How to ease the stress of applying for a rental
Right about now there’s a lot of talk about the rental market including commentary on rising rental prices, the low vacancy rate and increased competition for the limited number of rentals available.
If you’re currently in the market for a rental property, all this discussion could see you feeling a little overwhelmed and perhaps even stressed about whether you’ll be able to secure a rental property and how much it will cost.
Here’s how to ease the stress of applying for a rental and ensure you’re ready, on the front foot, and stand out from the applicant crowd.
Know your suburbs
Sure, you might have a perfect location in mind when it comes to where you want to rent, but do take the time to know the suburbs around these areas.
If a region is in high demand, you might have a better chance of securing a good, well-priced property if you’re prepared to be a little flexible about suburb and location.
Know your non-negotiables
Every renter has a property wishlist that covers the things you hope to find in your ideal rental property.
Understand which of these is non-negotiable and which items are ‘nice to haves’ that you could potentially live without.
This helps broaden the range of properties that might suit your needs.
Be rental ready
Long before you start attending open homes at rental properties, ensure you are rental ready and able to fill out the application form quickly.
Every application calls for similar information, including:
- 100 points of ID
- Employment information
- Personal referees, and
- Previous rental history
Assemble this information, make copies and have it on hand so you can instantly apply if you find a property that you’re interested in.
Oh, and this should go without saying, but when you do apply, ensure all the information asked for is included.
You might be surprised to learn how often applications are instantly disregarded due to the fact the applicant failed to fill in all the required details.
Watch your rental history
Whether you were late with rent or damaged the property, a poor rental history can come back to haunt you in a competitive rental market.
That’s why it pays to be mindful about meeting all your obligations at every stage of the rental process. It’s an investment that pays off now and in the future.
If you do happen to have a blip on your record, be upfront about it in your application, note how it happened, and how the problem was resolved.
How we can assist
Our experienced property managers pride themselves on establishing great relationships with both rental occupiers and owners.
We manage every property as if it were our own and you can learn more about our property management services here.
Alternatively, if you are looking to rent a property, you can view the properties we currently have available here.
