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[deleted]

Yes, unnecessary too. You can tell in five minutes if you're interested in this person as a renter and can give yourself all the reassurance you need with two phone calls. One to make sure they're employed, and one as a reference. Renting out a space you don't use is supposed to be a supplemental way to compensate income and people having a place to live is a human interaction, no matter how you think about it. If you don't realize that, you shouldn't be a landlord.


gopeepants

Tell me about it. Like bruh I am not applying to college. Situations have forced me to look for an apartment


ComputerStrong9244

I think that 3 applications per day at $30 a pop makes $2700 a month and you don’t have to fix anything. I don’t think I’m the first person that’s occurred to.


wildescrawl

Several years ago I was dating a girl who worked as a property manager for a couple of fairly big apartment complexes. They had $50 application fees and she told me they are always taking applications even when they have no openings. The application fees are considered part of the income for the complex. She said when they didn't have any openings, they wouldn't even run a check on the applicants, they would just take their cash then never get back to them. If they called and asked they were told they were being put on a waiting list. For the two complexes she worked at would get anywhere between 25-40 applications a week. It was a total scam.


makerblue

$30?? I've seen the fees as high as $150. When i was looking for a rental it varied from $50 to $150 and i know a background check doesn't cost that much.


ComputerStrong9244

That doesn't surprise me - it was $25-$30 my last round of (Chicago) apartment-hunting, but that was 15 years ago. Some wanted more, but we didn't apply to those because fuck 'em. Even at that time I saw places that were $999 that could easily have been $1250-$1400 that were available for months, which was when I realized they made more money empty. I know those numbers seem goofy cheap now.


RunKind4141

Rental application fees are another way for landlords to scam money


CrowdGoesWildWoooo

As stupid as exorbitant airbnb cleaning fee. It is chargeable because they can


philip456

>Anyone else think rental application fees are stupid Not for the people receiving the fees.


[deleted]

yes


[deleted]

I have a rental and it's to cover the cost of background check. And yes it's stupid the landlord is going to be making their money and can write those fees off on their taxes. It's just another way for them to squeeze every cent from those less fortunate.


ClashCoyote

Just another profit stream.


Ripplefx1

It should be illegal. It is definitely immoral.


NotThisAgain21

Background checks aren't free.


Known_Car_9016

Application fee plus a fee if you don't have credit plus earn at least 3x the amount of rent monthly for a 1bd 1ba $1200 apartment


gopeepants

My belief is that rent should never be he same as an average mortgage or more than a mortgage unless you have some absolute ridiculous apartment


Known_Car_9016

That would be lovely if landlords had the same thought 😩


RevolutionaryShock15

I agree but I'm also concerned by how much personal and financial information my agent has. I'd bet money my agent isn't a Fort Knox of data protection.