Rental Application Scheme
Application fees refundable ONLY if your application was not screened
Rental application fees are not refundable. They are paid to a property mgmt. company for the purpose of screening criminal background, credit and rental history. However, if that screening never takes place then you are entitled to a refund of the money you spent on the rental application. For some less scrupulous property management companies the application process has become a “money-maker.”
Imagine having 100 prospective renters apply to the same property at $50 a piece over the course of 2 months only to tell each of those prospects that the house has already been rented. Simple math: that is 5K of income. Please do not allow this to happen to you. If you were NOT screened – something easily checked using Credit Karma or a similar service under the “Inquiries” tab – then it is up to you to take action by first, demanding a refund for the application fee, and if unsuccessful, then posting negative reviews as well as contacting local business watch groups.
For More information about renting with eviction or bad credit visit our website!
Calling maintenance or the leasing office is NOT the route to take. It is very hard to prove in a court of law what was said over a telephone call or a personal conversation that took place. Obviously, that will be a “he said, she said” situation that the renter is bound to lose. Instead, EMAIL is the only way you should communicate with the leasing and maintenance offices. Why you ask? The answer is so elementary. When using email, you are creating a record that can easily be printed up and shown to government officials if it comes to that. Which of course it never will. No person, in their right mind, would attempt to refute content they wrote or that was written to them. If you want to withhold rent money for whatever reason such as pest control, appliances malfunctioning, heating or A/C issues, etc. you are well within your rights to do so – but you will lose that battle later down the road if you do not document your justification on permanent record. In summary: emails and photos are the ONLY way you should be communicating with your landlord or leasing/maintenance office.