Showed upcoming availability yesterday. Just 3 prospects. 1st was meh (had non-neutered dog) 2nd was great but had three dogs. We told her first was free but $50 for the other two. We'll see.

3rd was not good but we showed him anyway. Then we were discussing the process and I asked about his dog. He says she is a German Shephard (not good.) I asked about spaying ("You said she was spayed?") and he hesitated and said he had hoped to breed her "rare blood line" (absolutely not) which is what, exactly? Like 2% Red Wolf. Sure, sure, I bet. Absolutely not. An idiot I do not need for a tenant.

He seemed quite ticked and left mad. I was mad because he wasted our time. He was last, we could have closed up earlier.

I checked the Pre-Screen to see how he got through, and he specifically wrote YES to the spaying/neutered question. On double-checking, so did the first couple! So they lied too. Grr.

I would have had to say no to the German Shepherd right off the bat. On my insurance company's dangerous breeds list.

Require a spay neuter certificate along with applications. That helps to weed some of them out. Litters of puppies are extra destructive, so you just can not allow dog breeding.

I showed one the other day and they seemed "fine". My pre-screen questions were answered and one of them is about pets. Stated they didn't have any.

Application comes in... 2 year old cat. I call her... she said "oh, yeah I probably answered no when we were talking about the screening questions because I don't have a problem with finding the cat a new place to live... I need a place to live".

Well, now they all need a place to live (wasn't about the cat necessarily - the credit was horrible).

Nothing is across the board = meaning all.

Raise your hand if you can see patterns of behavior

I do not. I have some tenants with multiple animals and you'd never know it. Unlike my own home that too often has tumbleweeds of cat hair from our ginger cat blowing about.

My 15-year cat lady had 4 cats at one point and when she moved out we expected the floor under the carpet to be disgusting. It was but not from cats - just old dirt. Her house never smelled at all.

It's not so much the animals it's the lying about said animals. Earlier in the year I had a young couple that swore up and down that they didn't have a pet to my face during the tour and on the prequal. They also told me they could get out of their lease which had six more months on it.

And come to find out they were relying heavily on commission as well.

Their current LL said they sure do have an authorized dog and it's photos were all over

I always think of Dr. House series, he used to say "Everybody lies." Lot of truth there.

I have one outside only smoker. In the winter she gets in her car to smoke. Apartment is in great shape and doesn't stink.

Way back in another life I smoked. Never inside since I got married because of a promise to the wife.

Volunteer fire department has a big LED sign and now it says "Only smoke outside".

My middle son is a smoker, much to my dismay. He has an actual smoking porch outside his house where one much join him if one want to visit with him. When he visits here, he sits on our deck the majority of the time.

He doesn't smoke in the house or his car - family's insistence. He has friends who smoke, too, and they hang out in said friend's garage.

I quit 24 years ago.

WHAT!?!? Hold the phone! Stop the presses! Alert the FBI!

An applicant LIED(Just a little humor!)

By actual count HALF our applicants lie about employment.

These are reasons we do not do in-person showings or pre-qauls. Pay the fee and do the full app.

1 approved out of 40 apps last month. That would have been a lot of showings based on pre-qual lies.

BRAD

I couldn't get anyone to pay the fee ahead of time either.

Supplied all the info that they could want and a lot of semi-decent pictures.

Dropped the pre-pay fee and got more hits and filled the place.

I could have let people self show the place before I got the app but I wanted to know a little about them before I let them run rampant thru my empty apartment.

Once upon a time *I* thought an app fee would push away customers so our's were free.

Not true. We got the same number of apps with a fee.

Check the big apt complexes in your area (nearby) for their fees, including animal fees.

I find Facebook posters tend to be negative about everything.

Know the whole Haitians eating pets thing started with a single (sarcastic) post online.

Once upon a time *I* thought an app fee would push away customers so our's were free.

Not true. We got the same number of apps with a fee.

Check the big apt complexes in your area (nearby) for their fees, including animal fees.

I find Facebook posters tend to be negative about everything.

Know the whole Haitians eating pets thing started with a single (sarcastic) post online.

Brad, do you allow them to tour physically the place before they pay for the app?

I kind of want to know who is walking around in there. Not too worried about squatters but I am concerned about people casing the joint, especially if it is a multi unit situation.

zero,

We post great photos and walkthru video, encourage them to do a drive by/look in the windows of vacant homes.

(we don't normally advertise occupied homes, just 'COMING SOON 3 bedroom near City Park $1195')

Yes, we START with their paid application. We might answer a few questions by text but every reply encourages them to review the website and apply for full consideration.

Once their paystubs and court records clear, we give them the lockbox code while we finish their app. All homes have the same code so they can see several.

We prep the home - shut off water and breakers to HVAC & stove, remove toilet paper & window ACs, tilt the blinds so they can see in and leave on an interior light or two.

Apts? Ours have exterior entrances, no shared halls so I don't mind them self touring.

These are the same people who would case the joint at your open house - but at least you have their info! :)

Like hiring, relax your grip a bit and enjoy a little more FREEDOM!!! personal safety, faster renting, and space in your life to grow your biz.

Works for me!

BRAD

Thanks Brad for the input.

My multis are all duplexes and no shared halls. I do not have open houses either.

I will change my strategy for the next open. I provided pics and details for the last one but got nobody to pay the app fee.