4) Do you smoke tobacco or any other substance?

Hope it works out for you.xxxxxx is an incredible town.

It takes a little more than that around here. Now if they had access to the place for a month and started getting mail there we could have an issue.

I just started the lockbox showing. I have left the places open before for people to see it but now I use a cheap box for the key. I don't tell anyone they can see it that way until I have their application. Some pro deadbeats might be able to slip thru but I don't leave the places sit empty and unattended for any length of time.

Nope, I would not do that. Not in today's climate.

It may work for some in limited markets, but your risk of squatters would be substantial. You allowed access. They didn't break in. No crime committed. Cops won't help you. They have the "right" to stay. Now you can spend months trying to evict, then rebuild the property afterward.

There are horror stories every week on this. Heck someone rented an AirBnB to a guy who has stayed in a million dollar property for over 2 years! Free.

A better idea is hold "open houses." Have everyone come during a certain time window. Say 11-12 on Saturday. There's no harm in allowing multiple parties to look at the same time. It works fine for sales. Gives a sense of urgency.

You are there to point out features, answer questions. Hand out apps. When we were running units I had staging furniture and a small dining table and chairs. We'd put apps and info sheets on the counter and had a contain with pens on the table if they wanted to fill out apps right there.

It also enabled us to cull out the ones with ten screaming kids - who forget and yell out how perfect the place would be for bowser. Or the one's who swore they didn't smoke, who's car ashtray is overflowing...

Right here, on this sentence: when leaving.

Let us know when you will be there to ensure it's unlocked.

I use lockbox showings and I recommend you put at the heading the address

rent amount and deposit amount.

Another vote for NO unaccompanied showings/lockboxes, ESPECIALLY in a BLUE state/city. You are just asking for Squatters. Automate and I agree with Jason. The less you say about your requirements/stipulations, the better.

First off, that is backwards from what most of us do. We ask the prequal questions and filter out 98% of the dregs from those few simple questions before they get to see the property. Some actually require a full application before showing.

From there you are dealing with a much smaller, more likely to qualify, subset to work with.

At that point you can either show it to them or give them the code for a lockbox showing. In left leaning CA, I wouldn't do lockbox showings. I certainly wouldn't leave it unlocked because you never know who will steal what or become a squatter.

For all who say no unaccompanied showings:

I typically receive 120 inquiries for a vacancy on the first day it is advertised, 70 on day 2, then 30 inquiries each day thereafter. Very, very few will view the house. A great many are looking for a home 100 miles from my offerings ( I suppose their search criteria needs adjusting.

This level of response has been the norm for 7+ years.

Sisco, I timed my process last year. It takes me 15 seconds to cut and paste the questions through messenger. Once they respond it takes about 20-30 seconds to read and delete the ones that aren't qualified. So, 45 seconds per response is spent on the unqualified hoards. My goal was less than 1 minute to filter the first round so that I keep my sanity.

I also routinely have 1-200 the first day so I do batches. Take all the message that come in for an hour and repetitively past the questions back. I can cut it down from 15 seconds to less than 5 seconds doing it that way. It still easily takes a couple of hours to process them that first day if you get 200 responses. I don't like waiting too long to respond because the longer I wait the lower the response rate to the questions, I surmise they simply moved on to my competitor.

If you require them to answer an online pre qual question list before talking to them it would save you time on the looky-lous.

You can set up a google form document with the questions.

All prospective tenants get the same response. Just copy and paste in into the text or email.

Here is a copy of what I send:

Thank you for inquiring about our homes for rent.

To see a property, fill out this short questionnaire.

forms.gle/jzKhCiBbyTiuACvEA

The application & animal policy are attached.

It is also downloadable from our website at:

(put your website here and attach your application and animal policy)

Available properties with pictures and more information can be found here:

(put your zillow link here)

You may have to copy and paste the links

Sincerely the manager

Now your google forms will spill the answers into a google sheet. Look over the answers.

If they answer their credit score is 600,

or they don't make 3x the rent

or they smoke

or whatever your criteria is

you just send a note back that says:

Your response indicates you would not qualify for this rental. Feel free to apply when your circumstances change. Thank you.

This keeps you from wasting your time.

For those that look promising, as mentioned above, set up a group viewing. Send out a cut and paste text or email that says,

Thank you for filling out our rental questionnaire! If you’d like to see this property, we are having a showing Sunday at 3 PM, please let me know if you can attend.

Doing it this way, or some variation of this, will cut down your time dealing with people who won't qualify. People who won't jump through your hoops are people you don't want so this eliminates people who don't follow directions and are not compliant. It also helps with fair housing as everyone is given the same opportunity, the application, and shown a link to all your available properties. Its up to them to move forward.

The downside is you will feel like there is no action to get this rented. The quickest responses are always the desperate people and they will fail your pre-screen. Eventually you will find the right person.

Hope that helps see a different way to do this.

Squatters, bad laws, unconstitutional moratoriums eviction extended for 3 years, rent control, refusal to prosecute shop lifters....

I don't think lock boxes are your problem in good ol' Cali.

Bonanza, once again your set-up is pretty slick.

I am happy with having my application and lease online, but I need to get a website set up and get the pre-qual questionnaire going.

My process is similar to Bonaza's. The market here has always supported it.

Very clear and substantial pre-qualification questions eliminate the people I don't want.

I give only 2 options for viewings. A weekday late afternoon/ early evening and a weekend morning.

If they are really interested they make it happen at my convenience.

I think lots of the lockbox showing were back during C-19. I still use lockboxes in the business model but they are for contractors at this point.

I would never allow access without me or someone their. All they would have to do is move in and forge a lease. Then you have to evict them.