So you turn up to the inspection and, along with 15 others, you jostle for a look.
You’ve already been to 8 open homes and if this dump doesn’t come good for you it’s 3 months on your brother’s couch…
Moving can be stressful so how can you ever get your home of choice?
These Rental Application Tips Will Work in Your Favour
Start by taking off your shoes. If 15 people trample dirt through the home then the agent’s going to have a cranky current tenant on their back. Make it easier for them. Smile and introduce yourself (I know it’s hard to like some of them, but fake it!) – agents with lots of interested renters often go with their ‘gut’, which usually means the friendly person.
Have your application completed and ready to hand over if you’re keen. Have a copy of your payment ledger from your current agent with you (hopefully this shows you’ve been paying on time!) There’s lots of ID needed so having it ready to go will save the agent time. They want it rented quickly so the landlord has less vacancy and they can do less inspections!
Landlords want tenants that pay their rent on time and look after the place. Make sure your rental history tells that story and if there’s been a problem in the past explain it simply and unemotionally. Everyone makes mistakes but an agent mightn’t warm to a tenant who always blames others.
A Rental Application Tip or Two That Show You’re Intelligence
Remember too that during a busy open home the agent is nervous about theft. Avoid carrying big bags or ducking out the side exit and always say a quick goodbye (thieves rarely do).
If there’s obvious maintenance items in the property go ahead and ask about them, but you won’t win friends by mentioning every flake of peeling paint. Some tenants seem to do this in an effort to talk down the rent. It doesn’t work, at least not in a busy market, and leaves them looking like whingers.
Feel free to ask how long the response time might be once you’ve applied for the home, but try to resist calling every 30 minutes to check. Agents have some homes that are high maintenance and will want to avoid tenants that are too!
Finally, pay your first two weeks rent as quickly as you can. This removes any doubt the agent has about you and stops them changing their mind!