As far as not giving the address many private landlords do that to avoid scams & break ins. Sometimes this can be a scam but as long as they do show it to you before expecting an application or any money then they are likely just cautious. The scams are the ones that will not give you an address until you give an application or fees.
Meeting in a public place also goes to security. Again as long as you see the rental before any application for fees are ever handed over I would not worry.
Sounds like you are talking about a private party. Understand that they have a life outside of renting, and they may not be able to get the checks done before you can rent.
And if they don't give you the address, I would walk away. I would demand to see the actual home that I would be renting before I decide if I want to rent it or not. So that would sound "fishy" to me if they refused to tell you that.
As for meeting in a public place, again, if this is a private person you would be renting from, he may be doing it for his protection. It really doesn't mean that there is anything out of the ordinary. I've met loan agents in public places for a legitimate deal. Their office was a distance away, and they were willing to take the drive to my town instead of requiring me to drive there.
Everyone is different. Some like to wait in order to get many applicants to choose from. Others start to take applications before the unit is actually available so they minimize the time it's vacant. They do not want to give their personal information until you are a tenant due to privacy. I've actually had one applicant stalk my family because we turned them down so I no longer meet anywhere other than public places or at the apartment building.
Meeting in a public place is very suspicious and reeks of a scam.
the usual is to meet at the rental.
If they're putting you off on an answer, they likely don't want to rent to you or are waiting for a better qualified tenant with better credit, more solid work history, fewer kids, no pets, etc.
Thanks for the information. I think most are wanting privacy. They want to make the current tenants feel secure yet they should let us see the place when the current ones are not around.
Are so insistent on making us wait long for their answer? They take up to a month or two to tell you if you get to rent from them? They won't give the address until you talk to them? They want to meet you in a public place?
