Apartment lease - IR5 Visas

[Newcitizen 8]

5 minutes ago, Boiler said:

They are not immigrants they do not it seems even gave a visa 

What are they then? 

 

Bottom line case is: 

Property rental company is refusing to lease out an apartment for IR5 visa holders and their US citizen son. Demanding a copy of "permanent residency card" only to put them on the lease. 

[Mike E 11,739]

Imagine if hotels refused reservations because the guest was not a U.S. citizen.

 

I suppose they would be expected to live in tent cities until they could produce a green card, no doubt the 10 year variant only. 

[Newcitizen 8]

6 minutes ago, Mike E said:

Imagine if hotels refused reservations because the guest was not a U.S. citizen.

 

I suppose they would be expected to live in tent cities until they could produce a green card, no doubt the 10 year variant only. 

or even if this was an employment case. If an employer refuses to hire someone with IR5 visa and say we will only hire you if you provide a copy of your permanent residency card. would there be any consequences? 

[Mike E 11,739]

3 minutes ago, Newcitizen said:

 . If an employer refuses to hire someone with IR5 visa and say we will only hire you if you provide a copy of your permanent residency card. would there be any consequences? 

Definitely. Violating I-9 rules is an easy lawsuit for the LPR to win.

 

I am not convinced courts will see it the same way for housing. Hence my advice to move on after the complaint and the review. Living rent free in your head is one thing. Living rent free in your legal budget is another.

[Boiler 45,466]

36 minutes ago, Newcitizen said:

What are they then? 

 

Bottom line case is: 

Property rental company is refusing to lease out an apartment for IR5 visa holders and their US citizen son. Demanding a copy of "permanent residency card" only to put them on the lease. 

So they have interviewed? They have their visa?

[Family 3,988]

21 minutes ago, Newcitizen said:

or even if this was an employment case. If an employer refuses to hire someone with IR5 visa and say we will only hire you if you provide a copy of your permanent residency card. would there be any consequences? 

Spend $1k for a good ole fashion biting attorney letter, if you want results or vindication. 
 

Many after you may lack that resource to fight back.

 

Some things take a long time to change…
 

https://clearinghouse.net/case/15342/

Case: United States v. Fred C. Trump, Donald Trump, and Trump Management, Inc.

 

[Boiler 45,466]

32 minutes ago, Mike E said:

Imagine if hotels refused reservations because the guest was not a U.S. citizen.

 

I suppose they would be expected to live in tent cities until they could produce a green card, no doubt the 10 year variant only. 

Lat time I was in a regular Hotel they wanted my ID and Credit Card. No mention I have seen of them restricting to USCs, quite the contrary L was mentioned 

[Mike E 11,739]

5 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Lat time I was in a regular Hotel they wanted my ID and Credit Card. No mention I have seen of them restricting to USCs, quite the contrary  

In America, still. Indeed, and yet it’s apparently ok if landlords restrict tenants to U.S. citizens.

🧩ed

 

p.s. Last time i was in a regular hotel was Portugal. And they wanted my foreign passport. To send to the national police.  One of reasons people want to live here is so that they can at least pretend the police aren’t tracking every move.

 

I am out.

[Boiler 45,466]

4 minutes ago, Mike E said:

In America, still. Indeed, and yet it’s apparently ok if landlords restrict tenants to U.S. citizens.

🧩ed

 

p.s. Last time i was in a regular hotel was Portugal. And they wanted my foreign passport. To send to the national police.  One of reasons people want to live here is so that they can at least pretend the police aren’t tracking every move.

 

I am out.

I do not remember that happening in Portugal, now I do in France.

 

Never showed ID in the UK.bit is what it is 

 

ID in the USA all the time. 

 

Now I know in France back then they took your passport to the Gendarmerie

 

As I mentioned it is pretty obvious I am not Murican, but that just starts conversation.

[Redro 4,611]

1 hour ago, Newcitizen said:

What are they then? 

 

Bottom line case is: 

Property rental company is refusing to lease out an apartment for IR5 visa holders and their US citizen son. Demanding a copy of "permanent residency card" only to put them on the lease. 

 

8 hours ago, Newcitizen said:

hello everyone,

 

I hope I am posting this in the right place - if not, mods, please feel free to move it to where it belongs.

 

I filed for my parents and they are having their IR5 visa interviews soon. Meanwhile I was looking for a bigger place to move into in case they do get their visas. .  . . They requested to see their Green cards to be added on the lease. I explained that they don't have their green cards yet, and that they will have IR5 visas. . . Saying they only accept actual green cards. Saying this is their "Management Policy". This agency is one of the best in the state and they have many rental properties. They will not rent me anything with my parents unless they have the physical GC.

 

This is in the state of New Hampshire. Is there anything I can do about this situation?

 

Thanks

DEVILS ADVOCATE

@Newcitizen

I snipped quite a bit of your OP but I wanted to highlight this… you might have told the management company too much… did you state they might not get the green card? Did you tell them the timeline? They might only move to the US in 3-6 months? I can see how management might not want to rent to three+ people  when two of them might not actually move to the US. Also, you are incorrect. Your parents do not have IR5 visas yet. So, you gave the management company the incorrect information… for 2 reasons 1.) when they enter they won’t be here on a visa but they will be LPRs…2.) the IR5 visas (they don’t have) will be endorsed with a stamp and will be a temporary I-551 (temporary green card for one year). 
 

I believe you short yourself in the foot by overexplaining the situation and maybe telling them they might not actually move to the US. 
If I was the apartment company, I don’t think I would rent to you either… 

Next time, find a rental for yourself with enough space for your parents and when they arrive notify the relevant people and  add them to the lease. 

Edited May 18, 2023 by Redro

[beloved_dingo 1,976]

15 hours ago, Redro said:

 

DEVILS ADVOCATE

@Newcitizen

I snipped quite a bit of your OP but I wanted to highlight this… you might have told the management company too much… did you state they might not get the green card? Did you tell them the timeline? They might only move to the US in 3-6 months? I can see how management might not want to rent to three+ people  when two of them might not actually move to the US. Also, you are incorrect. Your parents do not have IR5 visas yet. So, you gave the management company the incorrect information… for 2 reasons 1.) when they enter they won’t be here on a visa but they will be LPRs…2.) the IR5 visas (they don’t have) will be endorsed with a stamp and will be a temporary I-551 (temporary green card for one year). 
 

I believe you short yourself in the foot by overexplaining the situation and maybe telling them they might not actually move to the US. 
If I was the apartment company, I don’t think I would rent to you either… 

Next time, find a rental for yourself with enough space for your parents and when they arrive notify the relevant people and  add them to the lease. 

I agree with your assessment. When dealing with so many different things in life, it is best to volunteer the least information necessary and leave no room for doubts or assumptions. It's completely reasonable to plan ahead while waiting for the visas, but as of now they do not have a visa and are not permanent residents. It makes 100% logical sense that a rental company is not willing to add their names to the lease now. They currently have no legal status, and are not present in the U.S. And I believe their refusal to add them later might stem more from a misunderstanding of the visa process that is occurring than racism (though it is possible, considering it is not hard to google what an IR5 visa is...)

 

To the OP: going forward in your search for housing, I would simply state that "My parents are immigrating to the U.S. later this year as permanent residents. I am looking for housing for the 3 of us. For the time being, I will be the only tenant on the lease, but will add my parents to the lease once they arrive."

 

This accomplishes a few things -

1) Not using terminology that is unfamiliar (IR5 visa) and instead stating what they will actually be upon USING that visa - a permanent resident. The IR5 visa is irrelevant. Don't muddy the waters.

2) Not speaking in uncertain terms but also not volunteering a specific timeline. Don't imply or insinuate that there is a chance they may not come, but also don't commit to a specific date of their arrival. 

3) Not asking for all 3 tenants to be added now. Your parents don't need to be on the lease right this second, but reasonable landlords should 100% allow them to be added later. 

4) Don't ask for what you need, tell them what you need. Asking "can my parents be added to the lease later" invites a higher likelihood of hearing "no". Telling them straight out that they will be added later gives less of an opportunity for a "no" or an objection. Adding people to leases is quite common. People get roommates, have their partners move in, etc. Stating that "marriage, divorce and death" are the only valid reasons to add/remove someone on a lease is absurd. 

Edited May 18, 2023 by beloved_dingo

[Boiler 45,466]

I need a larger apartment as my Parents are planning to move in later.

 

I think my first comment was this is not an immigration issue.

[Newcitizen 8]

32 minutes ago, beloved_dingo said:

 

 

16 hours ago, Redro said:

DEVILS ADVOCATE

@Newcitizen

Here is more info on how things started:

 

The apartment is not ready for rent now. It was listed on their website as it will be move in ready on July 1st. So I reached out to them.

 

They listed the requirements below:

3 most recent pay stubs,

verifiable income must be at least 2.9X the monthly rent

and they stated that there will be a $50 fee per applicant/tenant and a $700 initial deposit to hold the apartment until screening is complete. They required I provide a proof of ID to complete the background check for all tenants.

 

I stated I meet all these requirements, and I am a US citizen. However my parents would be permanent residents. So they said I can provide ID for myself, and for my parents they will need to see their permanent residency card instead. I said I can provide copy of their passports and the visas they would have by then as their PR cards could take 6-8 weeks to be obtained. The company responded saying they can only put them on a lease if they have permanent residency cards. They will not accept any other proof of Identification, and that is their "management's policy".

 

I acted in good faith and gave them the information they requested to rent from them on all good merits. There was no reason I withhold any information from them or try to play games.

 

 

5 minutes ago, Boiler said:

 

I think my first comment was this is not an immigration issue.

That's why I posted this in the "General Discussion" topics.

[Redro 4,611]

2 hours ago, Newcitizen said:

 

Here is more info on how things started:

 

The apartment is not ready for rent now. It was listed on their website as it will be move in ready on July 1st. So I reached out to them.

 

They listed the requirements below:

3 most recent pay stubs,

verifiable income must be at least 2.9X the monthly rent

and they stated that there will be a $50 fee per applicant/tenant and a $700 initial deposit to hold the apartment until screening is complete. They required I provide a proof of ID to complete the background check for all tenants.

 

I stated I meet all these requirements, and I am a US citizen. However my parents would be permanent residents. So they said I can provide ID for myself, and for my parents they will need to see their permanent residency card instead. I said I can provide copy of their passports and the visas they would have by then as their PR cards could take 6-8 weeks to be obtained. The company responded saying they can only put them on a lease if they have permanent residency cards. They will not accept any other proof of Identification, and that is their "management's policy".

 

I acted in good faith and gave them the information they requested to rent from them on all good merits. There was no reason I withhold any information from them or try to play games.

 

 

That's why I posted this in the "General Discussion" topics.

Your parents are arriving before July/ after July or TBD? 
Unfortunately, some rental places love paperwork and ticking very particular boxes. You can see how even a US citizen returning to the US with no job would not be able to rent this place… 

[beloved_dingo 1,976]

On 5/18/2023 at 12:02 PM, Newcitizen said:

 

Here is more info on how things started:

 

The apartment is not ready for rent now. It was listed on their website as it will be move in ready on July 1st. So I reached out to them.

 

They listed the requirements below:

3 most recent pay stubs,

verifiable income must be at least 2.9X the monthly rent

and they stated that there will be a $50 fee per applicant/tenant and a $700 initial deposit to hold the apartment until screening is complete. They required I provide a proof of ID to complete the background check for all tenants.

 

I stated I meet all these requirements, and I am a US citizen. However my parents would be permanent residents. So they said I can provide ID for myself, and for my parents they will need to see their permanent residency card instead. I said I can provide copy of their passports and the visas they would have by then as their PR cards could take 6-8 weeks to be obtained. The company responded saying they can only put them on a lease if they have permanent residency cards. They will not accept any other proof of Identification, and that is their "management's policy".

 

I acted in good faith and gave them the information they requested to rent from them on all good merits. There was no reason I withhold any information from them or try to play games.

The issue, imo, is that a) mentioning a visa muddies the waters and b) your parents cannot "apply" until they have proof of permanent residency. But you're actually incorrect that they don't have proof of permanent residency/green card until the plastic card arrives. As @Crazy Cat said "Their stamped visas (in their passports) are temporary green cards until the plastic ones arrive". A plastic green card is an "I-551". The stamp in their passport is also an I-551, just with a shorter validity (1 year).