In a competitive rental market, you’ll need to do quite a bit more than simply fill out an application and put down a deposit.
With large numbers of millennials and Baby Boomers competing in a growing pool of renter applications. Hence, it’s important to consider ways to boost your odds during the application process.
See Also: How to go about Financing an Apartment
Apply online in advance
If you’ve browsed photos online of your dream rental property over and over, and your gut feeling is telling you that you’ve found “the one.”
Therefore, there’s no harm in filling out an application online if the option exists. This shows you’re already a serious applicant when you visit the property.
Come prepared
When you arrive for a viewing of the rental property, come with a mentality that you are ready to buy even with all your documents if necessary.
And beyond documentation, bring a strong interview game. Prepare for your first meeting with your potential landlord as you would for any job interview. You’ll be asked questions, but additionally, they expect you to present questions to them, too. This shows you’ve been thinking about the application process, and take the potential of living in their rental home seriously.
Express interest
It may seem obvious, but property managers want to see applicants excited about their home.
Property sellers look for a potential renter who gives the impression that they appreciate the home. Ultimately, the seller wants someone who will take care of and respect their property.
Showing an interest in the place and the neighbourhood helps because it makes me feel like [the potential tenant] will treat my [rental] home and neighbourhood as their own.
Be flexible
With lots of applicants in the pool, landlords often have a tough choice when deciding on a tenant. In addition to offering strong application materials and expressing sincere interest in the home, showing your ability to be flexible is another way to stand out.
If you’re able to sign a longer lease, say so. It shows serious commitment and means your potential landlord won’t have to hunt for more tenants anytime soon — surely a relief for them.
And if it seems like the landlord wants to get the property rented immediately, mention that you’re willing to move in earlier than your listed preferred move-in date, if that’s possible.
Be transparent
Property managers will check references. Stretching the truth about something almost always comes out.
If you lie on the application or in person and a reference contradicts you, it’s a huge red flag. Any indication of money problems is a red flag as well.
This hint may come in the form of an applicant haggling on price, negotiating what’s included in the price, or asking to cash their check within a certain timeframe.
None of these are guarantees that they will be a bad renter, but they are warning signs that a landlord would take into consideration.
As a potential renter keep a clear communication line. If your phone is off, they can’t connect with you, and that’s off-putting when [another applicant] has theirs readily available.
Follow up
After leaving your meeting or open house with the landlord, send an email thanking them, along with asking any follow-up questions you may have. This encourages further dialogue, and having your name in their inbox serves as one more reminder as to who you are.
Hunting for the perfect rental property doesn’t have to be a headache. Once you’ve found the rental home of your dreams, it’s up to you to make the application process easy for the property manager.
