Every so often I run across a situation where a homeowner/Landlord demands to meet a tenant prior to approving or declining an application. The reasoning has never been advisable, understandable or wise in my opinion.
If I wanted to lease my primary residence to you I would never want to be accused of violating any one of the Fair Housing Laws.
All joking aside, what if the tenant I "met" was a gay cross-dressing disabled individual who smoked medicinal marijuana and was a loyal Scientologist who showed up with his seeing eye-dog?
If for any reason I did not approve the tenant, It could be alleged that I did so based on the fact that the he or she was disabled or because he was a man wearing woman's clothing, although being a cross-dresser isn't covered under the "protected classes."
Why risk it?
Everything you want to learn about an individual (that matters) can be learned by simply performing your due diligence. You can research the criminal, credit worthiness, employment & rental background with relative ease.
So why do people feel the need to visit with tenants before making a decision on an application?
In my opinion, it is to make an attempt to judge the character and personality of the tenant. The most important part of screening a tenant is to make sure you treat them fairly. It is also important that you screen each tenant in the same manner as you would other tenants.
Each state can have various additions to the Fair Housing Laws. You should always contact a real estate attorney before making any type of legal assumptions. In real estate most lawsuits and claims originate from leases. You should do all that you can from becoming a statistic.
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