How to ace your rental application

Trying to find a rental property can be exciting, stressful, exhausting and just down right hard work at times. If zig zagging all over town on your Saturday mornings trying to get to twelve inspections within a four-hour window doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, you’ll want to get your rental applications right first-time round.

So once you do find a place that ticks all your boxes, you want to put your best foot forward on your rental application and impress the agent to make the property yours ASAP. Our five tips to ace your next rental application:

Get organised.

First things first, you need to get yourself, your housemates or partner organised BEFORE you head to all the inspections you’ve got teed up. Time is of the essence when you’re competing with 10 other couples that probably have impeccable rental history, 5 perfect references on stand by and their bond at the ready. While your housemates don’t need to attend the inspection, although it is preferrable, incomplete applications that don’t have everyone’s details submitted are the ones that fall to the bottom of the reference checking pile.

To make life as easy as possible for the agent you should have copies of all the relevant documents ready to give to them on the day and have your answers for the application form ready too. It’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with a rental application form first to avoid any mistakes on the day. You can often complete your profile prior to inspecting the home, so it is ready to submit as soon as you have had a walkthrough of the property.

The documents you’ll typically need to submit with your application need to add up to at least 100 points of identification and can be made up of:

• Primary photo ID: worth 50 points (e.g. Driver’s licence or Passport).
• Secondary documents: worth 40 points (e.g. Birth Certificate, Citizenship Certificate, Proof of Age Card, Medicare Card, Current phone, water, gas or electricity bill).
• Other supporting documents: worth 30 points (e.g: Government issued ID, Council Rates Notice) or worth 10 points: (e.g: Student ID card, Foreign Driver’s License or document from your current or previous employer within the last 2 years).
• Rental history/ proof of address (e.g: Rental Receipts, Signed Lease, Utility Bill, Bank Statements, Rental Reference).
• Employment/ Proof of Income (e.g: Payslips, Centrelink Statements, Bank Balance document, Letter of Employment, Employment Reference).

Show enthusiasm.

If you really love a place and are genuinely interested in a property show it. Make a good first impression by arriving on time to the inspection, introducing yourself to the agent and asking questions about the property that weren’t made clear by the listing ad (i.e. how long is the lease, when is it available from and parking permits in the area). Tell the agent specifically what you like about the place and when you can move in. If the agent receives a lot of applications, they may remember your enthusiasm, eagerness to move in and genuine interest in the property when it comes to selecting a tenant and move your application to the top of the pile.

Consider a cover letter.

How do you make your rental application stand out in the crowd? Consider writing a catchy and intriguing cover letter with a photo of you and your family included. This helps your rental agent put a face to the name as our leasing consultants will often meet many people on their inspection run. This document should be personable and formal but also let some your personality shine through. This is your opportunity to explain why you are the best candidate for the property!

References.

Make sure you check with your current rental provider and all of your personal and professional references before you submit your application including their personal contact details. Confirm that they’re all comfortable with being a reference and that they’ll be available to receive a call from an agent in the coming days.

Reference letters from your past rental providers are a valuable document to submit along with your application as they assure the agent and your future rental provider that you’re trustworthy and a model renter. Rental ledgers are also a highly regarded document that illustrate your reliability and consistency in paying rent on time to agents.

Pets.

Did you know that two-thirds of Australian homes have a pet? Renting a property with a pet does not need to be a scary prospect. Make sure you provide your agent with all the information about your furry member of the family so that your application can be easily submitted for consideration. Pet resumes are a great way to put your application to the top of the pile. Attach a photo, let the agent know a bit more about the breed, temperament and training of your pet as well as any references from your vet or previous rental providers who can vouch for the suitability of your pet in a rented home.

If you’re application is successful, make sure you’re prepared to pay the bond straight away and first month’s rent, and you’re available to go in to sign the lease.

How to apply for one of our properties.

Once you have been out and had a look through, you will be ready to complete your own 2Apply profile to apply for our properties here at Ray White Frankston. You can start completing your profile so it is ready to submit once you have inspected the home, you can start your profile here: https://www.2apply.com.au/login

All documentation to support your rental application must be loaded into your 2Apply profile. Please don’t email these documents to us directly as this is not a secure method and may end up getting lost in the flood of enquiries.

Happy house hunting!