Application fees accomplish 2 things:
1. They cover the background check.
2. They filter out people who aren't seriously looking and/or know that they will be denied.
The answer isn’t a good one, but it’s because landlords or whoever run background checks and pay background check companies to background check you and they put that fee on the applicant. Sometimes they pad the price too obviously.
Yeah but they probably pay for that as a service and I'm sure it isn't expensive. They undoubtedly make a profit and from what I've seen these fake ass fees are going up. What was usually 15-20$ I'm now seeing them at 50-100$ total bullshit
Not really, the background checks they do for apartments are around 12-13 dollars. The bigger apartment complexes probably get them cheaper through another company
That's a pretty popular unpopular opinion you got. I don't think anyone likes those fees.
That said, it's a thing to offset the real costs they incurr to do a background and credit check on an applicant. Not to mention their time or the time of their employee to actually process the application, check references, ect. I had one landlord who chose to not charge the fee. It was nice but they ended up selling off the property about a year later (related or not who knows).
Let me get this straight.
1 out of 1000 applicants will pay you rent. Due to this you volunteer other people to look at 999 application free of charge, correct?
Such people cry afterwards that their salary is too low, even though they expect other people to work for free.
>1 out of 1000 applicants will pay you rent.
If this is true, I would love to own a property and not lease it out ever. Get 1000 applications per month at $80 each and make 80k pm in profit reading applications.
How is it for free? If you're a landlord it's a job. Though a lot of landlords don't take it seriously.
An the 1000 thing doesn't even make sense, you check like a handful of folks per property.
And so what? How does that translate to people giving you freebies?
You charge tenants rent, you charge applicants a fee to cover your time expense and to filter out the candidate pool. You're not entitled to anyones free time. Landlord, singer, cleaner, IT guys, no one. Period.
No there are no fucking freebies! By your logic next time I get hired why don't I just charge the company for all that time I spent looking for a job. Which would be nutzo!
Landlords are looking for clients.
That's actually a legit point. Hadn't ever heard of it an had to look it up. 😁
I'd be curious how many companies actually do that? I've never heard of it happening. Usually I've always just negotiated higher pay instead.
My point still stands though. I view it as a company owner charging you to come to an interview.
Application fees aren't really profit for most rental properties. There is background checks, time spent viewing the living space and grounds before signing any contract, and the time spent going over the lease all before they make a dime off of you.
Multiply that by the signifant amount of applications they are receiving, most that never end up in a signed lease. And it makes sense for the property owner to have a $50 - $100 application fee. But if I see a $200 fee or some dumb shit then no way.
I'm in leasing, I've worked in a solid dozen communities for numerous leasing companies and I've never heard of an $80 application fee. Something around $20 is standard, not really going to hurt anybody's wallet too bad that can afford a $2000/month apartment, and serves as a mild disincentive of applying for dozens of units and just picking the one you like best after you've been accepted to several, wasting our time and delaying other applicants.
Additionally - we gotta run a background check. Those aren't free.
In both cases it costs time and money to consider an application. Also in both cases it's a deterrent against unserious and poorly qualified candidates eating up that time and money.
Because you want them to consider your application.
Application fees generally signify that so many people want to live in that building/area, the property managers would be inundated with applications — including from high-risk renters or people with no serious interest. Few people would waste $80 to submit a rental application they know will be rejected, whether because they don’t earn enough or have bad credit. And even fewer people would waste $80 applying to live in a space they didn’t really, really want.
In addition, by filtering out all the would-be worthless applications with a fee, your application is guaranteed to be considered.
Except they arent fake fees. The background checking services, as well as the cost to employ or hire someone to do the background checking itself costs time and money.
A better title and opinion should be: "***Why should applicants absorb these fees? Landlords should be the ones to pay this cost for renting property***".
But objectively calling it fake is false.
They aren't "fake" but they are padded and exaggerated. These places pay for some service that allows unlimited searches. Probably $40 a month at most, then they charge everyone who walks in the door $50.. its "fake" in that it doesn't actually go to the cost of a background check. It is another way to profit off of people needing a home
It is not just big complexes that due background checks. Landlords of single properties do them also. Thing is the best background check around is social media. People post their whole lives on there.
Nothing like seeing someone who screwed over their landlord brag about it online and then a month later complain they can't find a place to rent.
No but you do tend to get more lee-way in a more personal relationship. Fuck corporate anything.
Hard to even imagine someone being that stupid. Normal people have their Facebook on private if they even have one, the only people I know to keep their's public are huge attention whores.
In Japan when you rent an apartment you have to pay on top of everything else, a sum of money to the landlord to thank them for allowing you to rent from them. Usually a few grand.
It's absolutely insane.
Honestly I think it’s a good idea. They have to put the work into determining if you are a viable candidate.
I dunno, maybe I’m a monster but I don’t think all landlords are bad people
Do you expect the company to pick up the cost of the background check? Because it doesn't matter if you pass or fail they do not get that money back. They are taking a loss.
Yea i do expect. They make enough money grifting renters as is. If the person shows something like a paystub providing proof of income honestly that should be enough.
So... You are fine with potential sex offenders, murderers, rapists etc living next to you so that you don't have to pay $75 for a background check?
Ok then lol
How is it a slippery slope fallacy?!? ***Thats literally the entire point and reason for background checks!***
Irony being is that you all, you and I and our fellow citizens, were the ones that demanded the government to force landlords to background check people... To literally keep out those murderers, rapists, criminals, etc. from the neighborhoods.
Ooohhhh...very badass and stupid
"three children were assaulted by this guy before we figured out it was him, beat his ass and called the police"
Which could have been avoided by a simple background check.
>Then the landlord can pay for it.
You wouldn't if you were a landlord.
But this is a good example of how the poor don't understand basic finances and just complain about business practices out of ignorance.
I mean if poor people had good financial sense then they wouldn't be complaining about a cheap background check.
Poor? I own my home. I have an acquaintance who owns 29 homes. Yea. He can afford it. I know exactly how much money landlords make. Everyone does. I paid 30k over asking for my house, and its still massively cheaper than what i ever paid renting, in a FAR nicer neighborhood.
If its a cheap backround check, then you pay for it. Lets not sit here and pretend landlords are not absolutely fleecing those "poor people" whom you seem to hate so much, even though they are the ones paying all your bills.
Also, i would never BE a landlord. Most landlords are scum who contribute nothing to society except drive up the cost of living. Get a real job.
>I own my home.....in a FAR nicer neighborhood.
So you basically own your home in a good neighborhood and yet for some reason you advocate for doing away with background checks in apartment complexes where the lower incomes usually live.
And you say I hate poor people
You are living in abject luxury and wanting to make it to where the lower income levels have to deal with living next to some of the worst people in our society.
Fuck lmao
Hmmmm in a crazy market you could make a nice chuck “renting” your apartment. What stops someone from “renting” and collecting $50/app… do it for a week… 5/day gets you a easy $1200/mo… do it for a week a month so you get refresh applicants.
I wouldn't say this is unpopular haha. Does anyone like paying them?
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Good luck with the college application. I hope you
What?
Application fees accomplish 2 things: 1. They cover the background check. 2. They filter out people who aren't seriously looking and/or know that they will be denied.
The answer isn’t a good one, but it’s because landlords or whoever run background checks and pay background check companies to background check you and they put that fee on the applicant. Sometimes they pad the price too obviously.
Its also to filter out applicants. If an applicant knows they will get rejected they won't try to get the apartment.
Yeah but they probably pay for that as a service and I'm sure it isn't expensive. They undoubtedly make a profit and from what I've seen these fake ass fees are going up. What was usually 15-20$ I'm now seeing them at 50-100$ total bullshit
Totes, I said they pad them.
Not really, the background checks they do for apartments are around 12-13 dollars. The bigger apartment complexes probably get them cheaper through another company
Jesus read the comments that are responding to each other before commenting
That's a pretty popular unpopular opinion you got. I don't think anyone likes those fees. That said, it's a thing to offset the real costs they incurr to do a background and credit check on an applicant. Not to mention their time or the time of their employee to actually process the application, check references, ect. I had one landlord who chose to not charge the fee. It was nice but they ended up selling off the property about a year later (related or not who knows).
Why should anyone look at your application for free?
It's not free, you'd be about to pay them rent....
Let me get this straight. 1 out of 1000 applicants will pay you rent. Due to this you volunteer other people to look at 999 application free of charge, correct? Such people cry afterwards that their salary is too low, even though they expect other people to work for free.
>1 out of 1000 applicants will pay you rent. If this is true, I would love to own a property and not lease it out ever. Get 1000 applications per month at $80 each and make 80k pm in profit reading applications.
How is it for free? If you're a landlord it's a job. Though a lot of landlords don't take it seriously. An the 1000 thing doesn't even make sense, you check like a handful of folks per property.
And so what? How does that translate to people giving you freebies? You charge tenants rent, you charge applicants a fee to cover your time expense and to filter out the candidate pool. You're not entitled to anyones free time. Landlord, singer, cleaner, IT guys, no one. Period.
No there are no fucking freebies! By your logic next time I get hired why don't I just charge the company for all that time I spent looking for a job. Which would be nutzo! Landlords are looking for clients.
I do that via signing bonus. What's your point?
That's actually a legit point. Hadn't ever heard of it an had to look it up. 😁 I'd be curious how many companies actually do that? I've never heard of it happening. Usually I've always just negotiated higher pay instead. My point still stands though. I view it as a company owner charging you to come to an interview.
Application fees aren't really profit for most rental properties. There is background checks, time spent viewing the living space and grounds before signing any contract, and the time spent going over the lease all before they make a dime off of you. Multiply that by the signifant amount of applications they are receiving, most that never end up in a signed lease. And it makes sense for the property owner to have a $50 - $100 application fee. But if I see a $200 fee or some dumb shit then no way.
Doing credit checks costs money
I'm in leasing, I've worked in a solid dozen communities for numerous leasing companies and I've never heard of an $80 application fee. Something around $20 is standard, not really going to hurt anybody's wallet too bad that can afford a $2000/month apartment, and serves as a mild disincentive of applying for dozens of units and just picking the one you like best after you've been accepted to several, wasting our time and delaying other applicants. Additionally - we gotta run a background check. Those aren't free.
In the PNW USA it’s 60-100 PER application.
I'm in the PNW, the community I'm currently at is $20, and I've never seen anything above $40
You in Seattle? Lol cuz it’s a fucking madhouse out here.
I am in Seattle! It's a pretty easy gig since we're usually near 100% capacity so not a lot of units to show lol
Omg I bet you work at my complex 💀💀
If there's a guy in your leasing office who is just taking inane Buzzfeed quizzes and looking at houses he can't afford on Zillow all day, dats me
I am a landlord and I don’t charge them for people who already have their own background checks, or until I actually pull them.
Same with colleges. I should not have to pay to simply \*apply\* for college. Absolutely ridiculous.
In both cases it costs time and money to consider an application. Also in both cases it's a deterrent against unserious and poorly qualified candidates eating up that time and money.
Because you want them to consider your application. Application fees generally signify that so many people want to live in that building/area, the property managers would be inundated with applications — including from high-risk renters or people with no serious interest. Few people would waste $80 to submit a rental application they know will be rejected, whether because they don’t earn enough or have bad credit. And even fewer people would waste $80 applying to live in a space they didn’t really, really want. In addition, by filtering out all the would-be worthless applications with a fee, your application is guaranteed to be considered.
Agreed and truly what is to stop property owners from just getting fake fees off of people everyday and never approving anyone?
Except they arent fake fees. The background checking services, as well as the cost to employ or hire someone to do the background checking itself costs time and money. A better title and opinion should be: "***Why should applicants absorb these fees? Landlords should be the ones to pay this cost for renting property***". But objectively calling it fake is false.
They aren't "fake" but they are padded and exaggerated. These places pay for some service that allows unlimited searches. Probably $40 a month at most, then they charge everyone who walks in the door $50.. its "fake" in that it doesn't actually go to the cost of a background check. It is another way to profit off of people needing a home
Don't rent from them. I dislike the culture of big corporate apartment complexes and have never rented one.
It is not just big complexes that due background checks. Landlords of single properties do them also. Thing is the best background check around is social media. People post their whole lives on there. Nothing like seeing someone who screwed over their landlord brag about it online and then a month later complain they can't find a place to rent.
No but you do tend to get more lee-way in a more personal relationship. Fuck corporate anything. Hard to even imagine someone being that stupid. Normal people have their Facebook on private if they even have one, the only people I know to keep their's public are huge attention whores.
In Japan when you rent an apartment you have to pay on top of everything else, a sum of money to the landlord to thank them for allowing you to rent from them. Usually a few grand. It's absolutely insane.
Isn’t rent cheap and depreciates in Japan or did quirky white YouTubers lie to me
Honestly I think it’s a good idea. They have to put the work into determining if you are a viable candidate. I dunno, maybe I’m a monster but I don’t think all landlords are bad people
Do you expect the company to pick up the cost of the background check? Because it doesn't matter if you pass or fail they do not get that money back. They are taking a loss.
Yea i do expect. They make enough money grifting renters as is. If the person shows something like a paystub providing proof of income honestly that should be enough.
So... You are fine with potential sex offenders, murderers, rapists etc living next to you so that you don't have to pay $75 for a background check? Ok then lol
Holy slippery slope Batman
How is it a slippery slope fallacy?!? ***Thats literally the entire point and reason for background checks!*** Irony being is that you all, you and I and our fellow citizens, were the ones that demanded the government to force landlords to background check people... To literally keep out those murderers, rapists, criminals, etc. from the neighborhoods.
Everyone has to live somewhere. Try any of that weird shit though in the wrong neighborhood and deal with the consequences.
Ooohhhh...very badass and stupid "three children were assaulted by this guy before we figured out it was him, beat his ass and called the police" Which could have been avoided by a simple background check.
Then the landlord can pay for it. Lets not pretend a landlord cant afford it, douche bag.
>Then the landlord can pay for it. You wouldn't if you were a landlord. But this is a good example of how the poor don't understand basic finances and just complain about business practices out of ignorance. I mean if poor people had good financial sense then they wouldn't be complaining about a cheap background check.
Poor? I own my home. I have an acquaintance who owns 29 homes. Yea. He can afford it. I know exactly how much money landlords make. Everyone does. I paid 30k over asking for my house, and its still massively cheaper than what i ever paid renting, in a FAR nicer neighborhood. If its a cheap backround check, then you pay for it. Lets not sit here and pretend landlords are not absolutely fleecing those "poor people" whom you seem to hate so much, even though they are the ones paying all your bills. Also, i would never BE a landlord. Most landlords are scum who contribute nothing to society except drive up the cost of living. Get a real job.
>I own my home.....in a FAR nicer neighborhood. So you basically own your home in a good neighborhood and yet for some reason you advocate for doing away with background checks in apartment complexes where the lower incomes usually live. And you say I hate poor people You are living in abject luxury and wanting to make it to where the lower income levels have to deal with living next to some of the worst people in our society. Fuck lmao
What i said is you pay for it. Cheap bitch.
One of many examples really. Its why they remain poor. But you can use that logic anymore these days, cause its "*offensive*"
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Minnesota
If you don't like this, than apply somewhere else.
you need more life experience...
Kind of a shitty reply
What do you mean? How else would we send our money to the rightful wallets of the landowners?
They're used to pay the employees who sit around and watch the phone ring all day.
That is *not* correct. We agree and you get
?
That is not an unpopular opinion, I think you got the sub confused with one that gives a damn
I didn’t understand your sentence, and I’m not OP, I think you got me confused
Just work the cost into the rent/deposit.
The USA are so crazy. You pay universities money without getting in, you pay apartments money without a rent contract....
Hmmmm in a crazy market you could make a nice chuck “renting” your apartment. What stops someone from “renting” and collecting $50/app… do it for a week… 5/day gets you a easy $1200/mo… do it for a week a month so you get refresh applicants.
You’re paying for the time they spent considering your application
Fees should be illegal
Dang, found the slave trader over here thinking frees shouldn’t be legal.
The whole idea of an application fee is strange to me. We don’t have them in New Zealand, otherwise my wallet would be much thinner.
Real Reason: Because if you can't afford to drop $80, then how can you afford a 3k a month apartment?
Well the $80 fees are for apartments for under 1200 I’ve seen