What obligations does a landlord have to prospective tenants?

No obligation at all. Even if no one else applies. Accepting an application in NO WAY implies a contract.

A landlord has NO obligation to a prospective tenant to tell them anything unless you ask. The landlord will still check your credit, tenant history and criminal background. If you ask the landlord whether he would rent to you without employment, get the answer before you pay for the credit check fee. You may have to pay rent several months in advance if you have no job. This is not a law in any state. It depends on the landlord's policy.

I don’t know about specific California Real Estate Law but logically, neither party is obligated to the other party unless a contract/lease is signed.

Even the prospective tenant could find another place to rent and just forfeit the fee.

The landlord could not complain that he did not show the property to other prospective tenants because he had some expectations because an application was filled out and a fee was paid.

People with jobs can lose their job so they’re not necessarily more likeable. In a way, savings is better because it’s there. Unlike a monthly income that could stop anytime. If you have an income, you should find a way to save some money overtime for rainy days and unforeseeable usually huge expenses. I would trust more a person who has no job but some savings than a person with a job and not much savings.

People with jobs but not much in savings are living paycheck to paycheck and should pay first and last month in advance, just like people without a job. They miss one rent, they’re out the door…this is America! They should move to another country like France. The government will pay your rent directly to the landlord if you lose your job (it’s cheaper than building shelters). That is after a year of paying your salary if you lost your job because of economic reasons and educate you so you get another job…and earn money and pay taxes.

On another note, I mostly came here because I could not e-mail you.

About the corn on the cob question that you answered today.

Yellow sweet corn is delicious and healthy, only 70 to 120 calories for an ear of “corn on the cob” but good as well in cans to add a final touch to a family meal or use it in salads.

Your comment (“as to your question”, the question was about corn on the cob) “corn is loaded with carbs, 123g in just 1 cup” is not about one cup of corn kernels (about 180 calories, 40g of carbs, like a can of coke but you also get vitamins/minerals) but probably about one cup of corn syrup as your source mentions more than 600 calories. So if you see “corn, yellow” and one cup is 600 calories, you should know it is corn syrup, not kernels. You seem to be knowledgeable in dreadful HFCS so you should be more inclined to promote healthy sweet yellow corn and not say “corn is loaded with carbs” to a person who obviously seems to have some issues with carbs/sugar…

None as long as the landlord is not discriminating based race, creed, religion, gender, having children, and national origin. The unemployed is not a protected group.

If you have no job, but you have the money in the savings account why don't you just offer to pay your lease off before moving in? You might even get a discount on your rent.

Good luck

A landlord is NEVER required to rent premises to a person whom he does not approve. If the financial situation of the prospective tenant does not meet the criteria required by the landlord, the landlord can deny tenancy.

No, they are not obligated at that point. Not until a lease is signed. Lack of income is a perfectly legal reason to deny a tenant.