Rental Screening applications??????

Discussion in 'Credit Talk' started by venomized, Aug 6, 2003.

  1. venomized

    venomized Well-Known Member

    Well im pretty pissed at this moment. See me and 3 other friends are trying to move out into a 4 bedroom house. Me and my other friend are the main applicants. My credit (Fico 740) along with his, was well enough, to be approved. Which we were, and the rental agency agent that has our file, had told us too!!! Now all of the sudden, he changed his mind. So my question is: Besides the damn 25 dollar rental application fee that he took from each app from the 4 of us, and the HARD INQUIRY on my file. Is there any services that offer for rental checks, so that incase i have to go to other house, and the rental agency, dont have to put HARD INQUIRYS everytime a new house wants to check? Something that i can refer them to show my credit history. Thanks.

    Also, do i have a legit reason, for them to erase my hard inquiry off my file, if they decide to deny the rental of the house? Even though the agent had told us we were approved, but all of the sudden he changes his mind? Im pissed that they had put a HARD INQUIRY on my file to begin with, before all this. But i will be more pissed, if we get denied and still have that HARD INQUIRY on my file. Thanks
     
  2. 95207Chick

    95207Chick Well-Known Member

    You applied for credit (rental) with them so they had purpose. Unfortunately they changed their mind mid-stream. Either way you were denied, the fact is you still applied and they had purpose.

    We got hit with this a couple years ago in a tight rental market and were paying $25 each time and getting pulls. We got tired of paying the money so we requested our best report online and printed it out. I then made copies as I needed them for applications. I felt comfortable allowing them to view them as I waited because most decision makers had access to pull the report anyway.
     
  3. venomized

    venomized Well-Known Member

    So what do you recommend? I have Credit Watch from Equifax, and i have access to that until the end of the month.

    So should i print a full print out of my file, and show to them when i turn in a application to any other rental property agencies, when and if we turn in any more applications?
     
  4. 95207Chick

    95207Chick Well-Known Member

    I'm totally not the expert around here, I am just speaking from personal experience as to what worked for me.
    You can have the copy and explain that every pull on your credit report "injures" you. You might still end up paying the $25 for them to do an eviction check or similar, not sure where you are at but that is a popular thing that use public county records for in some areas.
    I took my DHs and mine credit report and had it spiralbound at Kinkos with a cover page and a letter of our personal info and copies of DL and SS card that was required. Sounds like alot of work but it was just a few dollars.
    After a few denials, the $25 was adding up. At that time we didn't know so much about credit and that each pull hurt us.
    I think we used the copy for 3 different applications with no problems.
    We are planning to move to Washington in a year and I am going to approach it the same way.
     
  5. sirrowan

    sirrowan Well-Known Member

    Are you sure that the "rental check agency" doesn't have access to some incorrect info?

    I applied to rent a house in November of 2001, was preapproved for a mortgage, never evicted from any rental, and the "rental check agency" that the landlord used, told them that I didn't meet their criteria.

    My theory is that the "rental check agency" has incentive to deny so many people because that is how they make their money: repeat business.

    I called the "rental check agency" and balled them out. I was PISSED. I called the landlord and told them that there is no way in hell that I should be denied. I told them that I was preapproved for a mortgage and backed out at the last minute and that I had a perfect rental history and how in the world could I be approved to PURCHASE a home, but am not worthy to RENT a home.

    Long story short, I got the house.

    Have you asked this guy specifically why you were denied the house? I would be calling him to find out.
     
  6. GEORGE

    GEORGE Well-Known Member

    DEMAND a written reason for denial...IT IS THE LAW!!!
     
  7. venomized

    venomized Well-Known Member

    Well his reasoning is because our jobs are so new. I started at Citibank in April of this year. And my friend at the same time. But my previous job was at Wells Fargo, for 4 years. I mean, my score is at 740 with credit history of 5 years. Isnt that worthy enough?

    And maybe because were young? (all of us are 22)
     
  8. GEORGE

    GEORGE Well-Known Member

    I'M NOT WORTHY SOMETIMES...AND I HAVE 25+ YEARS!!!

    I was once denied a credit card for EXCESSIVE INCOME!!!

    I wrote back and said "THERE IS NO DENIAL REASON CODE IN EXISTANCE THAT SAYS EXCESSIVE INCOME...YOU MADE THAT UP"

    They wrote back and said "IN OUR OPINION, YOU HAVE ENOUGH CREDIT CARDS--DENIED"

    At the time I probably had a DEBT TO INCOME RATIO under 5% (the interest rates were all >9.99%)...if I remember right...AND SINCE THEY WERE so high...I paid them ALL OFF with-in 30 days or less...and if I spent anything on the cards...it probably was not much over $20,000 TOTAL!!!
     
  9. GEORGE

    GEORGE Well-Known Member

    I applied for PROVIDIAN (ARIA) with a 739---DENIED!!!

    I just did it because it was such a "SHORT" application...30-60 second answer...and it asked H/H INCOME...
     
  10. please

    please Member

    you can dispute the entry, if it comes off , Great! if not it's nothing new!

    Good luck!
     
  11. Nestea

    Nestea Well-Known Member

    it is illegal to deny someone based on age, if they have the legality to enter into a binding contract.

    it's called.... "age discrimination"... no different to not renting to someone because of thier race or color.
     
  12. webgod

    webgod Member

    My father has owns several 6-unit buildings and he has never pulled or asked for credit history in the 15 years he has owned the buildings.

    He screens applicants by actually talking to them and asking general questions.

    His track record is extremely good. In those 15 years he has only given one 5 day notice and his turnaround rate is extremely low compared to the area. In fact he has half a dozen renters that have been in the building for over 10 years.

    He also has the best maintained building in the area with the lowest monthly rates. He purposely under cuts the area average rates to promote stability.
     
  13. venomized

    venomized Well-Known Member

    The thing that pisses me off, is that my friend that is the other main applicant, called the lady (owner of the house) and she basically approved us. But like i stated before, the guy approved us also. But sometime between friday of last week and tuesday of this week, he changed his mind. We tried contacting him on monday, but he didnt return our calls, until we got hold of him through my friends mother on wednesday. Thats when his answer started to change. From what my friends mother was saying, that he started to stutter and just make up some nonsense answers. We were the first apps to be entered, pretty fast to. Basically no one had a chance to enter thiers, because we jumped on it, before it was entered into the newspaper. But since it was posted in the newspaper last weekend, i think he held out a couple of days, and ran into a family. And probably doesn't want young adults renting the house.
     
  14. lakpr

    lakpr Well-Known Member

    Hi venomized,

    Please see the following thread that I initiated a while ago.... the reason I am posting this is to let you know that the apt. manager can get away with his "your jobs are too new" reason .... see comments in this thread posted by smontoya5 and BlueRidge ... cannot even take him to court ...

    http://consumers.creditnet.com/straighttalk/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=43272
     
  15. Marie

    Marie Well-Known Member

    As to the original question, yes you get a hard inquiry when you apply for a job, credit, or business transaction and your credit is pulled. You are asking for a new relationship, that's why you get a hard inquiry. IF they pulled multiple inquiries for 1 transaction, then you'd have a gripe.

    If you had a credit account already established and they were reviewing it, then you would get a "soft" inquiry" because it's not a new relationship or transaction but a continuing relationship just checking up on you

    If you have an over 700 fico, 1 hard inquiry isn't going to make much of a difference one way or the other. The landlord has permissible purpose to pull your credit... so you have no leg to stand on in getting the inquiry removed.

    If you apply for several places, you will get hard inquiries at each place. The solution: apply only at a few places were you want to live.

    Again, with your fico score, the inquiry doesn't matter really. You can try to dispute the inquiry, but don't expect to get anywhere as the bureaus don't really dispute inquiries. If you push it, the landlord can provide proof that you gave permission via your application...

    It seems like what you're really ticked off is if you didn't get the place. Well, that's life. You could always talk to the landlord and simply ask is there anything else you can do to get the place... but really you have little else you can do.

    And frankly, when you legitimately are applying for credit, employment, etc... it's fair that you get that inquiry. The new Nextgen fico software groups mortgage-related inquiries within 30 days (I think) as 1 anyway.. it's to let people shop without killing their credit.
     
  16. Calypso

    Calypso Well-Known Member

    I happen to know a lot about rental aps and performance and there is a HUGE statistical correlation between credit behavior (Not necessarily scores) and rental history.


    My observation has been that a person with zero derogs performs well as a tenant.

    That person may have a lower score due to higher ratios or numerous inquiries or the vagaries of the system, but if they never missed a credit card payment they probably won't be late with their rent.

    I personally believe that scores are valuable when separating high risk and low risk, but fall apart when it comes to nuances (700 and above)
     
  17. 95207Chick

    95207Chick Well-Known Member

    Calypso,

    I am one of those that wouldn't fall into your observations.

    My DH and I in our almost 12 years of marriage have never been late on our rent in any circumstances. We always pay our utilities as well on time. Because without somewhere to live I would basically say we would be screwed.

    Yet in years past when we had financial problems, we were late on various other debts. I know the landlord will act immediately if we don't pay the rent, yet a CC won't. If I have a choice on where that months income will go to, I will allot it to rent and utilities first as the TOP priority.

    We can't qualify to buy anything worthwhile yet, but we are stellar renters. In fact DH and I are working today to rip up the entire gazebo patio floor in our rental that began to rot from water and termites and will be redoing the installation ourselves with only asking the landlord to reimburse us materials. We have also done other improvements in the time we have lived here.

    I am just one that doesn't agree that bad credit makes you a bad tenant in that you won't pay the rent or take care of the unit in the long run. Unfortunately I know you can't convince most people of that. I have lost out on renting some beautiful houses in our budget in the past. I am now at the point where I am correcting my old credit mistakes not realizing how long they would haunt me. :)
     
  18. Calypso

    Calypso Well-Known Member

    Hey 95207--

    I know that there are always exceptions, but fair housing rules force landlords to turn to objective standards like credit reports. Unfortunately, a "good feeling" about someone equals discrimination if you take one applicant, but then turn down another with a similar credit history.

    I will stick to my prior statement though- *statistically* there is an extremely high correlation. That doesn't mean great people don't get lumped in with the bad ones.

    Improving credit is possible however. Sites like this one are lifesavers. When I realized how critical scores were I tackled my reports with a vengeance. I started at 630 and have reached as high as 808, so it can be done. Hang in there. Glean all the info you can. There are a lot of people here who know a heck of a lot about this stuff. Good luck!!
     
  19. sam

    sam Well-Known Member

    i saw on the apt complex blackboard a note that said:

    BEACON LESS THAN 580 = NO WAY.

    (i kid you not)
     
  20. cannoda

    cannoda Well-Known Member

    Re: Re: Rental Screening applications??????

    Marie,

    IF they properly coded non-credit seeking inquiries related to insurance, employment, etc. AND the score generating models treated those inquiries differently, I MIGHT agree that getting those inquiries are fair. The problem is that, with the exception of de-duping, all hard inquiries are essentially treated as the consumer seeking ADDITIONAL credit.

    Should an inquiry for a mortgage or auto re-fi at a lower rate count against you? Should a rental application for a place in a nicer neighborhood with lower rent count against you?

    One might argue that an employment inquiry is associated with increased risk, but would that be true for a new college grad? Does a move from Burger King to Wall Street constitute increased risk? Getting your car insured is required by law. Should your credit take a hit because you are attempting to comply with the law? Inquiries would be fair only if they were truly and consistently associated with credit risk.
     

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