Questions about renting an apartment *Update* 2/17

[Jazzzy]

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@msmsm wrote:

I live in small gray sedan down by the river. I'm not a landlord or a renter so I can't provide good information.

I can say Lynette is offering excellent advice though. I'm impressed.

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Hey...you sound like renters I've had who can't pay their rent because they had to "fix the car." You're not one of my former renters, are you?

I was always tempted to ask the tenant if they'd rather go live in their car than under the roof I was providing (for free) over their heads??? I never did ask, though. I was too nice.

I never did make anyone go live in their car. I have likely provided more free/reduced rent over the years than most landlords...but that's what being a landlord in a small town can bring.

I hope your small gray sedan is keeping you warm and dry...

(Actually the renters who REALLY bugged me were the ones who weren't home when I came to collect their late rent...but the kids would tell me they weren't home because they were gone playing BINGO. Boy, a lot of my rent money went to BINGO games.)

OK...I'm done with my trip down memory lane...

[Anonymous]

Quick update....the landlord was being very nice. lol 

So I spoke to the landlord a few days ago once I got my rental application all filled out and ready to fax it. I spoke to him and said, "Hey, I just wanted you to know that I was faxing my application to my cousin and he will be by tomorrow to drop it off with my application fee in cash. If there's anything else you need to know just give me a call. I also wanted to know if my aunt would need to fill out an application herself since she will be willing to co-sign for me if necessary." 

He asked me if I didn't have any credit and I told him that I did and that I had no evictions or repos on my report, and was in great standing with the two places I'd rented from before, but my score was ind of low, so that if I needed a co-signer then my aunt would do it.  He then said "Okay, we will run your credit and then you can have a co-signer and just fax a copy of the application to your aunt and have her do it." Since my aunt has excellent credit, I'm hoping that this pretty much means I'll be approved, and as long as he likes me okay when he meets me face to face then I should be okay.

So the next day (yesterday) my cousin drops my application off as was planned. the man wasn't there but his wife was there and she took my application. She then complained saying that she would take it, but that I would probably need to do another one because I didn't put my full bank account numbers. I felt uncomfortable about it so I spoke to my bank and they instructed me not to put the full acct numbers but to put X's and then the last 4 digits of my number. They told me that the landlords or company would not be allowed access to any information other than for the bank to tell them that my accounts were in good standing, so to protect me from my account being conpmromised, that I should do that. 

I told my cousin to tell her that and then she started complaining about how my application was not the original copy. (Because I had faxed it, which I told her husband I was going to do.) My cousin told her, "I know, it's because she's in Ohio and she had to fax it to me, which she confirmed with your husband." 

So that was it, and now I'm gonna call back tonight and speak with the landlord again to see what the deal is. I mean, are these people having comprehension issues or something? We already went over the fact that I would be faxing the application to them because I wouldn't be there until March 2nd. I'm kinda nervous to call now because when I spoke to him a few days ago, everything seemed fine and the lady I'm subleasing from is all packed and ready to move. Now with the bank account numbers crap, I'm wondering if they're pissed at me again.

But like I said, I was instructed by my bank to do that as well as my cousin who is a paralegal. She told me that she just finished working on a case where a girl put her full bank account numbers on her rental application. Well, the girl fell on hard times and couldn't pay her rent anymore and had to break the lease. The landlord and management company somehow took her account numbers and were charging her bank account to take the money that she still owed them for the rest of her lease. (Not sure how this all happened but that was the short story I got.) 

Anyway, is there anything in california law that says I have to give them my full bank account numbers or that they can deny me for not doing so?  

[DI]

If I were you, I would only talk to the husband from now on.  It seems the wife and husband are not communicating all information, not organized and not documenting anything. 

Message Edited by DI on 02-17-2010 01:03 PM

[Anonymous]

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@DI wrote:
If I were you, I would only talk to the husband from now on.  It's seems the wife and husband are not communicating all information, not organized and not documenting anything. 

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I would have concerns about renting from them at all.

[newstart2010]

GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING!!!!

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@DI wrote:
If I were you, I would only talk to the husband from now on.  It's seems the wife and husband are not communicating all information, not organized and not documenting anything. 

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I would have concerns about renting from them at all.

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I would agree. There are too many houses and apartments out there for anyone to jump through this many hoops to rent a place to live. What they're asking is borderline ridiculous. I'd break off and look for someplace else, chiefly because there's no telling what they're going to do once you're actually in the place.

You've already said the landlord acts like a jerk. They want your bank account numbers. They are disorganized amongst themselves, and they seem to be completely unwilling to provide you with a simple means to appease their demands. My advice: Run away.

[Jazzzy]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Anyway, is there anything in california law that says I have to give them my full bank account numbers or that they can deny me for not doing so?  

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Please remember...it's their apartment. I don't doubt that California has funky laws, but, at least where I'm at, the only reasons not valid for denial deal with Fair Housing.

They can likely not rent to you if they don't like the color of your hair.

I'm sorry you've had to go through all this. Has your cousin looked at other places for you? Does this one appeal to you because of the short timeframe?

[Anonymous]

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@LynetteM wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

Anyway, is there anything in california law that says I have to give them my full bank account numbers or that they can deny me for not doing so?  

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Please remember...it's their apartment. I don't doubt that California has funky laws, but, at least where I'm at, the only reasons not valid for denial deal with Fair Housing.

They can likely not rent to you if they don't like the color of your hair.

I'm sorry you've had to go through all this. Has your cousin looked at other places for you? Does this one appeal to you because of the short timeframe?

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In WA the landlords can evict or deny a renter for what ever reasons they see fit.  They can not discriminate though.

My current landlord wanted my bank account and credit card numbers.  I told them no, I did not feel it was necessary for them to have them.  They still rented to me.

[Anonymous]

I agree with many of the others here - I would not rent from these landlords. I live in Southern California, and, here, it is a renter's market. There are TONS of places to rent on the market right now. I'm not sure if there is anything special about this place you're interested in - is the place super nice? A good deal for the money? If not, you might want to stay at a place like Residence Inn (like a studio apartment but owned by Marriott Hotel), or rent a month-to-month apartment (the big, property managed complexes do this). This will give you time to get to know the Los Angeles area and it's suburbs, and you can better decide where you want to live. L.A. is iffy - some areas are very nice and some are very dangerous and gang infested. Are you completely "sure"  about the area where this apartment is?

I know it is more settling to have an apartment to move into when you're relocating as far as you are, but in Los Angeles, I just don't think doing it sight unseen is a good idea. If you stayed at a Residence Inn type of place, this would give you a little more time once you are here to find something you really like and a landlord who is cooperative and not strange. I've had two very good landlords, and one HORRIBLE landlord where I couldn't wait to get out of her rental house. It is SO important that you check out the landlord, just like they are checking you out. What do their other tenants think about him? I look up the court records online to see what types of lawsuits the landlord has been involved in and what the outcomes were (you have to read the minutes).

Some people don't want to go through all of that, and I understand, but for me, it's important that I'm not renting from a basket case landlord. If you write a letter of explanation for any negatives on your credit report, have a couple of positive letters of reference from previous landlords, can clearly show your income is 3x the amount of the rent (give copies of last 3 bank statement with the account number blacked out), and can put down extra security deposit funds if necessary, then you should not have any problems renting anywhere.  A landlord who balks at that kind of disclosure is unrealistic and I would not rent from him (or her).

Don't forget, with the influx of people who used to own homes but now rent due to the crummy foreclosure situation in Southern California, I would think that more renters nowadays have a few dings on their credit rather than 800-scored, perfect credit ones. Landlords know this. Nearly everyone has a mistake of some sort on their credit. I wouldn't be overly apologetic over it to potential landlords, just explain it in your letter matter-of-factly. Landlords are like dogs and bears - they can sense your fear (lol) (shown in trying too hard to be excessively hoop-jumping with them).  Come across professional, confident and super-transparent with your documentation and you will find more of them will rent to you than won't, even with a low credit score.

If you present yourself well, you will find a nice place very quickly once you physically relocate here. I have always found nice places to lease, usually within a few weeks of starting my search, and there have been times in my life when I haven't had a particularly high credit score at the time I was applying for the lease.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

 I would not give up my bank account information to anyone while looking for a place to live.  Owners or not, they have no need for that kind of information.

Yes, not renting to an individual is that persons right and I too would be selective in choosing who resides in my home.   Just not based on whether or not they gave me their account information.

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@LynetteM wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

Anyway, is there anything in california law that says I have to give them my full bank account numbers or that they can deny me for not doing so?  

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Please remember...it's their apartment. I don't doubt that California has funky laws, but, at least where I'm at, the only reasons not valid for denial deal with Fair Housing.

They can likely not rent to you if they don't like the color of your hair.

I'm sorry you've had to go through all this. Has your cousin looked at other places for you? Does this one appeal to you because of the short timeframe?

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Message Edited by guiness56 on 02-23-2010 02:36 PM