Is this allowable as a landlord?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Based on published MoCo statutes that I found online, you seem to be in the clear to do this:

"Chapter 27 of the Montgomery County Code prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, marital status, physical or mental disability, presence of children, ancestry, source of income, sexual orientation, or age."

Montgomery County landlord-tenant laws do *not* prohibit "a commercially reasonable evaluation of the stability, security, and creditworthiness of any source of income."

I would think that second one would cover you, because you're evaluating the stability of their income, and I would posit that having multiple tax liens is a sign that their source of income has not been exactly stable.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you have to tell them? Is that the only application and they are waiting for an answer?

They are the only applicant right now. Not sure if ghosting them will work because I use a somewhat expensive screening service that charges each applicant $55. And since there are no other applicants right now, they will see that the property still remains on the market.

As an aside, this is a kind of expensive property ($3,500/month for a two-bedroom apartment), so I’m just surprised that people at this level wouldn’t pay their taxes.

You are going to be disappointed if you think that any price point acts as a screen against people who are irresponsible or dishonest.

+1

Live in a condo building, where a renter got mad about "noise violations". So they plugged all the drains, turned on the faucets and left the building. Did well over $500K in damages to that unit and surrounding units. Turns out the renter was a Doctor, had no issues in their background check, etc. What many would consider an "ideal rental candidate".

Reason number 1039 why I never want to be a landlord

Cool story, bro. Unfortunately, that never happened.

Renters don’t just get to destroy people’s property if they’re having a dispute with their landlord. They would be fully liable for all such damages, and that liability would not, of course, be limited to the amount of their security deposit.

A doctor would be smart enough to know that. And while a deadbeat might engage in such activity, knowing that they are judgment-proof, a doctor would actually have the resources to make legal action against him viable. So, yeah, no doctor would ever light $500,000 on fire in that manner.

Try a little bit harder next time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you have to tell them? Is that the only application and they are waiting for an answer?

They are the only applicant right now. Not sure if ghosting them will work because I use a somewhat expensive screening service that charges each applicant $55. And since there are no other applicants right now, they will see that the property still remains on the market.

As an aside, this is a kind of expensive property ($3,500/month for a two-bedroom apartment), so I’m just surprised that people at this level wouldn’t pay their taxes.

You are going to be disappointed if you think that any price point acts as a screen against people who are irresponsible or dishonest.

+1

Live in a condo building, where a renter got mad about "noise violations". So they plugged all the drains, turned on the faucets and left the building. Did well over $500K in damages to that unit and surrounding units. Turns out the renter was a Doctor, had no issues in their background check, etc. What many would consider an "ideal rental candidate".

Reason number 1039 why I never want to be a landlord

Cool story, bro. Unfortunately, that never happened.

Renters don’t just get to destroy people’s property if they’re having a dispute with their landlord. They would be fully liable for all such damages, and that liability would not, of course, be limited to the amount of their security deposit.

A doctor would be smart enough to know that. And while a deadbeat might engage in such activity, knowing that they are judgment-proof, a doctor would actually have the resources to make legal action against him viable. So, yeah, no doctor would ever light $500,000 on fire in that manner.

Try a little bit harder next time.

I own in a condo building where a very small common area broke and flooded the hallway and six surrounding apartments. My tenant was out for weeks and fortunately his renter's insurance covered his stay in a hotel. The condo just issued a follow up, and the cost of repairs was nearly $470,000. The doctor story might not be true, but water can cause considerable damage.

[Anonymous]

They could be a great tenant. They could have gone through a rough patch and haven't had issues in years. Who knows. Have you called their previous landlords and references? All that matters is if they pay their rent, on time, and take normal care of the property.