The “Tenant Shopping” Trend Suggests Yes.

I’ve been working with clients on both sides of  the rental market lately, and honestly, something feels seriously broken in the way we’re leasing and listing properties. 

It’s gotten to the point where more and more Realtors are “shopping” their clients around informally to landlords before they even bother with a full application. Think about that for a second. Why? Because they’re anticipating a ‘no’, even when the applicant is financially solid and perfectly qualified. 

Why are good tenants being rejected? The main reasons boil down to two main issues and then many sub issues: Landlords are either completely terrified of application fraud (and who can blame them, it’s a huge issue) or they’re holding out for a “tenant unicorn.” It is revealing a massive glitch in our entire rental screening process and making the process much more complicated than it needs to be. 

I’d argue for a radical fix: Properties listed for lease should commit to renting to the first applicant who clearly meets a non-negotiable baseline criteria. Imagine the efficiency if we all agreed: “Do not apply unless you have a 700+ credit score and verifiable income.” Heck I would love to even go as far to say no dogs allowed if that was going to disqualify my client anyways. It would increase my search efficiency immensely. 

No guessing games, no moving goalposts. Just clear expectations.

I’ve personally been through tough markets, but I still believe in doing the job properly: no shortcuts, full paperwork, every time. But until the system changes, this “shopping” trend will continue to expose how much we’re failing both landlords and tenants alike. 

What do you think? Should a clear baseline automatically secure the lease for the first applicant? Do you believe that a reform is needed to help landlords deal with issues such as non payment. 

#RealEstate #RentalMarket #TenantScreening #LeasingStandards #PropertyManagement #governmentpolicy.