Renting an apartment as a poker player

[kleos]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


How can you be designated "Pimp" by 2+2? What does it take to qualify?

~ Rick

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you have to 'rub out' a few.

[/ QUOTE ]
I think you have to ask every girl on the strip if she is working or not, and rub one out in your car in a vegas parking lot.

[EightStuda]

Personally if I were you, I would bring your buddy from back home to lay down the law and set your landlord strait, and also, put your buddy up indefinitly.

-Dimitri

[geormiet]

Update:

We want to live with 2 other people now (2+2'ers as well) in a 4 bedroom place.

Today LMD and I went to manhattan beach and saw a great place 3 blocks from the beach that is right in our price range. The place is great and I absolutely want it.

I told them I am a self employed musician (which is partly true) and that the others are grad students with income from assistantships (mostly true). I also told them we have plenty of money in the bank and can show bank statements.

They want to see pay stubs showing at least 3x the amount of the monthly rent (can't do this) and last year's tax statement from me (90% of my income is from poker and it says so on my tax return).

They said they won't accept bank statements. I asked if we could pay a few months in advance, and they told me yes...12 months.

Anyway, this sucks. I am a pushover and don't stand up for myself and I am willing to pay 12 months, but I realize this really sucks and that I shouldn't.

[geormiet]

[ QUOTE ]
Do not pay up front in cash. There are so many things that can go wrong, it's not even funny. I'm sure you can find an escrow service that would only cost a few points for this. I would rather pay a little if I had to, then pay it all upfront.

I haven't had a credit check for a rental in a while, http://www.residentdata.com/ is much more common these days.

[/ QUOTE ]

What are some of the things that could go wrong if cash is paid up front?

[PLOlover]

[ QUOTE ]
What are some of the things that could go wrong if cash is paid up front?


[/ QUOTE ]

An earthquake uninhabitableates your apartment and you are never able to successfully prosecute your claim to recover your money.

[Timer]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You've got to have the goods.

[/ QUOTE ]

I assume you meant you didn't like most of the advice, not only mine (BTW, I admit to being more curious than knowlegable).

Question: Isn't Turnipmonster's advice reasonable?

~ Rick

[/ QUOTE ]

When I lived in LA I had a hell of a time getting an apartment. They wouldn't accept six months advance rent and didn't care anything about bank statements or the like. They wanted to see pay-check stubs or my income tax returns. This was the case day after day, apartment after apartment.

20 odd years ago in a different city, I was upfront and told an apartment manager I played poker for a living. He said it was a tough decision, but that he'd hate to lose a good tennant and went ahead and rented to me. I can't imagine that happening today.

I am only speaking from personal experience.

[ChipWrecked]

[ QUOTE ]

We want to live with 2 other people now (2+2'ers as well) in a 4 bedroom place.


[/ QUOTE ]

Are you sure you want to do that? Post a follow up thread in six months, please.

[jen]

Yes, me too.

Reading through the other posts in the thread, I thought the advice from most was pretty odd. Proving enough income to a large apt complex would probably work, but I doubt any privately owned condos/apts would rent to poker players in high-demand housing areas. Your only chance (and even then, probably slim) would probably be to pay the entire year up front. Good luck!

[geormiet]

[ QUOTE ]
Do not pay up front in cash. There are so many things that can go wrong, it's not even funny. I'm sure you can find an escrow service that would only cost a few points for this. I would rather pay a little if I had to, then pay it all upfront.

I haven't had a credit check for a rental in a while, http://www.residentdata.com/ is much more common these days.

[/ QUOTE ]

An escrow service might be a really good idea. Does anyone have any experience with this?

[sam h]

[ QUOTE ]
I told them I am a self employed musician (which is partly true) and that the others are grad students with income from assistantships (mostly true).

[/ QUOTE ]

No wonder they are giving you trouble. You should just come clean. Tell them you guys play poker and give them your tax return from last year. They'll probably be like, "Wow. Are you going to be on TV?" and then you can lie again and tell them yes.