Be truthful and not waste our time

THE EDITOR: Some people are just unreal. Last year September, I and three other friends were looking for places to rent. We found one place in Diamond Vale, Diego Martin — Old Vale to be exact. My friends and I went to look at the place, an unfurnished four bedroom, downstairs.  We looked around, spoke to the landlady’s mother. We told her we were interested in the place and would pay and move in by tomorrow. She phoned the landlady I spoke to her.

The landlady said to call her back in the evening because there were other people before us who were interested. I had my mother call her back the night, she told my mother call her back in the next morning. So we called her cell phone the next morning. Apparently our number came up on her cell because she hung up. We then called the home phone and her daughter answered. We asked for her mother, the little girl said, “Mummy, phone,” then her daughter came back on the line and said “Mummy is sleeping, call back in two hours.” We called back; the lady said she screen her tenants and the person she spoke to on the phone (I) was a little child and that I would not be able to pay the rent or any bills and she would rather working people. Little did she know that one worked at Hilton and the other three are students and work part-time.

We were all between the ages of 19-24 years. The little child she spoke to was 19 years and works on a weekend. The landlady did not screen her tenants, she made assumptions. Screening is a process whereby questions are asked and information is collected, not assumptions over the phone. She could have simply said that from the start and not have us waste time and go through the procedure for no reason. We later found out that she rented the place to a couple, with no children or any other affiliations. It would have helped if the landlady was truthful and stated her rules or whatever up front. I believe the landlady needs to be trained in hospitality. She needs to be honest, friendly and truthful, get to the point. Don’t go around getting peoples’ hopes high when you already know what your answer is.

D A WILLIAMS
San Fernando