Found a nice place in SF on Craigslist and I email the Landlord to meet. I am a student. We met and I toured the place and we exchanged numbers to facilitate any necessary communication. She asked to email her my School admission letter, Paystub and my driver license.
Does this all sound legit and not suspicious.
Never rented before. I am scared about giving out my DL# though. Do you guys usually redact it or just leave it on there?
Yes this is legit, she needs you DL to run a credit/background check, pay stub to prove you can actually pay the rent and admit letter to show you really are a student.
If you like this appartment do not delay!
Should I redact my DL#? Or does she need that information?
If she asked for it, she needs it.
She asked for my driver’s license. NOt specifically my DL #. I am just paranoid to give out that information heh.
In CA, DL # is public record. There’s not a whole lot you can do with someone’s DL #.
I’m a landlord. I require potential tenants to:
I don’t require DL#. I’m not sure why your potential landlady wanted it, but I think SS# needs even more protection (and the law allows me to get it).
Just want to commend you for being careful and thinking about this. I have had to give out my social security to landlords for the credit check. Just recently an airbnb asked for my license (I sent an image). I think it is okay to give out your license number. Congratulations on renting your first apartment!
I’m a landlord and I do require a DL when a prospective tenant is filling out an application. I want to know that they are who they say they are. I don’t really care about the DL #, though. Why don’t you ask the landlord if she specifically needs the number or just the rest of the info. You can always black it out if she says okay.
Yes, totally legit, don’t stress. In New York City you practically need to send over your entire life history and bodily fluid samples to even be considered for an apartment.
Confirming what everyone else said. The landlord needs positive proof of ID, and the DL provides that. The pay stubs and SSN provide a way to do a background check and verify income. The DL will also verify your previous address which she’ll check against the credit report.
If you’re freaked out now, brace yourself for when she asks for first and last month’s rent, and possibly also a security deposit on top of that.
First time renter, student, any need for co-signer?
You will need to provide a SSN for a credit check, so the DL is not a big deal. I would only want to see it to confirm you are who you say you are.
All of this is standard information when renting a house. The landlord is turning over a $100K+ asset to you, so needs to know you are responsible.
^^ I guess it depends on the landlord or the management company. When my oldest son got his first off-campus apartment with two other roommates, each set of parents were required to cosign. When my younger son got his apartment (no roommates), no cosigner was required.
When my son got an off-campus apartment with three roommates, each student had to have a cosigner. When my daughter got an off-campus apartment with two roommates, no cosigners were required for the apartment, but one parent had to cosign for the group for cable TV/internet. My daughter needed a cosigner for her first after-college apartment because the lease started before her job did. My son, in a similar situation, did not need one.
It varies from place to place and landlord to landlord.
Areas near college campuses may follow different practices than the rest of an area. Transient population by nature without wages… Also be aware of management practices. Other students can be helpful in learning which management companies have better/worse reputations. For son some places were notorious for not giving back security deposits due to damage/cleanliness issues. Check on any additional rules- you will receive a sheet about them that would be referenced in the lease. When I, parental cosigning needed, read them I had to laugh a bit because I know why they were there and why students would behave thoughtlessly. Things about noise, grills on the outside landings et al. Rules not needed for the general renting population.