They can always come up with something new to surprise you. Mother and teenage son came to view and they asked if the son could go underneath the house to look around.

I couldn't really think of a reason that he shouldn't. At least I got an inspection report from him and had him check on the furnace while he was down there.

Then at the second house they looked at, the same thing. He went underneath the house but this time I got the mother to tell me why. The kid was looking for mold and I got the tale of woe about a moldy rental.

They called back, wanted to rent the first house that they looked at, but this time the father wanted to go under the house to make sure. I told them to save themselves a trip.

But more importantly how was the furnace in the 1st place?

I would have bounced them as well when they started throwing the mold drama around.

I too have had people ask about attic access, but that was because they wanted to use it for storage. I just tell them it is not set up for that so if they need the extra space they can rent a storage unit or look for a bigger place.

When I sold the house we had for the kids while in college the buyer said he saw mildew in the crawlspace and wanted it remediated.

As a former home inspector. I’d estimate that 70% of the crawlspaces had some amount of mold…usually minor. I always had to mention it in my report, but only if it was severe did I give it the “major concern” title…which was maybe 2% of the houses I inspected. Too many people think any mold at all, even if not inside the living space…means they are going to die from it.

I bet if you went to the applicant’s house now you could find mold they are already living with…they just don’t know it. It will be in the p-traps, the shower drain under the grating, behind the fridge door gasket if you peel it back, under the bath sink that leaked once, and so on.

I have rental properties in North-ridge California, heart of the 1992 North-ridge Earthquake Zone. After a zillion questions, I finally provide them with my permits of completed Earthquake retrofitting work. Lag bolts every 2 feet, sheer wall, etc. Finally I told them they should look at other apartments in other areas of Los Angeles.

They ended up showing up at 2 of my other units. Different phone numbers, email address and person answering the phone.

At No-Ho, they wanted to know the crime statistics. In Woodland Hills they wanted me to lower the price. Some people can never be pleased.

[[[[[.....Good thing you caught this early.....]]]]]

This is why I do showings in person. I do some pre-qualifying on the phone before I meet anyone and this family sounded really promising. There was nothing said about health or mold until we got quite far into chatting. Usually "moving for mold" is nearly the first thing out of their mouths,.

Its after chatting, being social, that they will let their guard down and tell you things that they really shouldn't. Or their will show some flickers of what their real personality is like.

I get to see how they control their children. I get to smell cigarette smoke on those who claim to be non-smokers. Eventually, they let on about their relationship with their current landlord.

I'm with you on that Woodsmoke... I just can't bring myself to allow someone to show my property without me being there (aka lockbox showing or whatever). Nope. Not gonna happen.

I also want to SPEAK with them on the phone (call me old school all you want but I want to hear them and their background noises while we are on the phone). Things such as "any pets"? And if the answer is no yet there is clearly a dog in the background...

"Beeping" as in smoke detector beeps, while we are on the phone. HUGE pet peeve of mine. Really people? You can't replace the battery or call the owner/landlord/whatever to advise that the detector needs to be changed (for those that are sealed or past their life use)? No thanks.... it's not that I would deny them for this but I already know that they aren't going to care for my property at that point.

Interesting.

I do that when viewing a house for sale.

It's been a loooooooong time since I was a tenant, but as a fiscally responsible person, I would like to know what - if any - insulation there is. As it would affect my utility bills. It would also be reassuring if I knew it had new PEX vs 60 year old galvanized.

I'm kind of starting to see it from another perspective. Don't shoot me! It's just having an open mind to "consider" something different.

"Sometimes" it IS true that "the landlord doesn't fix anything". You know who they are. That "could" actually be the truth when they answer the question, "why are you moving?".

Now, if the first thing spoken is a long list of current landlord problems - that is bad.

If someone is really just trying to move up their standard of living to a well-cared-for home, perhaps they would be good tenants.

I think the key that will tell you the real truth is the in-home visit. If it is truly a slumlord house, you can probably tell before even entering. If it is housekeeping problem, you will see that after entering.

This "open-mind" idea is not specifically for these folk only, but any prospects who ask those types of questions.

I'm thinking it might not be such a bad idea to show them a photo of the insulation in the attic?

My last flip -

A buyer wanted me to encapsulate the entire crawl space

or be credited toward them contracting it.

Nice try. Next !

We don't allow tenant access to basements/attics. They have their own breaker box so no need. And no need to store junk which will become hoarder city.

I have been known to embrace the craziness, but at some point - like the second request for inspection, the answer would be NO. However I am looking for someone who is willing to work on my units and since you are not afraid to craw under the house where the skunks sometimes visit - would you mind, working for me?

Bonanza, in IN most of the attics have a little as well.