Will you even rent a house to someone who does not have the full amount of move-in funds available at lease signing? --71.207.xxx.xx

A lot of members here ask that on their pre-screening form. Me? When I email their congratulatory email, I spell out all of the funds due at lease signing. If they show up with anything less than what I’ve told them, or if they “can pay me Friday”, then they’ve lost their chance. --172.58.xxx.xxx

Come on Roy. Seriously? --24.152.xxx.xx

I say "maybe" because if they totally wasted my time to show up with only half of the money (or whatever "less" means) and I was all prepared to do the signing in full... I may be so irritated that they lose the chance and I'm out and on to the next one that I would have approved. It hasn't happened (yet) but I hope that this doesn't bring me that kind of 'luck' LOL --69.201.xx.xxx

would the real Roy-al please stand up. --69.130.xxx.xxx

You may not know. Ask for two months bank statements. Or just verbally ask them "are you ready to go with your move in funds" --172.59.xxx.xxx

I saw this question come up on another forum earlier this week. Some were suggesting they would do a payment plan. Generally, I would not consider unless the applicant was pretty solid. Having said all that, I never done it. Brad has mentioned working with people this way several times. Perhaps he can come along and explain what he does. --172.56.xxx.xxx

I do not want our first financial transaction of the tenancy to set the wrong expectation, that the landlords will accept "payments" on the funds due. --184.4.xx.xx

A better question would be: how to determine if they have the necessary funds BEFORE showing the house to them? --71.207.xxx.xx

Tenant Turner --24.152.xxx.xx

Roy, ask them as part of your pre screening, it is helpful at an open house to have a couple losers there just to make it look like there are more qualified applicants to compete against --74.77.xx.xx

By the way, I only use a Zillow app for pre-screening. Not everyone who completes the app gets an invite to a showing. Also evictions don't necessarily show up on the Zillow application. I just ran across some cases just as recent as yesterday were this was the situation. --172.56.xxx.xx

I've done payment plans in the past, but I figure breaking it up this way IS a form of payment plan, so I don't offer anything else anymore. --173.28.xx.xxx

--71.207.xxx.xx

You’re holding an open house. They aren’t wasting your time, they’re wasting their. --24.152.xxx.xx

People don’t read ads, THAT would be wasting your time. A good bit of us use pre-screening questionnaires to screen for exactly what we’re looking for. If you try it you’ll never go back. --71.63.xx.xx

Even with a pre-screening questionnaire, how do you verify if the information is accurate? I use the Zillow App as my pre-screening questionnaire, however, there is no way to verify the information a person puts on that app. Zillow does pull a credit report which I find somewhat useful. My best screening techniques result from me talking face to face to someone at an open house. And I am not the least bit shy about asking someone 'do you have the deposit and first months rent ready to go, right now'? --71.207.xxx.xx

Tenant turner blocks them from proceeding if they put less than your required minimums. Income, deposit monies, etc. But your free to still keep holding open houses and wasting your time with deadbeats. --24.152.xxx.xx

Verify it after / if they complete the full application & upload all necessary documentation - including bank statements --68.229.xxx.xxx

No, proof of funds or see yea. --146.70.xxx.xxx

BRAD --73.103.xxx.xxx

BRAD --73.103.xxx.xxx

The move-in money is in the ad, so they are in tune while looking into the next step. I can do a 24 hour holding fee, this is no-refundable however. --184.59.xxx.xx

I contact them prior to the signing and verify they know the amount and they are bringing the amount. If they cannot provide the amount at signing I go to the next person. If they show up (after saying they would have it) and they don't have it, I take what they have and give them 24 hours. I also keep what they have given me to hold the unit. There are unique situations where the ATM doesn't give them as much as they think they can get; they assume the machine will spit out whatever they need. Or, they needed a ride before the bank closed and couldn't get it. They need to show up with more than 50% of the required amount. I used to use the honor system and let them pay the balance of the deposit over 2-3 months and it worked OK but I just got tired of the hassle and risk. --70.62.xxx.xxx

--71.207.xxx.xx

Roy, why would you consider that tenant not being ready? If they have all the money by the time you sign lease, then they’re ready? Right? --24.152.xxx.xx

I am accustomed to having applicants being able to save enough money to pay both deposit and 1st months rent at lease signing. Here I have an applicant who lives with her parents, has a good paying job, but can't save a dime. I see that as a potential problem that I may have to deal with down the road. --71.207.xxx.xx

But this applicant is ready at lease signing. There’s nothing wrong with taking the deposit now and the balance due at the lease signing like you stated you were going to do. I can consider that normal course of business. --24.152.xxx.xx

My conservative chain of thought says anyone who goes shopping for rental property should have the first months rent and deposit in a savings account before they leave the house. It is no different than going to grocery store or shopping at Walmart. You need to have the money to pay before you walk in the store. --71.207.xxx.xx

No money is an America problem. Paycheck to paycheck is normal and that’s what you have here. Especially with what sounds like a first time renter. --24.152.xxx.xx

Maybe they plan to gift her the money to get her out? --107.147.xx.xx

My pre-screener form screens agains ALL of my screening criteria so that I only deal with prospects that pre-qualify. Everybody else get an automated “thanks but no thanks” email. You’re letting your discomfort with technology hold you back, which wastes valuable hours/weeks/months of your life. I promise you that once you try it, you’ll never go back. --172.58.xxx.xxx

Jason, he won’t try it. He’s been told countless times and then returns with the same problems. Receives the same advise and argues it over and over. Best to learn from landlords like this by not repeating their mistakes. --24.152.xxx.xx

If you rent to them, you are teaching them that it is okay yourself. That is a big part of the problem. --73.190.xxx.xxx

Ask for bank statements. You can verify they paycheck they are getting is accurate. Plus if they have $506 in the account they don't have enough financial reserves to afford your home. --179.51.xx.xxx

Catering to those living week to week is a different game. Unicorns are elusive in the hood. --198.168.xx.xxx