When you look to rent a place...

I am currently trying to rent out an apartment in a duplex. I have rented it twice before and both times it was snapped up. This time I'm showing it quite a bit and many of the people seem genuinely interested but then don't follow through. I'm trying to figure out what's different. One, I raised the rent $15. Two, there appears to be a lot of places for rent. Three, my current tenant is quite messy. He has mail and papers strewn all over, food left on the stove and counters, clothes all over the floor.... It's generally messy. My question: Does a messy apartment effect how you feel about a potential home or can you see past it? Thanks for any feedback.

no one wants to move into a ( new) place that looks dirty.

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Kind of sensitive to ask the tenant to not be such a slob. I've debated asking him to clean up, in fact one day I asked him if he minded if I put dishes in the dishwasher. He seemed OK with it but didn't take it as a hint to clean up the place. I think he might be offended if I just cleaned up his stuff.

I probably wouldn't be able to get past the mess to notice any of the good qualities. And the food left out, is a big deterrent.

I'm not sure what area you're in, but generally rental prices have skyrocketed so much over the last 5 years, and wages and the dollar's spending value have plummeted. At some point, there's got to be an imposion.

Therefore, nope, not gonna happen.

Tell tenant to clean up and keep clean; also, in most states you need to give him 24 hours notice that you'll be showing the place. That might help.

15 a month isn't usually enough to deter people, but I'd bet a mess is.

And you'd think he'd clean up with notice, but apparently he just doesn't think it matters or, more likely, he just doesn't think about it. Guess I'll ask him diplomatically. If he doesn't clean up I might just wait until he's gone before I re-list on Craig's list etc.... I'm feeling discouraged. Also, I'm in Portland, OR and it is an expensive place with not the greatest economy. Thanks all for the feedback. People kept saying they could see past the mess but perhaps they were just being polite.