Leasing application process (apartment, credit report, home)

[la_cavalière]

I'm trying to figure out the leasing application process in California. Everywhere I've lived before, if you saw a place you liked, you filled out the application and put down a deposit. If you were the first applicant, as long as your credit report and references were good, you got the place.

It appears that in California, the landlord collects applications (& application fees) for a period of time, runs the credit reports and calls references, and then selects which tenants they prefer. Am I correct? This works great from a landlord's perspective, but is a bit nerve-racking for someone who needs a place to live in a few short weeks and lives thousands of miles away.

Should we put in applications at more than one place? We have great credit and references, but we also have two small dogs, which might factor against us in some cases.

[=Lavender=]

Sounds like you figured it out. I notice almost every med-large complex uses the same method not only in CA but other states as well.

[NinaN]

California landlord/tenant laws strongly favor the tenant. So landlords have to be particularly diligent when screening potential leasees or they might end up with a long-term, non-paying, destructive tenant.

If you can afford the multiple application fees, I would definitely suggest applying at multiple places.

[la_cavalière]

We already told the owner of our second-choice place that we weren't interested because I didn't want him to count on us and stop advertising the apartment. Our credit scores and references are very strong, so I just assumed we would be approved right away on our first choice. Live and learn!

How long should we wait to hear back? (It's been four days.) Are we supposed to sweeten the deal by offering to pay more than the asking price? These are all private owners.

Now another nice home has come up, and the owner seems very interested in renting to us. I feel guilty not telling her we are waiting to hear back from our first choice. I think I am too nice (and honest) for The Rental Game...

[NinaN]

Call the first choice and see where you stand (they might be waiting to hear back from their first choice or they might have chosen someone else and didn't bother to call you). Let them know you are continuing to look at other options and would like to hear from them so you can make your own decisions.