It is awesome to have many eligible candidates competing for a rental unit, but it can also have pitfalls for the unaware. The Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to decline to rent on the grounds of factors such as race, national origin, faith, sex, or the disability of an applicant. Having a clear strategy that is reasonably and consistently applied is the secret to preventing conflicts with the Fair Housing Act. Before listing the rental, create a document outlining what your requirements are and distribute them to applicants during the showing. This step keeps things consistent when interviewing multiple applicants. Some of the common requirements include credit score, income, rental history background, and employment history. Should there be more than one applicant that fits your criteria, be fair about how you go about making your decision. You could decide to keep things by going with a first-come, first-served approach depending on which application was submitted first. However, this means the best-qualified tenant may not be chosen. If an applicant surpasses minimum standards, you may have a preference. One applicant, for example, may have an excellent rental background and greater income than another. You lease to that applicant in such a situation. Ensure that you note why one was preferred over the other. If multiple candidates are evenly eligible, then go with the time the application was submitted. Bear in mind that if an applicant has been rejected based on credit report information, the Fair Credit Reporting Act mandates that you must notify the applicant of the rejection. The credit reporting agency will usually provide the language to communicate with the applicant.
This update is by Livo, a rental optimization platform aimed at providing you with a robust revenue enhancement tool. With Livo, you can maximize rental yields, accept and manage multiple offers and offers, and enjoy better retention. Livo targets rentals with the greatest odds of receiving a multitude of offers, and those with the best locations, features, configurations and more. Please call 833.333.5486 today to learn more.
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