In today’s competitive rental market, the last thing you want is to blend in with the other tenants—a noteworthy letter can be the key to securing your ideal rental property, especially if it’s your first time renting. So how can I make my rental application stand out?
Whether you’re applying for a rental property for the first time or the 20th, read on for awesome rental application tips to start!
We’ve compiled a handy list of our top tips to ensure that your rental application stands out from the crowd. Because when you’re searching for the perfect rental property, the hunt for a place that ticks all the boxes is difficult enough.
Here are our brilliant ways to win over your landlord and some of Soho’s best renter hacks.
Get organised before you start searching
Organising your paperwork in advance will make it easy to submit a full application quickly and state your interest as soon as the right property pops up on the market. An essential first step is to check your credit rating.
If there are any errors on your report, give yourself time to correct these issues before you begin your search. At the same time, you can start gathering the paperwork that you will need for your application.
Be prepared to show:
- Bank statements
- Pay stubs
- Tax receipts
- Some form of valid identification (driver’s license or card number on licence, passport document number, medicare reference number)
Gather the funds for your deposit so that you have these available when you need them.
If you see a listing with the title ‘under application‘, know that other tenants are already being considered but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply anyway.
Provide verifiable references
There are things you want to tell your landlord about yourself and things you don’t. In the application, you’ll need to provide a few personal references that can vouch for your reliability.
The different between a great reference and one that is just “ok” is often a fair warning. Call your references at least a week before you think the landlord will contact them, giving them time to prepare a response and sing your praises. You can also ask them to write you a rental reference letter to include in your rental application.
Keep a couple of backups in mind in case one of your top choices is not comfortable with this duty.
Personal references like friends and family are less ideal but still, that’s what you should put in your application if you’re living with your parents. Unless you have an employer to vouch for you, that’s your best option.
Submit a resume with your application
Another way to make your application stand out is by including a resume. This shows that you’re willing to go the extra mile to provide information, and with the professional information included your application may be processed more quickly.
Include information such as your education, your current job, your work history, a list of hobbies, and the past 2 or 3 addresses you resided at along with contact information.
Additionally, you can also look up our examples of how to answer the ‘please share a few details about your history as a renter’ question if it comes up in the application.
And when you’re ready, our examples of how to describe yourself to your landlord are a must-read for those trying to ace their cover letter.
Address problems and offer solutions
If you anticipate that there may be problems with your application, don’t just sit back and hope that the landlord doesn’t notice. Be proactive and attach a note explaining these circumstances, whether it’s a glitch on your credit record or a recent gap in employment.
If you don’t feel your finances will measure up to the minimum requirements, offer to pay a larger deposit or have a co-signer on the lease. This shows that you are willing to fix problems and take responsibility.
Additionally, your landlord may ask your reasons for moving on from your last rental, in which case you should present a clear and fair explanation.
Treat the inspection as an interview
The landlord may not be at the inspection, but you’ll want to look presentable when you show up for a tour. You never know who is watching, whether it’s the current tenants or the estate agents. After all, there are certain qualities an applicant can have that can appeal to a landlord and you want to put those forward!
Be punctual, polite, and thank the landlord or agent for their time upon your departure. You can think of this meeting as a job interview, approaching it with professionalism and courtesy.
By keeping these tips in mind and preparing yourself for the application process, you can improve your chances of selection and be signing a lease in no time. Then, you can move on to learning what happens after your rental application gets approved!
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