Renting to an Senior Citizen
My elderly mother in law wishes to move into a new rental apt. in Northern California. She filled out the appropriate paperwork and the Owners of the building asked for 3 terms to be accepted: 1) Good rental history 2) Good credit history and 3) 3 times the rent in current income.
My Mother in law is on a fixed income of $1,200.00 and does not qualify for the $725.00 MONTHLY rent but does have nearly $40,000.00 in cash assets at her bank. And to top it off my wife and I offered the owners of the apartment ONE YEARS FULL RENT up front, and we would sign lease as we make more than enough money, own two home and have rented one of those two for 3 years, we know rental law.
These people first told my Mother in Law "Ok get us your banking info via FAx and your Daughter an Son In laws FAX number and contact info, we will FAX them a credit application".
We waited nearly two weeks, they submitted a letter or refusal and did not send us a credit application nor even contacted us nor contacted our Mother's references. When I called the Owners, a husband and wife team, and explained to them we would pay for the lease and years' rent and stated our case for 30 minutes, POLITELY, the wife says "Ok that sounds really good I will FAX a credit application to you within 10 minutes". That was 24 hours ago and they still refuse to budge. The kicker? My mother in law does not smoke, is in good health and has over 15 years of solid rental history in this Northern California community. The owners Robert and Becky Ridgeway have been rude and condecending AND they have not been able to rent this apt for nearly 2 months. Do we have recourse with fair housing or is our best bet just make them miserable in court on our dime?
The part we are most upset about is our mother has been in tears, physically and emotionally a wreck thinking she had this wonderful apt. then two weeks later the owners still play games.
