Rant about annoying rental applicant

What I thought was a great applicant (family of 5: couple with 23 year old son, his fiance, and a 13 year old son) turns out to have an annoying woman.

So, the fiance is really great in responding to everything, but her future mother-in-law immediately became defensive, rude, and with a tone of accusatory after I asked for detailed bank statements.

They redacted stuff, but it was not enough for me to verify income, so I asked for more documentation, and she kept saying how I may be wounded from other applicants before or implying that I’m being invasive and disrespectful, that others found my questions “off-putting”. Bitch, shut the fuck up.

To be honest, I am shaken by this. And I hate that I’m affected by this annoying person who appears to be trying to shake me up. Maybe it’s revenge or some lashback or a cry for control because her daughter-in-law obviously loves the place. She can’t just say no, I think she’s trying to get me to turn them down so she is off the hook.

Honestly, I have this urge to be petty and get back, but I think I’m restrained enough to not. In some ways, I still do, but in a professional way. Like I told the fiance that the mom was concerned that my questions were invasive and that I hoped she didn’t feel that way. Indirectly, I was informing her that her mother in law was coming at me, and I kind of was “fishing” for validation from her that she disagrees. More ammo if the mom comes back.

But she latched onto my “but if you’re trying to make me feel bad for saying…” phrasing by denying that she’s trying to make me feel bad. I really should just ask questions like, “by saying that it makes you wonder what kind of landlord i’ll be, what kind of landlord does it make you feel i might be?”

Honestly, makes me feel icky that I want to go and trap her in logic lol. And I just can’t stop thinking about it, probably as a survival mechanism??

She just wants to make it seem like I’m having red flags because I’m literally saying the same thing. Maybe I should ask “what about this is a red flag to you?”. or, “oh i see, so do you think this is a red flag as well?”

I don’t know. I feel bad for the fiance lol. And idk how tf she has so many good references if she is such a biatch.

She makes me feel really annoyed and that I really shouldn’t rent to her. They’ve been bad at responding and lots of radio silence. And seriously, a bunch of red flags too:

• 2 ESAs for 1 person?!
• reporting 17/hr when it’s 16/hr before uncertain promotion
• no bank statement details, and getting defensive when asked
• no paystubs/invoices/details for own businesses
• vague “ecommerce” for dad
• not telling me mom would have clients in the home
• not mentioning the business is for cannabis oil
• not mentioning they had late/missed payments before
• discrepancy between dates previous landlord said about late payments
• unpaid collections

Even then, I offered them a good deal for rent, only $900 additional deposit. Lol, am I the idiot here? Well, the one thing they have going for them is great references from previous landlords. And the son is cute lol. And the fiance is great to work with.

The dad literally looks like a used car salesperson that cannot be trusted. I thought he was the real estate agent, and I had a gut reflex to ignore him. LOL.

Let’s not forget in 2019 and 2020 they made partial payments for 5 months. And they kept not telling me everything when I asked. She literally tried to guilt trip me by saying “it’s something we’d rather not remember and think about”. Like, lady if you aren’t going to provide this information because you don’t want to think about it, I WON’T RENT TO YOU. Yeah, that’s right, you literally called back and gave me that info because your son loves the place. YOU ARE TRAPPED. And you are trying to muscle your way out by offending me. Nice try lol!!!

But yeah, I am a landlord that will charge for damages! If you don’t like that, if you want to get away with things, then go away. Rent somewhere else. I don’t mind lowering my rent to get more applications. I’d rather get a great long term tenant that follows the fucking rules now and LOSE out on rent, then get some annoying tenant who is always hiding information from me. FUCK THAT.