The tenant application process is one of the least understood by landlords and managers. This lack of familiarity can result in significant liability to park owners. The purpose of this article is to set forth the applicable laws governing the process, and discuss some tips and traps that may be useful when certain issues and problems arise.
Question: We always ask for a picture of the prospective tenant and all occupants, their RV (if applying to our RV portion of the park), their pets, and the tow vehicle prior to looking at an application. Is this legal? If not, should I destroy all the pictures we have on file? Is it ever legal to have pictures of residents etc. in the files? Would it be better if we did it after the application was reviewed and accepted?
The tenant application process is one of the least understood by landlords and managers. This lack of familiarity can result in significant liability to park owners. The purpose of this article is to set forth the applicable laws governing the process, and discuss some tips and traps that may be useful when certain issues and problems arise.
Question: We recently received an application from a prospective purchaser of a home. Everything appears to be in order concerning the applicant's financial capacity, except their references have never responded. I don't know why and am concerned about approving the applicant without more reference information. What can I do?
Question: A landlord recently informed the residents of the manufactured home community that they will no longer accept applications of new residents. The landlord has stated that the residents may place the homes on the market for sale, but the park will not accept any applications. Can the landlord do this?
Question. Following your article on screening for criminal history, I’m needing some help digesting all the Do’s and Don’ts. Are there any recent visual aids that might help?
