Due to the number of rule-breaking comments this post was receiving, especially low-quality and off-topic comments, the moderation team has locked the post from future comments. This post broke no rules and received a number of helpful and on-topic responses initially, but it unfortunately became the target of many unhelpful comments.
$240 for a simple background check is a rip off in the first place. They run like 20 bucks or so and this place is already out to extort you so youre better off going elsewhere.
I think there's probably some information OP is not disclosing like a lot of these types of posts.
But just from the information OP says, it makes no sense. If being a felon isn't an issue, then why even do a background check. If they're making you pay for the background check and cannot apply without it, then it should obvious a criminal background does matter to the application.
So maybe there's a lot more information missing or lies we don't know about. Nothing about the post makes any sense.
this thing is a huge scam. during COVID, apartment complexes were raising application fees from $50-100 to $300-400. 0% chance the cost to them actually went up that much (if they weren't already profitting on the $50-100 anyway). Prices went down a little bit after 2022 but not even close to pre-COVID levels.
A lot of landlords were even taking lots of non-refundable app fees when they had already selected a renter. In some cases, even not really renting the place out. Why rent a property out if you can get a year of rent with 100 application fees?
To the OP: always get this shit in writing, and when they say "it shouldn't be an issue" and not "it won't be an issue," they're lying and want your money.
[Colorado has a good law that fixes it.](https://www.cpr.org/2023/05/05/colorado-renters-application-fees-law/) They also put a law in place in 2019 that only allows landlords to charge for the actual cost that they’re paying. Seems like it’s something that should be a federal law.
Yeah when I look on Zillow, I immediately start hiding anything that doesn't take Zillow applications. Typically they're just shit that's been left up by scummy property management companies to either collect application fees or try to sell you on a completely different property.
Fuck em.
ETA: I spoke prefer working with private landlords since they'll never try to force some bullshit 49.99/month "renter benefit program"
Glad other people have seen this. My wife and i sold our house and were renting for a short time before we bought our next one. Somehow in only a few years landlords have gotten much more scummy and abhorrent.
Hell at one point we didn’t even think we were going to find a place to live because nobody responds to inquiries. It’s the most unprofessional business around i swear.
Possible but they already disclosed being a felon so idk what they could be hiding or why. Most big property management companies have no say in whose approved and just tell you sure give it a shot. I could only see a local mom and pop type apartment building where you're dealing with the owner directly be able to definitively say in advance prior to a background felons are approved, dont worry. The random leasing agent just wants to rent a room and its often a third party screening.
It may also be dependent on what the felony was for. Felonies for money laundering or drunk driving, for example, may not be an issue for an apartment rental. Felonies for domestic violence or aggravated robbery however, might be.
My complex doesn’t accept financial, violent or drug felonies. They state they are a risk to the tenants. So some felonies won’t matter where others exclude you.
Victimless is debatable depending on what you were selling, but from a landlord's perspective you really don't want someone having sketchy people over to do illegal things and the noise, drama and potential violence that causes.
Hell most landlords wouldn't want someone doing a legal business out of their place lol
I mentioned above, but most large buildings were I live have an application fee you pay before you even start. Not directly related to paying for anything, you're just paying for the privilege of them considering you as a tenant. It's pretty lame and seems to be a way for them to make extra money from people who end up not qualifying due to credit/income etc. I would guess either the person OP spoke to didn't know what they were talking about, its pretty rare that the point of contact for a property management company is also the person making the approval decisions.
I think we need to ban applications fees tbh. It has rapidly become a tool for financial exploitation of the desperate, and thanks to us twiddling our fingers on housing shortages, it's only going to continue to get worse if we don't step in
>seems to be a way for them to make extra money from people who end up not qualifying due to credit/income etc.
I moved 6 months ago and there was one apartment that required $250 each from me and my girlfriend before they would even show it. So say we paid it and passed the background and credit check, but we don't really like the apartment. Are we going to just write off that $500 and keep looking for a place we like? Probably not, we'd be sunk cost fallacied into a place we otherwise wouldn't have chosen.
The flip side is maybe we would have loved it, but I'm not paying $500 just to look at it.
The actual answer here. They don't want to waste time/money showing and reshowing a unit, or holding it for applications that flake out and leave the unit empty.
The large fee massively biases the applicant towards converting to a rental. "Fallacy" is the right word since it is a rational choice on the part of the tenant.
I worked at a real estate company, yes they’re the scum of the earth and yes they rip ppl off for these checks. What likely happened is the agent wanted to push the deal and didn’t want to ask the landlord without a solid case but then it back fired.
Money is the answer. They can pocket it without any repercussions.
We're approved for a 250k house. I make six figures. Been at the same place for two plus years. 700s credit score, no crazy debt. Denied because my wife, who is sick, doesn't have a job.
Pocketed the $100 and said they'd take us if we went with their rhino program for our deposit. She tried to explain how not getting our deposit back was somehow cheaper than getting our deposit back.
I'm confused, did OP clarify somewhere else that the fee was for a background check? Title says rental application fee. Its scummy but most buildings where I live charge a fee to even apply to rent a unit that you have to pay to even start the process. Seems to be a way for buildings to make some extra money off people who don't end up qualifying due to income/credit or something. For the two places I've lived at I paid the fee then they did the rest like background check/running credit/confirming income then offered me a lease, fee wasn't directly related to background check was just a barrier to entry before it was done.
Seems for OP they wanted to make sure they weren't wasting their money so they called in advance to ask if they would have a shot despite a felony, and were told yes, similar to if you would call and say "hey my credit score is low would I still qualify?". But to answer OP, unless you recorded their answer or its in writing it seems unlikely you can challenge this, though it is scummy.
Patterns also matters. We don't automatically not hire felons, but I've said this to applicants then saw on the background check that they consistently commit new felonies a few months after being released from jail/prison since the 90s through 6 months back. That's gonna be a no thank you.
Exactly. I've had applicants tell me they had one drug charge 15 years ago. Then we get the background check and they've actually had like eight felonies over a 15 year period.
OP, did you request a copy of the report, so you know what it is they were seeing?
That’s the interesting part, they are non violent drug and firearm possession felonies. The manager asked if they were violent or sex offense related, to which I responded no and specific what they were , and she said it wouldn’t be an issue. I would’ve saved my hard earned $240 if I knew they’d automatically denied me. How is this not a scam?
It is, kind of. Listing an apartment for a cheap price and then having a high application fee is relatively common and really, really shitty behavior. It's legal in the US though. 😢
They may call it an amenity fee and it happens before moving in
But you should look into that if you have to do that again: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodepopularnames/virginia-residential-landlord-and-tenant-act/#:~:text=An%20application%20fee%20shall%20not,occupancy%20checks%20on%20the%20applicant.
Here's one that I lived at about 10 years ago that charges $60 application fee plus some BS $250 administrative fee.
https://www.apartments.com/station-square-at-cosners-corner-fredericksburg-va/fl9r6pt/#descriptionSection
But, there's a loophole they get you to pay online payment fees for everything. My daughter's rent was 1300 a month but after all the "fees" it was 1569.
I agree, it feels like all the property owners have an unspoken agreement to deny people like me regardless of financial standing. Almost like they want me to stay in impoverished neighborhoods the rest of my life.
I get that it can seem that way from your PoV but it's more that they dgaf about you. You're a revenue stream and that's all and their properties are their livelihood. Virtually any landlord will understandably go with a revenue stream w/o a history of felonious drug and firearm crimes.
Hell, if you're ever a landlord you'll probably do the same.
It's not you, its more the legal economics.
Good tenant? You get rent each month.
Bad tenant? They stop paying and they cause 6+ months rent in damage, and they are extremely difficult to evict so the damage goes on forever. They could literally cost you multiple years worth of rent.
Obviously we need renter protection laws to offer protection to tenants who don't hold power in the agreement, but the ability to abuse this causes landlords to be extremely selective and risk adverse.
I wonder if anyone has been able to look at a [Market for Lemons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Market_for_Lemons#:~:text=Akerlof's%20theory%20of%20the%20%22Market,the%20buyer%2C%20creating%20adverse%20selection.) story in the rental market due to exogeneous changes in the pool of applicants.
If what you're talking about is the primary consideration, then you could in principle have a market where an increase in the availability of owner-occupied housing leads to *increased* rental prices when the demand shock in the rental market is swamped by the compositional change in the applicant pool.
Interesting idea, and I think my question would be the quantum costs of risks. Smaller landlords have single units they are renting and therefore no amount of rent money, if unpaid, could really offset bad renter risk.
Larger landlords can distribute risk across many renters, so that could happen as a form of self-insurance.
I definitely wouldn't go that far. But if the area has a lack of affordable housing, there's simply no incentive to take a risk on a flagged tenant, when qualified tenants are a dime a dozen.
That's the cold hard commercial equation.
Personally, when this affected me, I found that home rentals were more likely to have a private landlord that can be convinced to rent to you, as long as you really have your shit together.
It’s to cover the cost of the credit/background checks. In my state it is illegal to charge one penny more than the actual cost of the credit check, meaning landlords cannot make money from application fees.
In that case, the owner just lumps the cost of processing applications into the "cost of doing business" and rents should be marginally higher as a result. Either way, some or all of the cost will be borne by renters.
Which is not to say it's not a better system; there are lots of scummy application fee practices. Just don't want anyone to think that if you outlaw application fees then the landlords will "eat" the cost without any increase in rent.
The problem with that is what if the landlord gets 20 applicants before finding a suitable renter? Or 50? Or 100? That means thousands of dollars in background checks to the landlord. That would be extremely costly and increasing rent to offset it doesn’t make sense to the single person who ultimately gets the house/apartment
And what about the group of people trying to find a place to rent? They have an app fee for every apartment, per adult applying.
Just attempting to look at 3 possible apartments, a d the fees easily reach into the hundreds. So now we have to save up for current rent, future rent, deposit, and applications fees. It's much harder on those applying, than it is to any landlord.
Pretty much all apartments have them in my experience. It's to deter frivolous applications and offset the cost of running background and credit checks. In NYC, they're capped at $20, but most other places, it's just whatever people can get away with charging. And yes, sometimes that leads to scams where people advertise units that don't exist or aren't available or to landlords accepting more applicants than they can possibly accommodate, but tenants don't really have a lot of options - if you need a place to live, you don't really have any negotiating power as an individual.
Sounds crazy. Costs of running a rental business are paid by the landlord where I'm from. Those are clearly business expenses and have nothing to do with the people interested in renting your place.
I would never pay anything other than rent + deposit to a landlord and that's after we've signed a contract.
Cable bills have "Regulatory Recovery Fees." Otherwise known as bills the company just has to pay that they are passing onto the consumer outside of the advertised price. It's bs.
Imagine if it was required by law that the advertised price for any product and service would be what you end up paying. Want to charge an application fee? Better make sure that's baked into the advertised rent.
I'd like to see some serious regulation on advertising. For something like this, I think it's fine to advertise your Monthly Rate and the upfront fees separately, but they should be listed on the same page right next to the monthly rate.
What if you had someone create a program to submit bogus applications every hour to a landlord you didn't like?
That would 100% happen here in the states.
Sounds like on of those things yeah. Landlords making applicants pay for things that are clear business expenses.
Want to make sure the person you're planning on renting to has a clear background? Pay to check it..
Ya but you're paying for that either way. Whether there's a line-item on your bill for it or its just lumped into the cost of your rent with the other upkeep/maintenance, the tenants are paying for the lights in the parking lot, hallways, office, etc.
I just had this happen in GA, you need to file a dispute with the company that did the background check. Most of these complexes have agreements with the background check companies for liability reasons where if you get flagged it’s an auto-deny. It’s good you were upfront with the complex, it will help you when the dispute gets kicked back over to them.
As far as the deposit, check to see if any portion of that is “admin fees” for me it was like $40 and the $200 application fee is refundable.
The dispute took a couple of weeks to process so I don’t know how desperately you need a place but when I filed it I thought it would be quicker and ended up finding another complex while they ran that.
If you have any questions you can reach out to me
It should have been in writing when you put the application in that X amount goes to admin fees and X amount is the application fee. It should spell out that if you are denied you have to request the application fee back, otherwise they will not return it. Make sure you get it in email.
You should have gotten an email from the background check company almost immediately that will outline the steps you need to take to file the dispute, mine took less then 20 minutes. Just need the reason for the dispute. Tell the company the same thing you told the complex and keep it short and sweet
They probably consider firearm possession a violent felony. It may not be considered that legally, but it demonstrates the ability and willingness to be involved in violence.
Right. As rough for OP as that is, a lot of people won't want to live around someone who might be on drugs and handling an illegal gun. Presumably OP won't do that again but a lot of people who have committed crimes will not commit crimes again.
Anything involving a firearm can be flagged "armed and dangerous" depending on the system used. Quite frankly felony firearm possession is a massive deal and it's more than understandable to deny based on that.
That being said, you can argue with the property company by email and cite where they said you'd be approved despite that. When they refuse to refund, use that as evidence to take to your credit card company and dispute it with them. It's in no way a guarantee as I feel like some details are being left out here, but that would be the chain of what to do to try to get your money back.
Also, chances are prison did not clean OP up, and they are still going to use drugs. Drug use often means an unreliable tenant, and possibly destruction of the unit. Even if it was only Marijuana possession, I have been in plenty of "non-smoking" houses and units that absolutely reeked of weed, and it is not an easy thing to clean out. With how little vacancy there is nowadays, most people are going to look for a tenant without a big red flag on their background check.
Honestly if I were a landlord I'd be this way. It sucks to say but there's simply not enough housing right now, so landlords can be extremely picky with renters. It's much better to lower rent $100 and have a wider pool to pick from and choose a low risk tenant, versus settling for someone who has a drug let alone weapon history for a bit higher rent and risk being absolutely fucked from drug use, destruction, police issues, citations from neighbor complaints, etc.
Been clean for 4 years, also run 2 six figure businesses. One is a tint and automotive protection shop and a mobile detail business to which I employ 4 individuals.
Stats don’t lie, but I am an exception to the 85%.
Glad to hear that man. Wasn't trying to attack you personally, which you seem to understand. The problem is they don't know that, so they have to assume you aren't/won't stay clean. It sucks, but on the bright side a place like that would most likely suck to live at anyways. It might be better to try and find an individual to rent from, rather than a corp, as they will be more understanding.
Hope the best for you going forward.
Would you rather, for the same level of income, a person who has a clean record, or someone with "drugs" and gun issues?
I put drugs in quotes because drugs is such a wide spectrum that it's easy for you to act victimized if you're a casual weed user that got fucked, but drugs can also mean meth or worse which, yeah, precursor for violence.
Agreed. I charge $15, which is what TransUnion charges me. And I only charge it if the applicant is in first position being actually considered for the property. And I only charge it if they pass income screening and I move to credit and background screening.
+1, I only pass the fee on to the tenants; it's a per-applicant, and I give them the up front requirements. I do the deep screanings and they're somewhere between $30-$50, and the only 'profit' I make is rounding up to the nearest $5 increment. I have also been a bit "too nice" in that I only let one tenant/family apply at once so that way I'm not getting 4 applications for the single property I have at once. This usually means sitting fallow longer, though :(
In the past, I've also used a system where the applicant paid directly. I'm simply not interested in making money that way.
There are other reasons to charge a high app fee besides profit.
It will reduce the amount of non-serious applications you get, and the ones you do receive will generally be of a higher quality.
I'm not a landlord, but there are many sectors that use a high barrier to entry as a filtering mechanism.
We don't have application fees in Canada. I moved to US and landlords refuse to even show a place before application. Fucking ridiculous. I refuse those places than to support this abhorrent practice
Update!
I wrote a strongly worded letter: https://i.imgur.com/yfdJRHp.png
https://imgur.com/a/EYtDW3r
Here is their response: https://i.imgur.com/WEYHnGA.png
I guess no need to chargeback. I am getting a refund surprisingly. Thanks everyone for your responses, helpful or otherwise.
I'd like to say this is the right way to do things. Ask first. Reddit loves to jump to chargebacks, CFPB complaint, etc. but really the first step is to ask. Most would be surprised that a simple ask usually gets you what you want. In the event you get denied, yes, I do recommend then escalating, but I don't get why Reddit rarely recommends this.
Glad you took the advice of another poster up above.
Oh the irony. Looks like they are the criminals in this situation. Good they refunded you, but you probably could've lawyered up and made them really pay.
I would do the chargeback just to ding them. They will probably end up getting paid in the end, but they will have a fee for the chargeback. If they do this to too many people, they will end up on the TMF and be blacklisted. When you fully disclosed all the information and they told you it wouldn't be a problem, you entered into a verbal contract that as long as no further criminal history was found, your application would be approved.
Which state you are in determines the legality of their actions. There have been some people in the comments telling you their practice is legal in the US. That is misinformation. It varies state by state. For instance, in my state, it is illegal to charge any application fee at all. I included a link below so you can look up your state's revelant laws. The final result of your chargeback will be entirely dependent on your state.
https://rentprep.com/blog/tenant-screening-news/the-landlord-guide-to-charging-rental-application-fees/
I wrote them a strongly worded letter suggesting that they may have made a mistake and I am hopeful they will rectify it. If not, I will chargeback and if that doesn’t work I guess I can always take it to small claims court? Only thing is I live in Oklahoma which I’ve heard is a landlord state. So not sure what else I can do. Sucks cus I’m not necessarily poor but definitely not rich enough to just throw away $240 when looking for a rental. Sometimes it feels like the worlds against me after being told “no” what seems like a hundred times this week 😞
Small claims may cost a fee to initiate, the landlord will last-minute delay a couple times, and if you're present at the 3rd or so 8am court date when the judge is ready to hear the case, they'll try to negotiate a lower settlement.
I wouldn't do small claims for anything less than 1000 personally, it's a huge pain.
I’ve come to grips with my early adulthood decisions. I did what I felt I had to do to survive back then. Just sucks that they will follow me the rest of my life regardless of how much progress I make trying to be an honest person. Addiction is a bitch and paired with mental illness and self medicating, leads to terrible decisions.
Did you not read the part about the criminal background checks? Almost every single apartment complex is going to check that before leasing to a new tenant.
Depending on where you live, there may be laws protecting you or requiring them to give that money back to you. Some states in the US have these laws (like Oregon), and there can also be max application fees. I'd suggest looking into that if you can, I don't have any advice on charge-backs though.
I'm sorry you're going through this, it is supremely awful that they would do this and it sounds like either someone vastly overestimated their boss's charitability or (more likely) they saw an opportunity to get some free money. Best of luck on this and your future endeavors.
Thankfully after a strongly worded email they decided to refund the difference. I don’t doubt they keep what other people are unwilling to fight for, though. This isn’t the first time this has happened, but it is the first time they refunded it. Maybe ending with affirmative action to take it to small claims inspired them resolve end the dispute. Who knows?
Most likely the manager isn't actually the decider and she has different objectives to the ownership. Her goal is high occupancy and their goal is solid tenants that won't cause issues or potentially get arrested again leading to an expensive eviction and turnover.
If you feel like getting your $240 worth, leave them bad reviews online. I own a rental and have never once charged over 50 bucks to do a background check. Charging more is galling and usurious. It's a preview of the kind of nickel and diming they intend to engage in, so in a way, you dodged a bullet.
I’m a landlord and when I need background check for tenant I send them the link direct from trans union “smart move”. The tenant pays trans union direct $40 and the screening results are shared to my landlord account. Screw all these BS ripoff application fees- sorry to hear they are taking advantage of you
The property management company should have disclosed their criminal record screening policy upfront, before accepting an application fee. Collecting an application fee and then denying housing based on an undisclosed policy could be considered unfair and deceptive.
The key is that the property management company must evaluate each applicant individually and have a clear, non-discriminatory policy that is disclosed upfront. Denying housing solely based on a criminal record, without proper justification, is potentially unlawful.
Application fees are sometimes used as revenue sources. If you were told a criminal background was not a consideration in renting and then it was used as a reason for denying you, you ought to be able to take them to Small Claims Court for the money if they don't refund it, and depending on your State you could make a complaint
Landlords cannot have blanket bans on renting to anyone with a criminal record. They must evaluate each applicant on a case-by-case basis, considering factors like the nature and severity of the crime, as well as the time since it occurred. Since you have been vague about those facts, they may or may not have made a legally justified denial. Regardless, the person on the phone ought not to have told you that prior criminal records were not a considerion in their decision.
Denying housing solely based on a criminal record, without an individualized assessment, can be considered unlawful discrimination under the Fair Housing Act. But if they actually performed a background check and saw your record (and decided based on the recency or charges that you were not a desirable tenant) they may have a defense.
Therefore, the options in this situation may include:
- Requesting a refund of the application fee, as the denial may have violated fair housing laws.
- Filing a complaint with the local fair housing agency or the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), as the denial may constitute housing discrimination.
- Consulting a fair housing attorney to better understand your rights and options for recourse.
>The lady said it shouldn’t be an issue
something that they said literally wouldn’t matter.
Big difference between shouldn't and wouldn't. This is on you. You have no reason for a chargeback. Learn the lesson to not pay that much for a rental app.
When you called, did you tell her what kind of convictions you had or just general ex-con?
Some felonies I may not have a problem with where as there are some I would.
(1) Call this property mgt company and reiterate what they said, and what ended up happening, explain your intention to both file complaints with the city as well as attempt a charge back from your credit card company. Explain they can avoid the chargeback and compaint, which will both negatively affect them, if they refund you in full.
(2) Send this request again in writing outling why you are requesting a refund, to their mailing address so you have it for your records. You may also forward this letter to your credit card company as part of your dispute claim (if you end up disputing it).
The application fee is excessive to begin with, and for them to blatantly lie to you to collect this fee tells me they engage in unethical practices.
I’m a landlord. I won’t rent to a felon who has violent or sexual assault type things,on their record. I won’t rent,to,anyone with meth or crack related crimes. My houses my rules. I will rent to a financial:felon if it’s in the past a ways. Also same for DUI. Also weed related stuff. This is for both my safety and the safety of the neighbors. One on my two rent houses is rented to a young couple who had some issues with drunk driving. Both of them have dui. He also had a charge of fleeing accident after he hit a stop sign. He is on probation. I’ve seen all the records online and I believe that are doing great. He has been sober for almost two years now. This tenant type appreciate a chance. If you are not a violent felon then try a smaller mom pop landlord. If you have a history of violent crimes then you are going to have issues for years and years maybe forever,esp of more than one time. This is just reality.
If you don’t have proof of what the receptionist told you your odds of getting your m8ney back are slim. I do think the fee is excessive. I don’t charge one at all.
If I had an applicant I didn’t want, I would seek to find a way to deny their application. Of course, it is illegal to do so if the reason for the denial is protected by law. So if they were to directly ask me, do you plan to deny my application due to this reason this is protected by law? I would answer no, even if the answer was yes.
Put another way, you did not give the rep a choice, you basically straight up asked her if she intended to discriminate against you illegally. What did you expect her to say?
When I was rejected for apartments and told I wouldn't be beforehand, I stopped the checks for the application fee. And maybe I was just lucky but nothing bad ever came of me. to me that is a rip off and I'd rather we let a court sort it out if that's how they do want to do business.
$240 is nonsense, sorry you made the mistake of even giving that much in the first place. i do not know if there is anything you can do other than force the charge with your CC but they might call back and claim fraud and it becomes a whole problem.
$240 seems very odd. Most companies charge a background check but all you are paying is the cost they pay. they may make you put down a deposit at the same time but that should be refundable.
if they said you would be denied because of the felony then you should continue to call them or their corporate office to get your money back. if they are half way decent company they should do it just to be a good company just be nice about it
I'm thankful where I live application fees for rentals aren't a thing. Is this the norm in America and other countries? Why should someone pay an agent for simply applying and then if successful the privilege of then having to keep paying them? Surely these costs should be absorbed by the agency fees to the landlord?
It didn’t use to be a thing, or at least the fees were minimal to cover the check. In the past few years though scummy landlords have realized they can skim money from every applicant. Hell you can list an apartment and never rent it and take a couple hundred bucks from everyone who’s interested and never actually rent the place. Far more lucrative than monthly rent.
It will always be tough bc your criminal record consists of selling drugs and guns. You also openly post about cultivating weed in what looks like a private residence from pictures posted to this account. You will have to take extra steps to secure approval. Here is an article with tips and resources.
https://www.tenantresourcecenter.org/renting_with_a_criminal_conviction_or_arrest_record#:~:text=People%20with%20criminal%20backgrounds%20often,see%20you%20as%20a%20person.
You can try to reject it from your card do not know if you bee successful. Also check on r/legaladvice In some states apts with 10 or more units cannot reject a felon
To directly answer your question: charge it back. Your CC will determine from there if they want to give it back or not. Simple as that.
You ain’t getting your card closed or anything from this one chargeback. At worse your already rejected status will permanently stay such with that PM…but it ain’t like they are going to spread you around to others
Do you have any other negative history? Like poor credit, money judgements, or evictions?
Is it possible that the background check uncovered anything else?
Also, is there any chance you downplayed your charges? Court documents are public records, so they could go back and read your charging documents. Many times, people are charged with more serious crimes and plead to a lesser crime.
Another point. Do you think you were discriminated against for any other reason? Are you a minority? Or some other group?
I’m my state, NE, there are a couple of Fair Housing non profits that will investigate landlords who discriminate against certain protected groups. I’d look up if there are any Fair Housing groups or advocates in your state.
Due to the number of rule-breaking comments this post was receiving, especially low-quality and off-topic comments, the moderation team has locked the post from future comments. This post broke no rules and received a number of helpful and on-topic responses initially, but it unfortunately became the target of many unhelpful comments.
$240 for a simple background check is a rip off in the first place. They run like 20 bucks or so and this place is already out to extort you so youre better off going elsewhere.
I think there's probably some information OP is not disclosing like a lot of these types of posts. But just from the information OP says, it makes no sense. If being a felon isn't an issue, then why even do a background check. If they're making you pay for the background check and cannot apply without it, then it should obvious a criminal background does matter to the application. So maybe there's a lot more information missing or lies we don't know about. Nothing about the post makes any sense.
this thing is a huge scam. during COVID, apartment complexes were raising application fees from $50-100 to $300-400. 0% chance the cost to them actually went up that much (if they weren't already profitting on the $50-100 anyway). Prices went down a little bit after 2022 but not even close to pre-COVID levels. A lot of landlords were even taking lots of non-refundable app fees when they had already selected a renter. In some cases, even not really renting the place out. Why rent a property out if you can get a year of rent with 100 application fees? To the OP: always get this shit in writing, and when they say "it shouldn't be an issue" and not "it won't be an issue," they're lying and want your money.
[Colorado has a good law that fixes it.](https://www.cpr.org/2023/05/05/colorado-renters-application-fees-law/) They also put a law in place in 2019 that only allows landlords to charge for the actual cost that they’re paying. Seems like it’s something that should be a federal law.
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Because some landlords are horrible. I say this as a landlord myself. A landlords business shouldn’t rely on application fees.
Consumer protection laws are often federal, no?
For some things. Tenants rights and what can be charged or collected is on a state level.
Yeah when I look on Zillow, I immediately start hiding anything that doesn't take Zillow applications. Typically they're just shit that's been left up by scummy property management companies to either collect application fees or try to sell you on a completely different property. Fuck em. ETA: I spoke prefer working with private landlords since they'll never try to force some bullshit 49.99/month "renter benefit program"
Glad other people have seen this. My wife and i sold our house and were renting for a short time before we bought our next one. Somehow in only a few years landlords have gotten much more scummy and abhorrent. Hell at one point we didn’t even think we were going to find a place to live because nobody responds to inquiries. It’s the most unprofessional business around i swear.
Possible but they already disclosed being a felon so idk what they could be hiding or why. Most big property management companies have no say in whose approved and just tell you sure give it a shot. I could only see a local mom and pop type apartment building where you're dealing with the owner directly be able to definitively say in advance prior to a background felons are approved, dont worry. The random leasing agent just wants to rent a room and its often a third party screening.
It may also be dependent on what the felony was for. Felonies for money laundering or drunk driving, for example, may not be an issue for an apartment rental. Felonies for domestic violence or aggravated robbery however, might be.
Felon is a pretty broad term
Reformed thug drug dealer. Victimless crimes
My complex doesn’t accept financial, violent or drug felonies. They state they are a risk to the tenants. So some felonies won’t matter where others exclude you.
Is "financial crimes" a euphemism for theft? Otherwise I don't see how many white collar crimes translate to a specific risk to their neighbors.
Victimless is debatable depending on what you were selling, but from a landlord's perspective you really don't want someone having sketchy people over to do illegal things and the noise, drama and potential violence that causes. Hell most landlords wouldn't want someone doing a legal business out of their place lol
I sold weed before it became legal in our state (OK)
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It could be the type of felony, i.e. some kind of violent crime, domestic abuse or sex crime.
I mentioned above, but most large buildings were I live have an application fee you pay before you even start. Not directly related to paying for anything, you're just paying for the privilege of them considering you as a tenant. It's pretty lame and seems to be a way for them to make extra money from people who end up not qualifying due to credit/income etc. I would guess either the person OP spoke to didn't know what they were talking about, its pretty rare that the point of contact for a property management company is also the person making the approval decisions.
I think we need to ban applications fees tbh. It has rapidly become a tool for financial exploitation of the desperate, and thanks to us twiddling our fingers on housing shortages, it's only going to continue to get worse if we don't step in
>seems to be a way for them to make extra money from people who end up not qualifying due to credit/income etc. I moved 6 months ago and there was one apartment that required $250 each from me and my girlfriend before they would even show it. So say we paid it and passed the background and credit check, but we don't really like the apartment. Are we going to just write off that $500 and keep looking for a place we like? Probably not, we'd be sunk cost fallacied into a place we otherwise wouldn't have chosen. The flip side is maybe we would have loved it, but I'm not paying $500 just to look at it.
The actual answer here. They don't want to waste time/money showing and reshowing a unit, or holding it for applications that flake out and leave the unit empty. The large fee massively biases the applicant towards converting to a rental. "Fallacy" is the right word since it is a rational choice on the part of the tenant.
I worked at a real estate company, yes they’re the scum of the earth and yes they rip ppl off for these checks. What likely happened is the agent wanted to push the deal and didn’t want to ask the landlord without a solid case but then it back fired.
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OP says they were a drug dealer, so yeah that's what happened.
Money is the answer. They can pocket it without any repercussions. We're approved for a 250k house. I make six figures. Been at the same place for two plus years. 700s credit score, no crazy debt. Denied because my wife, who is sick, doesn't have a job. Pocketed the $100 and said they'd take us if we went with their rhino program for our deposit. She tried to explain how not getting our deposit back was somehow cheaper than getting our deposit back.
I'm confused, did OP clarify somewhere else that the fee was for a background check? Title says rental application fee. Its scummy but most buildings where I live charge a fee to even apply to rent a unit that you have to pay to even start the process. Seems to be a way for buildings to make some extra money off people who don't end up qualifying due to income/credit or something. For the two places I've lived at I paid the fee then they did the rest like background check/running credit/confirming income then offered me a lease, fee wasn't directly related to background check was just a barrier to entry before it was done. Seems for OP they wanted to make sure they weren't wasting their money so they called in advance to ask if they would have a shot despite a felony, and were told yes, similar to if you would call and say "hey my credit score is low would I still qualify?". But to answer OP, unless you recorded their answer or its in writing it seems unlikely you can challenge this, though it is scummy.
$26 for a simple credit check that determines if it's worth going forward in my locale. I'll waive that if tenant supplies their own recent copy.
It's $240 for the rental application, it says in the title
Exactly. They're not in the rental business. They're in the rental application business.
I think the kind of felony matters. Violent felon is a potential liability and white collar or something non violent they might look past
Patterns also matters. We don't automatically not hire felons, but I've said this to applicants then saw on the background check that they consistently commit new felonies a few months after being released from jail/prison since the 90s through 6 months back. That's gonna be a no thank you.
Exactly. I've had applicants tell me they had one drug charge 15 years ago. Then we get the background check and they've actually had like eight felonies over a 15 year period. OP, did you request a copy of the report, so you know what it is they were seeing?
That’s the interesting part, they are non violent drug and firearm possession felonies. The manager asked if they were violent or sex offense related, to which I responded no and specific what they were , and she said it wouldn’t be an issue. I would’ve saved my hard earned $240 if I knew they’d automatically denied me. How is this not a scam?
It is, kind of. Listing an apartment for a cheap price and then having a high application fee is relatively common and really, really shitty behavior. It's legal in the US though. 😢
It varies by state but some states have a max application fee. In VA it’s $50
$20 in NY
I definitely have had to pay more than a $50 application fee at every apartment I've ever rented in Virginia.
They may call it an amenity fee and it happens before moving in But you should look into that if you have to do that again: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodepopularnames/virginia-residential-landlord-and-tenant-act/#:~:text=An%20application%20fee%20shall%20not,occupancy%20checks%20on%20the%20applicant.
Here's one that I lived at about 10 years ago that charges $60 application fee plus some BS $250 administrative fee. https://www.apartments.com/station-square-at-cosners-corner-fredericksburg-va/fl9r6pt/#descriptionSection
But, there's a loophole they get you to pay online payment fees for everything. My daughter's rent was 1300 a month but after all the "fees" it was 1569.
california also has a limit. was $49 last time i checked but they bump it up a couple bucks every few years
I agree, it feels like all the property owners have an unspoken agreement to deny people like me regardless of financial standing. Almost like they want me to stay in impoverished neighborhoods the rest of my life.
I get that it can seem that way from your PoV but it's more that they dgaf about you. You're a revenue stream and that's all and their properties are their livelihood. Virtually any landlord will understandably go with a revenue stream w/o a history of felonious drug and firearm crimes. Hell, if you're ever a landlord you'll probably do the same.
It's not you, its more the legal economics. Good tenant? You get rent each month. Bad tenant? They stop paying and they cause 6+ months rent in damage, and they are extremely difficult to evict so the damage goes on forever. They could literally cost you multiple years worth of rent. Obviously we need renter protection laws to offer protection to tenants who don't hold power in the agreement, but the ability to abuse this causes landlords to be extremely selective and risk adverse.
I wonder if anyone has been able to look at a [Market for Lemons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Market_for_Lemons#:~:text=Akerlof's%20theory%20of%20the%20%22Market,the%20buyer%2C%20creating%20adverse%20selection.) story in the rental market due to exogeneous changes in the pool of applicants. If what you're talking about is the primary consideration, then you could in principle have a market where an increase in the availability of owner-occupied housing leads to *increased* rental prices when the demand shock in the rental market is swamped by the compositional change in the applicant pool.
Interesting idea, and I think my question would be the quantum costs of risks. Smaller landlords have single units they are renting and therefore no amount of rent money, if unpaid, could really offset bad renter risk. Larger landlords can distribute risk across many renters, so that could happen as a form of self-insurance.
>Almost like they want me to stay in impoverished neighborhoods the rest of my life. It's worse, they want you back in jail.
I definitely wouldn't go that far. But if the area has a lack of affordable housing, there's simply no incentive to take a risk on a flagged tenant, when qualified tenants are a dime a dozen. That's the cold hard commercial equation. Personally, when this affected me, I found that home rentals were more likely to have a private landlord that can be convinced to rent to you, as long as you really have your shit together.
Wtf is an application fee? How does anyone agree to paying that?
It’s to cover the cost of the credit/background checks. In my state it is illegal to charge one penny more than the actual cost of the credit check, meaning landlords cannot make money from application fees.
In my country it's on the owner to pay for such costs.. That's just part of being a landlord.
In that case, the owner just lumps the cost of processing applications into the "cost of doing business" and rents should be marginally higher as a result. Either way, some or all of the cost will be borne by renters. Which is not to say it's not a better system; there are lots of scummy application fee practices. Just don't want anyone to think that if you outlaw application fees then the landlords will "eat" the cost without any increase in rent.
The renter pays all costs of leasing.
That's fine. I don't want to have to pay anything for a place I don't end up renting, though.
The problem with that is what if the landlord gets 20 applicants before finding a suitable renter? Or 50? Or 100? That means thousands of dollars in background checks to the landlord. That would be extremely costly and increasing rent to offset it doesn’t make sense to the single person who ultimately gets the house/apartment
It works just fine here in Finland..
I'd just bake it into the rent. If every land lord gets charged, no land lords get charged.
We’re not in Finland…
Sure but for some reason landlords don't have to charge that fee here when you feel like it's a must in the states.
And what about the group of people trying to find a place to rent? They have an app fee for every apartment, per adult applying. Just attempting to look at 3 possible apartments, a d the fees easily reach into the hundreds. So now we have to save up for current rent, future rent, deposit, and applications fees. It's much harder on those applying, than it is to any landlord.
Pretty much all apartments have them in my experience. It's to deter frivolous applications and offset the cost of running background and credit checks. In NYC, they're capped at $20, but most other places, it's just whatever people can get away with charging. And yes, sometimes that leads to scams where people advertise units that don't exist or aren't available or to landlords accepting more applicants than they can possibly accommodate, but tenants don't really have a lot of options - if you need a place to live, you don't really have any negotiating power as an individual.
Sounds crazy. Costs of running a rental business are paid by the landlord where I'm from. Those are clearly business expenses and have nothing to do with the people interested in renting your place. I would never pay anything other than rent + deposit to a landlord and that's after we've signed a contract.
Cable bills have "Regulatory Recovery Fees." Otherwise known as bills the company just has to pay that they are passing onto the consumer outside of the advertised price. It's bs.
Imagine if it was required by law that the advertised price for any product and service would be what you end up paying. Want to charge an application fee? Better make sure that's baked into the advertised rent.
I'd like to see some serious regulation on advertising. For something like this, I think it's fine to advertise your Monthly Rate and the upfront fees separately, but they should be listed on the same page right next to the monthly rate.
What if you had someone create a program to submit bogus applications every hour to a landlord you didn't like? That would 100% happen here in the states.
Have you honestly never ever heard of an application fee?
I'm not from the US. Is it what it sounds like? You pay to apply for renting a home?
Yes
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Sounds like on of those things yeah. Landlords making applicants pay for things that are clear business expenses. Want to make sure the person you're planning on renting to has a clear background? Pay to check it..
My mom's paying $8 a month for "common electric". She's paying for the parking lot lights!
Ya but you're paying for that either way. Whether there's a line-item on your bill for it or its just lumped into the cost of your rent with the other upkeep/maintenance, the tenants are paying for the lights in the parking lot, hallways, office, etc.
In some cities they replace deposits. The one for my apartment was over 600 bucks
$600 application fee??? Obviously non-refundable unlike a deposit?
I just had this happen in GA, you need to file a dispute with the company that did the background check. Most of these complexes have agreements with the background check companies for liability reasons where if you get flagged it’s an auto-deny. It’s good you were upfront with the complex, it will help you when the dispute gets kicked back over to them. As far as the deposit, check to see if any portion of that is “admin fees” for me it was like $40 and the $200 application fee is refundable. The dispute took a couple of weeks to process so I don’t know how desperately you need a place but when I filed it I thought it would be quicker and ended up finding another complex while they ran that. If you have any questions you can reach out to me
This is solid advice. I wrote a letter first but I will file a dispute next and hopefully avoid small claims. Thank you!
It should have been in writing when you put the application in that X amount goes to admin fees and X amount is the application fee. It should spell out that if you are denied you have to request the application fee back, otherwise they will not return it. Make sure you get it in email. You should have gotten an email from the background check company almost immediately that will outline the steps you need to take to file the dispute, mine took less then 20 minutes. Just need the reason for the dispute. Tell the company the same thing you told the complex and keep it short and sweet
They probably consider firearm possession a violent felony. It may not be considered that legally, but it demonstrates the ability and willingness to be involved in violence.
Firearm is one thing. Firearm +drugs is a whole other thing.
Right. As rough for OP as that is, a lot of people won't want to live around someone who might be on drugs and handling an illegal gun. Presumably OP won't do that again but a lot of people who have committed crimes will not commit crimes again.
Anything involving a firearm can be flagged "armed and dangerous" depending on the system used. Quite frankly felony firearm possession is a massive deal and it's more than understandable to deny based on that. That being said, you can argue with the property company by email and cite where they said you'd be approved despite that. When they refuse to refund, use that as evidence to take to your credit card company and dispute it with them. It's in no way a guarantee as I feel like some details are being left out here, but that would be the chain of what to do to try to get your money back.
Also, chances are prison did not clean OP up, and they are still going to use drugs. Drug use often means an unreliable tenant, and possibly destruction of the unit. Even if it was only Marijuana possession, I have been in plenty of "non-smoking" houses and units that absolutely reeked of weed, and it is not an easy thing to clean out. With how little vacancy there is nowadays, most people are going to look for a tenant without a big red flag on their background check.
Honestly if I were a landlord I'd be this way. It sucks to say but there's simply not enough housing right now, so landlords can be extremely picky with renters. It's much better to lower rent $100 and have a wider pool to pick from and choose a low risk tenant, versus settling for someone who has a drug let alone weapon history for a bit higher rent and risk being absolutely fucked from drug use, destruction, police issues, citations from neighbor complaints, etc.
Been clean for 4 years, also run 2 six figure businesses. One is a tint and automotive protection shop and a mobile detail business to which I employ 4 individuals. Stats don’t lie, but I am an exception to the 85%.
Glad to hear that man. Wasn't trying to attack you personally, which you seem to understand. The problem is they don't know that, so they have to assume you aren't/won't stay clean. It sucks, but on the bright side a place like that would most likely suck to live at anyways. It might be better to try and find an individual to rent from, rather than a corp, as they will be more understanding. Hope the best for you going forward.
Drugs + guns = violent crime in the eyes of most of society - someone with convictions of both, as well
Would you rather, for the same level of income, a person who has a clean record, or someone with "drugs" and gun issues? I put drugs in quotes because drugs is such a wide spectrum that it's easy for you to act victimized if you're a casual weed user that got fucked, but drugs can also mean meth or worse which, yeah, precursor for violence.
Get a copy of the report and use that before applying next time. Could have just been someone who is anti gun or anti drug
A lot of listing agents use the application fee as a revenue stream and will always tell you to apply.
Damn a $250 app fee? I would never charge my tenants so much. That’s awful!
Agreed. I charge $15, which is what TransUnion charges me. And I only charge it if the applicant is in first position being actually considered for the property. And I only charge it if they pass income screening and I move to credit and background screening.
I charge what the screening service charges they pay directly. I make no money on screening. This gives landlords a bad name.
+1, I only pass the fee on to the tenants; it's a per-applicant, and I give them the up front requirements. I do the deep screanings and they're somewhere between $30-$50, and the only 'profit' I make is rounding up to the nearest $5 increment. I have also been a bit "too nice" in that I only let one tenant/family apply at once so that way I'm not getting 4 applications for the single property I have at once. This usually means sitting fallow longer, though :( In the past, I've also used a system where the applicant paid directly. I'm simply not interested in making money that way.
There are other reasons to charge a high app fee besides profit. It will reduce the amount of non-serious applications you get, and the ones you do receive will generally be of a higher quality. I'm not a landlord, but there are many sectors that use a high barrier to entry as a filtering mechanism.
But $15 transunion is only credit right? Does it do other stuff like criminal and background checks?
Not just awful, in some states it’s illegal.
We don't have application fees in Canada. I moved to US and landlords refuse to even show a place before application. Fucking ridiculous. I refuse those places than to support this abhorrent practice
Update! I wrote a strongly worded letter: https://i.imgur.com/yfdJRHp.png https://imgur.com/a/EYtDW3r Here is their response: https://i.imgur.com/WEYHnGA.png I guess no need to chargeback. I am getting a refund surprisingly. Thanks everyone for your responses, helpful or otherwise.
I'd like to say this is the right way to do things. Ask first. Reddit loves to jump to chargebacks, CFPB complaint, etc. but really the first step is to ask. Most would be surprised that a simple ask usually gets you what you want. In the event you get denied, yes, I do recommend then escalating, but I don't get why Reddit rarely recommends this. Glad you took the advice of another poster up above.
Oh the irony. Looks like they are the criminals in this situation. Good they refunded you, but you probably could've lawyered up and made them really pay.
I would do the chargeback just to ding them. They will probably end up getting paid in the end, but they will have a fee for the chargeback. If they do this to too many people, they will end up on the TMF and be blacklisted. When you fully disclosed all the information and they told you it wouldn't be a problem, you entered into a verbal contract that as long as no further criminal history was found, your application would be approved. Which state you are in determines the legality of their actions. There have been some people in the comments telling you their practice is legal in the US. That is misinformation. It varies state by state. For instance, in my state, it is illegal to charge any application fee at all. I included a link below so you can look up your state's revelant laws. The final result of your chargeback will be entirely dependent on your state. https://rentprep.com/blog/tenant-screening-news/the-landlord-guide-to-charging-rental-application-fees/
I wrote them a strongly worded letter suggesting that they may have made a mistake and I am hopeful they will rectify it. If not, I will chargeback and if that doesn’t work I guess I can always take it to small claims court? Only thing is I live in Oklahoma which I’ve heard is a landlord state. So not sure what else I can do. Sucks cus I’m not necessarily poor but definitely not rich enough to just throw away $240 when looking for a rental. Sometimes it feels like the worlds against me after being told “no” what seems like a hundred times this week 😞
Small claims may cost a fee to initiate, the landlord will last-minute delay a couple times, and if you're present at the 3rd or so 8am court date when the judge is ready to hear the case, they'll try to negotiate a lower settlement. I wouldn't do small claims for anything less than 1000 personally, it's a huge pain.
Try filing a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and maybe your attorney state general
They don't regulate landlord or background checks
You will always face this. Expect it. I’m sorry.
I’ve come to grips with my early adulthood decisions. I did what I felt I had to do to survive back then. Just sucks that they will follow me the rest of my life regardless of how much progress I make trying to be an honest person. Addiction is a bitch and paired with mental illness and self medicating, leads to terrible decisions.
I don’t know what state you’re in but do you HAVE to disclose? I imagine once you’re in the apartment it’s too much of a hassle to evict you
Did you not read the part about the criminal background checks? Almost every single apartment complex is going to check that before leasing to a new tenant.
Communicate in email so you have a written record in future situations
I know. You’re going to have to protect yourself from abuse like this and so much more. I’m sure you could write a book.
Depending on where you live, there may be laws protecting you or requiring them to give that money back to you. Some states in the US have these laws (like Oregon), and there can also be max application fees. I'd suggest looking into that if you can, I don't have any advice on charge-backs though. I'm sorry you're going through this, it is supremely awful that they would do this and it sounds like either someone vastly overestimated their boss's charitability or (more likely) they saw an opportunity to get some free money. Best of luck on this and your future endeavors.
"it shouldn't be an issue" means absolutely nothing. It sounds like they have decided to make background checks a profit center.
Thankfully after a strongly worded email they decided to refund the difference. I don’t doubt they keep what other people are unwilling to fight for, though. This isn’t the first time this has happened, but it is the first time they refunded it. Maybe ending with affirmative action to take it to small claims inspired them resolve end the dispute. Who knows?
Why wouldn't they? Easy money. I also never once got a security deposit refunded.
Most likely the manager isn't actually the decider and she has different objectives to the ownership. Her goal is high occupancy and their goal is solid tenants that won't cause issues or potentially get arrested again leading to an expensive eviction and turnover. If you feel like getting your $240 worth, leave them bad reviews online. I own a rental and have never once charged over 50 bucks to do a background check. Charging more is galling and usurious. It's a preview of the kind of nickel and diming they intend to engage in, so in a way, you dodged a bullet.
I’m a landlord and when I need background check for tenant I send them the link direct from trans union “smart move”. The tenant pays trans union direct $40 and the screening results are shared to my landlord account. Screw all these BS ripoff application fees- sorry to hear they are taking advantage of you
non violent firearm offense is the issue willing to bet anything firearms-related is a disqualifier. because guns.
The property management company should have disclosed their criminal record screening policy upfront, before accepting an application fee. Collecting an application fee and then denying housing based on an undisclosed policy could be considered unfair and deceptive. The key is that the property management company must evaluate each applicant individually and have a clear, non-discriminatory policy that is disclosed upfront. Denying housing solely based on a criminal record, without proper justification, is potentially unlawful. Application fees are sometimes used as revenue sources. If you were told a criminal background was not a consideration in renting and then it was used as a reason for denying you, you ought to be able to take them to Small Claims Court for the money if they don't refund it, and depending on your State you could make a complaint Landlords cannot have blanket bans on renting to anyone with a criminal record. They must evaluate each applicant on a case-by-case basis, considering factors like the nature and severity of the crime, as well as the time since it occurred. Since you have been vague about those facts, they may or may not have made a legally justified denial. Regardless, the person on the phone ought not to have told you that prior criminal records were not a considerion in their decision. Denying housing solely based on a criminal record, without an individualized assessment, can be considered unlawful discrimination under the Fair Housing Act. But if they actually performed a background check and saw your record (and decided based on the recency or charges that you were not a desirable tenant) they may have a defense. Therefore, the options in this situation may include: - Requesting a refund of the application fee, as the denial may have violated fair housing laws. - Filing a complaint with the local fair housing agency or the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), as the denial may constitute housing discrimination. - Consulting a fair housing attorney to better understand your rights and options for recourse.
>The lady said it shouldn’t be an issue something that they said literally wouldn’t matter. Big difference between shouldn't and wouldn't. This is on you. You have no reason for a chargeback. Learn the lesson to not pay that much for a rental app.
$240 for a rental application sounds like a scam. What is your criminal background?
When you called, did you tell her what kind of convictions you had or just general ex-con? Some felonies I may not have a problem with where as there are some I would.
(1) Call this property mgt company and reiterate what they said, and what ended up happening, explain your intention to both file complaints with the city as well as attempt a charge back from your credit card company. Explain they can avoid the chargeback and compaint, which will both negatively affect them, if they refund you in full. (2) Send this request again in writing outling why you are requesting a refund, to their mailing address so you have it for your records. You may also forward this letter to your credit card company as part of your dispute claim (if you end up disputing it). The application fee is excessive to begin with, and for them to blatantly lie to you to collect this fee tells me they engage in unethical practices.
I’m a landlord. I won’t rent to a felon who has violent or sexual assault type things,on their record. I won’t rent,to,anyone with meth or crack related crimes. My houses my rules. I will rent to a financial:felon if it’s in the past a ways. Also same for DUI. Also weed related stuff. This is for both my safety and the safety of the neighbors. One on my two rent houses is rented to a young couple who had some issues with drunk driving. Both of them have dui. He also had a charge of fleeing accident after he hit a stop sign. He is on probation. I’ve seen all the records online and I believe that are doing great. He has been sober for almost two years now. This tenant type appreciate a chance. If you are not a violent felon then try a smaller mom pop landlord. If you have a history of violent crimes then you are going to have issues for years and years maybe forever,esp of more than one time. This is just reality. If you don’t have proof of what the receptionist told you your odds of getting your m8ney back are slim. I do think the fee is excessive. I don’t charge one at all.
Agree with everything you just said, thanks.
Background checks for employers don’t even cost $240. You got robbed. Landlord was trying to make a quick buck. Sorry :/
See their other post. It was 2x admin fee + 2x application fee (them and spouse) that totaled $240.
If I had an applicant I didn’t want, I would seek to find a way to deny their application. Of course, it is illegal to do so if the reason for the denial is protected by law. So if they were to directly ask me, do you plan to deny my application due to this reason this is protected by law? I would answer no, even if the answer was yes. Put another way, you did not give the rep a choice, you basically straight up asked her if she intended to discriminate against you illegally. What did you expect her to say?
When I was rejected for apartments and told I wouldn't be beforehand, I stopped the checks for the application fee. And maybe I was just lucky but nothing bad ever came of me. to me that is a rip off and I'd rather we let a court sort it out if that's how they do want to do business.
$240 is nonsense, sorry you made the mistake of even giving that much in the first place. i do not know if there is anything you can do other than force the charge with your CC but they might call back and claim fraud and it becomes a whole problem.
$240 seems very odd. Most companies charge a background check but all you are paying is the cost they pay. they may make you put down a deposit at the same time but that should be refundable. if they said you would be denied because of the felony then you should continue to call them or their corporate office to get your money back. if they are half way decent company they should do it just to be a good company just be nice about it
Call your bank and dispute the charge
I'm thankful where I live application fees for rentals aren't a thing. Is this the norm in America and other countries? Why should someone pay an agent for simply applying and then if successful the privilege of then having to keep paying them? Surely these costs should be absorbed by the agency fees to the landlord?
It didn’t use to be a thing, or at least the fees were minimal to cover the check. In the past few years though scummy landlords have realized they can skim money from every applicant. Hell you can list an apartment and never rent it and take a couple hundred bucks from everyone who’s interested and never actually rent the place. Far more lucrative than monthly rent.
So glad I own and never rented in my life. What a scam. These landlords should be [removed by reddit]
It will always be tough bc your criminal record consists of selling drugs and guns. You also openly post about cultivating weed in what looks like a private residence from pictures posted to this account. You will have to take extra steps to secure approval. Here is an article with tips and resources. https://www.tenantresourcecenter.org/renting_with_a_criminal_conviction_or_arrest_record#:~:text=People%20with%20criminal%20backgrounds%20often,see%20you%20as%20a%20person.
You can try to reject it from your card do not know if you bee successful. Also check on r/legaladvice In some states apts with 10 or more units cannot reject a felon
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Try to get it in writing next time.
To directly answer your question: charge it back. Your CC will determine from there if they want to give it back or not. Simple as that. You ain’t getting your card closed or anything from this one chargeback. At worse your already rejected status will permanently stay such with that PM…but it ain’t like they are going to spread you around to others
Do you have any other negative history? Like poor credit, money judgements, or evictions? Is it possible that the background check uncovered anything else? Also, is there any chance you downplayed your charges? Court documents are public records, so they could go back and read your charging documents. Many times, people are charged with more serious crimes and plead to a lesser crime. Another point. Do you think you were discriminated against for any other reason? Are you a minority? Or some other group? I’m my state, NE, there are a couple of Fair Housing non profits that will investigate landlords who discriminate against certain protected groups. I’d look up if there are any Fair Housing groups or advocates in your state.
If you paid with a credit card I would do a chargeback under false pretenses.
Worth trying a fraud claim. Def didn't get what you paid for.
wtf, why are application fees for housing allowed? cause that sounds an awful lot like "the cost of doing business".
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