We put an ad on Craiglist. Our first response came from someone who didn't read the add.

[diabeticman]

and properties aren't even in our town.

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/hou/4040854215.html

The ad is in the above link.

Keep your fingers crossed for us.


The price we listed would be in the range for our area. Considering the ads in the local free bulletin and local newspapers are running around $395 for 1 bedroom to as high as $785 in a apartment complex.

[marzipanni]

1. I suppose you are trying to cull out places that are run-down and that have bad management

but the ad sounds kind of like you are prepared to find a fault and complain about it. Also, since you have pets, it would be good to offer a deposit, even though they'll most likely require one, so that you are acknowledging taking care of the apartment goes both ways.

[BlueJazz]

4. Yep..What She said. The ad is slightly confrontational.

[Texasgal]

2. wow!

That's some cheap rent!

I hope you get your place, here in Austin one bedrooms in outer areas of town run almost 900.00!

[diabeticman]

3. For the area we live in that would be high. The average income in New Castle is about $34,000

The town is a slowly dying town only no one told the citizens.


I may sound harsh but I'm only in this town because of my wife who feels she is obligated to be near her mom who is 75 BUT this woman is still driving and taking care of herself for the most part BUT when she does need something she plays needy or helpless.

[ConcernedCanuk]

5. Delete the ad - rewrite a new one

.
.
.

Leave out the part about the pets - let them ask at a later date.

Leave out the part about repairs and condition of apartment - take a look at it first.

I've never been a landlord, but a tenant many times.

Landlords, many aka slumlords, I've battled many times, mostly won.

Here, in Ontario - pets cannot be excluded or charged for except for places like nursing homes, etc.,

secondly they cannot refuse rentals on the basis of pets (but they do it anyways)

Leave the pets out of your next ad, and don't presuppose there will be problems with the apartment.

Here, in a small town of 2,000, it's hard to find a tiny apartment of any condition for $600/month.

Dealt with landlords for over 40 years, recent windfall allowed me to BUY my own home 6 months ago.

Dunno if it's much different where you are - but here in Ontario,

most landlords are not nice people.

Good luck.

CC

[Lady Freedom Returns]

7. I know here in the States they can charge A LOT for pets.

I had to pay a $300 pet deposit and then $25 a month extra for a dog I had once upon a time.

Had little choice since most other places had it listed as "NO PETS'.

So bringing up the pets now is a good idea. Get it out there right now so that it is not an issue later.

[loli phabay]

9. as a policy I dont allow pets, unless there is a large deposit as I know there will be issues

Even then I have had more damage than the deposit, so now I lean towards no pets full stop.

[diabeticman]

14. As A Lanlord that is your choice BUT we love our cats that our fixed! If you don't want to offer

that is your choice. BUT some landlords do allow pets!

[loli phabay]

16. yup and they are welcome to them, but i learned the hard way and never again.

[diabeticman]

15. Oh, if my wife and I where born Canadian we would be so happy.

[Heddi]

6. You're asking for trouble with that ad

As others have said, it comes off as confrontational, and If I was came across that ad the first thought I'd have is "Gee whiz, does he want an egg in his beer, too?" and my second thought would be "this person is a crackpot"

Seriously.

I know that you post that incomes are low where you live but $600 INCLUDING all utitlities AND your pets AND they better be lickety-split about those infrequent repairs....

seems like you have a lot of demands for a low rental price.

Why not re-write the ad and tell potential landlords what you have to offer besides unreasonable demands for low rent.

I mean, I could see asking for some of that if you were looking to pay upwards of $1000 a month.

So if you're only wanting to pay upwards of $600 INCLUDING utilities, then your rent would be, what, $200 in the wintertime? THese landlords don't know you. How much heat do you use? HOw many showers a day do you take?

All they get in that ad is you want EVERYTHING for under $600 a month and you have a stopwatch to time how quick it takes them to get there if the lightbulb burns out.

[loli phabay]

8. if i was looking for a new tenant, i would not rent to anyone with that add

Pets are a pain, the poster has to realize that they are going to cost me as landlord money, and you are right about utilities. He needs to change his add.

[Skittles]

10. which really makes it........not credible

ya know?

[Heddi]

11. I really don't expect a response

the last time he posted in GD about landlord troubles I provided him with over a dozen links to landlord tenant laws in his area, ways to get help with dealing with a slumlord, ways to get repairs done without having to pay for them...the exact resources he was begging for. Never got a 'thank you' 'fuck you'.

nothing.

no reply at all.

It's not even my fucking apartment and I spent like 30 minutes googling shit for a complete stranger who is apparently incapable of googling "landlord tenant laws" and I get nothing in return.

Other people offered good advice in that thread and got jack-shit at well.

Same as this thread.

I don't know if someone is attempting to yank our chains or if this is a very poor attempt at a sympathy ploy, but either way, it doesn't work for me.

"HI I have 3 very large dogs and would like a 4 bd house in superb condition with all utilities included as well as top of the line appliances for $100 a month. Oh and you must be available at my beck and call for any little thing that goes wrong and never ever say anything mean to me because I don't "do" mean"

[Skittles]

12. you nail it, Heddi

absolutely

[diabeticman]

13. I DO APOLOGIZE FOR NOT RESPONDING DIRECTLY TO YOUR POST! I DID GET A LOT BUT I DID

USE ALL YOUR INFO AND I AM LOOKING INTO THOSE! My wife and I have been busy with work Federal Grand Jury duty and a Diabetes study I am in the middle of. We are doing what we can in the hours the day and night provide.


OH IF I annoy you so effin much you do have the option of placing me on Ignore!

[Heddi]

17. you ask for help then get nasty with people?

Look--I used to do copy editing and classified & real estate ad sales before I was a nurse. If I didn't give a shit, I wouldn't have given you a list of over a dozen agencies you could use in your last thread asking for help. I wouldn't have posted in this thread where you're looking for help.

You want an ad that people will respond to? Being nasty and demanding in your ad (which you are, and which everyone here says you are) isn't a way to get that. Being nasty to posters responding to you isn't a way to garner sympathy. Ignoring DU'ers who provide you with helpful information repeatedly isn't a way to garner sympathy, either.

Look, if I was your copy editor and you were calling me to place a classified ad in my newspaper, this is how I'd suggest reword your ad:

COUPLE LOOKING FOR RENTAL

Friendly, quiet, mature married couple with 2 neutered and well-behaved cats looking for 1 or 2 bd apartment available for December. move date. Financial constraints combined with obligations to our elderly family members require a rent in the $500-600 range, preferably with all or most utilities included. We are willing to be negotiable on pet deposit and utilities. Looking for something safe and sound, as we have had bad experiences with "fixer uppers" in past. Personal, professional, and rental references available on request.

See, that gets the same points across without you coming off sounding like a demanding nut who wants everything from the landlord and is offering nothing in return.

[Generic Brad]

18. Much like General Discussion at DU