Lots of people list a property, take loads of applications, each with a nonrefundable application fee (often $100+), then close the listing and pretend it was leased out. They wait a bit and repeat the play. They can rake in thousands of dollars for literally making a posting on a website, and repeat this often. And it’s often desperate people victimized too: not only are these people renting so they’re already in a vulnerable situation, the people willing to pay high application fees typically are desperate to get a lease.
I’ve also seen places that make you pay an application fee, and as part of the screening process they run a credit check; if they aren’t satisfied with your credit score, they’ll deny you and of course keep the application fee. What’s more nefarious about this though is that they don’t give you a score cutoff; you don’t know if your score meets their criteria until after you’ve paid a nonrefundable fee.
Man. I’m lucky I got my place as easily as I did. Here in the UK, but it was my first viewing, “yeah this place is cool, any offers?” “Well we have 15 booked in to see it after you” “alright, I’ll pay the full amount”. Agreement with the seller the next morning, no chain so no fuss, moved in three weeks after.
My brother, by comparison, went through absolute hell like you described.
To be entirely fair the score isn’t the only determining factor. My credit is around 690 with perfect payment history except for one delinquent student loan account from 6.5 years ago and I still get rejected for things that “should” only require a score of > 640.
Not surprising unfortunately. There’s no accountability or transparency; they can deny any application they want for any reason, and don’t have to tell you why. As long as they don’t come out and say it’s due to being a member of a protected class (which they can act on indirectly, just can’t say it out loud), they can get away with any reasoning.
Oh it’s vile.
Lots of people list a property, take loads of applications, each with a nonrefundable application fee (often $100+), then close the listing and pretend it was leased out. They wait a bit and repeat the play. They can rake in thousands of dollars for literally making a posting on a website, and repeat this often. And it’s often desperate people victimized too: not only are these people renting so they’re already in a vulnerable situation, the people willing to pay high application fees typically are desperate to get a lease.
I’ve also seen places that make you pay an application fee, and as part of the screening process they run a credit check; if they aren’t satisfied with your credit score, they’ll deny you and of course keep the application fee. What’s more nefarious about this though is that they don’t give you a score cutoff; you don’t know if your score meets their criteria until after you’ve paid a nonrefundable fee.
Man. I’m lucky I got my place as easily as I did. Here in the UK, but it was my first viewing, “yeah this place is cool, any offers?” “Well we have 15 booked in to see it after you” “alright, I’ll pay the full amount”. Agreement with the seller the next morning, no chain so no fuss, moved in three weeks after.
My brother, by comparison, went through absolute hell like you described.
To be entirely fair the score isn’t the only determining factor. My credit is around 690 with perfect payment history except for one delinquent student loan account from 6.5 years ago and I still get rejected for things that “should” only require a score of > 640.
Not surprising unfortunately. There’s no accountability or transparency; they can deny any application they want for any reason, and don’t have to tell you why. As long as they don’t come out and say it’s due to being a member of a protected class (which they can act on indirectly, just can’t say it out loud), they can get away with any reasoning.