Weird practices in applying for an apartment?

[swimmermom3]

It has been a couple of decades since dh and I have applied to live in an apartment. My oldest son and a friend are applying to a place only 5 minutes from my son's job. I think it will work well, but I have some questions about the application process.

 

First, when ds toured the property and looked at an apartment, they took his drivers license and held on to it in the office until the tour was over. Why? This freaks me out a bit.

 

The application fee must be in a money order, not even cash. They have to provide their driver's license and social security card, as well as 2 most recent pay stubs from employer and valid and current contact information from that employer.

 

I get everything, but the SS card. Oh, and why they hold on to his license while touring the property.

[Cera]

They probably held his license while he toured the property in case he turned out to be a criminal.  When I recently went with a realtor to tour properties (met at the office and rode with her to various houses) she took my license and left it on her desk.  When I asked why she said it was as protection for herself in case anything happened (apparently there have been a couple of robberies and a rape of realtors recently).

[Cera]

Oh and the social security card is probably just an attempt to confirm that they are really providing their own social security numbers to be used for the credit and background checks (that most apartment complexes do now).

[lavender's green]

I lived in several different apartments in different parts of the country prior to buying my current house.  These things are all normal.  The driver's license is in case he turns out to be a criminal. 

 

I forget the purpose of the money order instead of cash (we had only one place that required this), but it probably has to do with counterfeit money and/or bad checks...?

 

The other stuff is to confirm his identity, run a background check, and confirm that he has a steady source of income for paying rent with.  I think sometimes they'll run a credit check too.

 

All that stuff is a bit of a pain, but I hope he enjoys his new place!

[ChristyB in TN]

 I manage property and although I don't do any of these things, they aren't far fetched. Holding the driver's license is a little bit of security, a lot of prevention. A person who is planning to do something terrible to a realtor or property manager will be less likely to do it if they can be identified. I don't do this but I am always protecting myself in other ways. ;) As for the over kill on the identification cards, it all sounds reasonable. It is mind blowing what people do to deceive! Once someone is in a property and is renting it, it is crazy hard to get them out if they don't pay, are a nuisance, break the lease, and so forth so a property manager is so much better off to just make sure they know she means business and doing everything she can to cover all her bases. It is probably a great property and your son will most likely be happy there since it is managed well! The money order instead of cash policy is so she doesn't get robbed. :)

[Joker]

I rented apartments from the time I was 18 (20 years ago) until I was 30 years old and those things happened each and every time. I rented in multiple states and just found those things to be the norm.

[Night Elf]

Dd went to look at apartments and they required proof that salary was 3 times the amount of rent. I thought that was odd.

[Joanne]

I am nearly 50, stable, with 3 kids (one adult). I recently searched for an apartment and applied at one. I had to leave my DL (as did my adult son) to see a unit. The requirements were 3X the amount of rent, and they needed my and my son's paystubs.

 

I considered it normal.

[littlebug42]

The DL is definitely for the security of the person showing the apartment to them.  The realtor/leasing person is putting themselves in a very vulnerable position to take particularly men into a vacant apartment in a building where likely many aren't home during the day.  We were also taught things like never boxing yourself in a room with them and keeping yourself closest to the door at all times. 

 

The SS card is to verify that they are running credit/background check on the right person.  It can also be a way to verify that the person is a legal resident of the country.  This is a requirement for subsidized housing and some communities that may be operating with a federal tax credit.  All pretty standard industry stuff.  The income requirements are in place to hopefully get residents who can easily pay their rent and utilities, etc. 

 

ETA: We never took cash for anything.  Money order is best way to get her money with no risk involved. 

[idnib]

Everything in this thread sounds typical to me.

[ErinE]

They are all pretty standard in my experience. The money order means the office doesn't have cash lying around and no risk of a check bouncing.

[swimmermom3]

Thanks everyone. This all makes much more sense now. I never even thought of the property manager's safety. My son was thinking more about identity fraud. It's difficult to help young adults figure out how much information is needed and what is not.

 

The guys do have to meet a 3x the rent requirement with income and with about a $1000 cushion. They will be fine, but will probably have to pay a higher security deposit because they have never rented from anyone before.

[OneStepAtATime]

I agree it is hard to know how much info to share and what should be expected, especially when you are first starting out.  Identity theft is such a concern.  There really are valid reasons for doing what they were asked to do, but I remember it wasn't always this way.  Anyway, I hope they enjoy their apartment!

 

When I lived in another town roughly 25 years ago an apartment manager was showing apartments to two young men.  They raped her and left her half conscious.  They were never caught.  Rather quickly after that incident and one involving the assault of an apartment manager after an altercation with a prospective tenant ALL apartments in the town started requiring that prospective renters leave their D.L. locked up in a safe at the manager's office or in a locked desk.  For a while some apartment managers were having the person showing the apartment call someone else in management to let them know what apartment they would be showing and then call again upon their return.

 

We also had an incident where a car salesman was shot and killed while showing cars to two gentlemen.  After that they started making photocopies of the D.L. of the person they were taking on a test drive and leaving them at the dealership.

 

I know that there have been incidents involving real estate agents, too.  

 

Pretty scary.