Is it fair to ask for money on the date of services

Another big no-no. Anything relating to kids, whether it’s their ages, how many you have, where they go to school, or if you’re planning to have any, it’s all off limits. Once again, this is all down to the Fair Housing Act. Landlords could use that information to discriminate against a tenant (especially those who believe children will just cause a lot of noise and mess), and the law just does not allow that. You may naturally bring up kids in conversation (especially if you’re interested in a park in the area, or local daycare centers), and that is your right. But the landlord cannot and should not initiate it. (By the way, some landlords have found a way to skirt this by assuming you have children, and simply asking for their names on the application. You do not have to complete that information.

Maybe if you put away all your electronics and lock them with a key and give the key to some one you trust like your parents for about a month to stop the process