Do you beleive in sizing up a renter by looking at the way they treat their car?

I was told by a freind the way to size up a renter's willingness to take care of your property is to look at how they treat their car. Even if they have a stable job and good credit is this discrimination? Me personally I have a messy office at work but have good credit and a stable job history. Is there a way to deny an application for rent just because someone is sloppy?

Anyone sloppy in their car will be sloppy at home too. So, you will have dirty tenants and the problems that come with them. Vermin and actual damage to carpets, walls, etc.

Your friend is just suggesting you look at how they treat valuable property. If they treat their own property poorly do you think they will treat yours any better?

And, no, slobs are not a group that is protected against discrimination.

I used to do the same thing when I had rentals. If they don't take care of there car and they appear to be sloppy. I would look in their back seat and if there was a lot of garabge in the back, that is what your house is going to look like because this is the way they live.

Its highly questionable way to find out if a tenant will respect your property.
A better way would be to call the prior landlord and ask if the tenants paid on time, were quiet and left the rental in good shape

I doubt that this is an effective way to judge people. I know many people that are careless with their house and love their car and vice versa. Likewise a car is not necessarily the best indication of a person's financial well being. I would be very hesitant to make that my only basis for approval or disapproval.

They won't package it as such, but the landlord will find a reason to deny an application because someone is sloppy.

Thanks Heavens they are gone, but our former neighbors/renters were the epitome of this acid test. I don't think their cars were ever washed. It was not unusual for the cars to have large dents and some form of tape on them until they died, and were left to sit in the yard. They were smoked in, loaded with fast food bags, baby toys, blankets, used Kleenex and just stuff in general. I'm not meticulous, but these cars were just short of disgusting. Unfortunately, I am too aware of the former neighbor's cars condition because my husband tinkers with cars and was frequently solicited to look at their cars and assess what doing no maintenance or upkeep had done to their car(s) this time.

The company hired to clean the house is on huge roll off dumpster number 2 in cleaning out this rental house. And dumpster #2 is full. Considering their are huge piles of stuff out front, I'll assume that roll off dumpster #3 is coming tomorrow.