When Rental Applicants Get Aggressive: How to Handle Difficult Prospects (And Why It's a Blessing in Disguise)

You sent your standard rental application link to a prospect. Hours later, your phone buzzes with a voicemail full of profanity, complaints about your process being "raw and ignorant," and a demand that you handle their application over the phone or don't bother calling back.

Your gut says this person is trouble. Your brain wonders if you're legally allowed to refuse them. And somewhere in the back of your mind, you're questioning whether your application process is actually the problem. Let's work through this situation step by step.

The Legal Question: Can You Decline This Applicant?

First, the good news. Being rude, aggressive, or difficult is not a protected class under fair housing laws. You're legally permitted to refuse rental applications from people who display hostile behavior, use profanity toward you, or refuse to follow your standard screening process.

Fair housing laws prohibit discrimination based on protected characteristics like race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, disability, and in some jurisdictions, additional categories like source of income or sexual orientation. Rudeness and unwillingness to complete a standard application process are not among these protections.

The key is that you must apply your screening criteria consistently. If you require all applicants to complete your online application and one person refuses, you're well within your rights to decline them. If they never submitted a complete application, technically they never even applied.

Why This Is Actually a Gift

When someone shows you who they are this early, believe them. This person couldn't maintain composure long enough to complete a rental application. Imagine how they'll react when something breaks in the unit, when rent is due and they're short on funds, or when you need to inspect the property.

Many landlords learn this lesson the hard way after months of conflict, late payments, angry messages, and eventual eviction proceedings. You're getting that information upfront, before signing a lease, before handing over keys, and before they have legal possession of your property.

The ability to follow simple instructions and communicate respectfully during a business transaction are basic requirements for a successful landlord-tenant relationship. If they can't do it during the application phase when they're trying to make a good impression, they certainly won't do it after move-in.

How to Respond (or Not)

In most cases, the best response is no response. The applicant in this scenario literally told you, "If you don't want to rent this house to me, just don't call me back at all." Take them up on that offer.

You have no obligation to explain yourself, justify your decision, or engage with someone who has already demonstrated disrespectful communication. Simply move on to the next applicant.

What to Document

If you're concerned the applicant might later claim discrimination, save the voicemail or message. Keep a brief note in your records indicating that the applicant did not complete the required application and displayed aggressive communication. You don't need elaborate documentation, just enough to show you had legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons for declining them.

If You Feel You Must Respond

If the situation requires a response for some reason, keep it brief, professional, and factual. Something like, "Thank you for your interest. All applicants are required to complete the online application process. If you have technical difficulties, please let me know the specific issue and I'll do my best to help."

But honestly, in most cases, silence is the better option. You don't owe anyone a detailed explanation, especially when they've already been hostile.

The Incomplete Application Is Your Strongest Defense

One of the clearest reasons to decline this applicant is that they never actually completed your application. If your standard process requires an online form submission and they refused to complete it, you're not rejecting a qualified applicant. You're simply noting that no complete application was received.

This is why having a consistent, documented screening process is so valuable. When everyone is required to follow the same steps and someone refuses, the decision to decline them is straightforward and legally defensible.

You're not making an exception for some applicants and not others. You're applying the same rule to everyone, follow the application process or you won't be considered.

When the Problem Might Be Your Process

While aggressive behavior is never acceptable, it's worth taking a moment to evaluate whether your application process has any genuine usability issues that might frustrate applicants unnecessarily.

Signs Your Application Process Needs Improvement

• Multiple applicants report the same technical problem - If you're hearing similar complaints from different people, there may be a real issue
• High abandonment rate - If many people start the application but don't finish, it may be too long or confusing
• Unclear instructions - If applicants frequently ask what to do next or how to submit documents, your process may need clearer guidance
• Third-party services with poor reviews - Some background check or screening services have complicated user experiences that frustrate applicants

In this particular case, if your application process works fine for most people and only one person responded with hostility, the problem is almost certainly the individual, not your system. But it's still worth periodically testing your application process to ensure it's user-friendly.

Try completing your own application on a mobile device. Ask a friend to go through it and note any confusing steps. Make sure error messages are helpful rather than cryptic. A smooth application process benefits everyone and reduces friction for good applicants.

Setting Clear Boundaries From the Start

The way you handle difficult prospects sets the tone for your entire landlord-tenant relationship. If you make exceptions, bend your rules, or tolerate disrespectful behavior during the application phase, you're signaling that those behaviors will be acceptable throughout the tenancy.

Successful landlords establish clear expectations early. Your application process is the first test of whether someone can follow instructions, communicate professionally, and meet basic requirements. If they fail that test, there's no reason to believe the relationship will improve after signing a lease.

Communicating Your Requirements Clearly

Make sure your rental listing and initial communications clearly outline what applicants need to do. Include the application link, explain any fees, and note what happens after submission. When expectations are clear upfront, reasonable people can follow them without issue.

For example, your listing might include a brief line like, "Interested applicants must complete an online application before scheduling a viewing. The link is provided below. Applications are reviewed within 24 hours." This sets clear expectations and filters out people who won't follow the process.

Understanding Different Types of Frustration

Not all applicant frustration signals a problem tenant. It's important to distinguish between legitimate confusion or technical issues and aggressive behavior that crosses a line.

Reasonable Questions vs. Hostile Demands

An applicant who sends a polite email saying, "I'm having trouble with the application link, it keeps timing out. Is there an alternative way to submit my information?" is showing problem-solving skills and respectful communication. Help them.

An applicant who leaves a voicemail full of profanity demanding you change your entire process to accommodate them is showing how they'll behave when things don't go their way during the tenancy. Decline them.

The difference isn't in whether they had a problem. It's in how they communicated about it. Respectful communication matters.

Preventive Strategies: Pre-Screening Earlier

One way to avoid these situations entirely is to pre-screen applicants before they even reach the formal application stage. This can be as simple as including basic requirements in your rental listing and using a short pre-qualification form that filters out obviously unsuitable candidates.

What to Include in Your Listing

• Minimum income requirement
• Pet policy
• Move-in date availability
• Number of occupants allowed
• Application process overview

When you're transparent about requirements upfront, people who don't meet them are less likely to waste their time and yours. The ones who proceed know what to expect and have already self-selected as potentially suitable.

A simple online pre-screening form can collect basic information like desired move-in date, monthly income, and number of occupants before you even send the full application. This lightweight step filters out unqualified inquiries and helps you focus on serious candidates who actually meet your criteria.

When to Refund Application Fees

If the applicant paid a fee to a third-party screening service but never completed the application, check what actually happened with that payment. Some services charge applicants directly, while others refund unused fees.

If you collected a fee directly and the application was never completed or processed, you may want to refund it to avoid any potential dispute, even if the applicant was rude. However, if a third-party service was used and they set their own refund policies, that's between them and the applicant.

In the scenario described earlier, if the application was never fully submitted, the screening likely never ran, and refund policies would depend on the service used. But regardless of the fee situation, you're still under no obligation to rent to someone who behaved aggressively toward you.

Building a Consistent Screening Policy

The best way to handle difficult applicants is to have a clear, written screening policy that you apply to everyone. This protects you legally and makes decision-making straightforward.

Key Elements of a Screening Policy

• All applicants must complete the required application form
• Income must be at least 3 times monthly rent (or your chosen ratio)
• Background and credit checks will be conducted (if applicable)
• Previous landlord references will be contacted
• Applicants who do not complete the process will not be considered
• Professional, respectful communication is expected throughout the process

When you have these criteria written down and apply them consistently, decisions become much easier. You're not making subjective judgments about individuals. You're applying objective standards that everyone must meet.

Document your policy, keep it on file, and reference it when making decisions. This creates a clear record that you're using fair, consistent criteria rather than making arbitrary choices.

Final Thought

When a rental applicant shows aggressive behavior, refuses to follow your standard process, or communicates disrespectfully before they've even seen your property, they're giving you valuable information. Use it.

You're not obligated to rent to anyone who inquires. You're not required to make special accommodations for people who won't complete a simple application. And you're certainly not expected to tolerate hostility or profanity during what should be a straightforward business transaction.

Trust your instincts, apply your criteria consistently, and don't second-guess yourself when someone shows you exactly who they are before you even meet them. The right tenant will follow your process, communicate respectfully, and make the entire experience easier for everyone involved.