Property agents are still receiving up to 40 applications on some housing rentals.
Some people are colouring their applications with offers of weekly payments higher than the asking price, up to six months’ rent in advance, and promises they’ll do handy maintenance work on the house.
However, others don’t seem to be quite as bothered by the process.
Agents say one application had traces of breakfast spread across it, another applicant ran across the road in barefeet, spreading mud through the house, and others had provided illegible information in their paperwork.
Most applications are now online, but agents say spellcheck doesn’t save everyone.
” Sure, there are things that people do wrong and I’ve seen plenty of them. But at the end of the day, the biggest thing most agents rely on is a rent history,” Browns Plains Real Estate principal Neil Giles said.
“The rent ledger doesn’t lie. If it shows you were a week behind every single week, then it’s not a great sign.”
So if your rent ledger checks out, here are five things not to do when lodging a rental application:
- Presentation: Don’t shed clothing when inspecting a property, no matter how big your guns are. Those without a shirt or shoes aren’t doing themselves any favours in the eyes of the agent who will be reporting what they saw back to the owners of the property. And property owners are looking for people who will respect their house as if it was their own. You may not see a problem with keeping it casual, but property owners will probably see it as a sign that you’re a little untidy.
- Cleanliness: Most applications are online, but if you are lodging paperwork and it’s got a coffee mug stain across your signature, you’re probably not going to be seen in an overly positive light. As for breakfast cereal, it’s a good idea to have some before going for an inspection. It’s an even better idea to put it in your mouth.
- Responsibility: Mr Giles says it’s a sure sign you’ve done something untoward at a previous property when you stand there blaming everyone else for what went wrong.
- Maintenance: References are sometimes not an overly reliable guide. Some property managers will do anything to get rid of a bad tenant, even if it means a glowing assessment to whomever it is they’re passing the problem to. However, the easiest way to get a good reference is not to break stuff, not to punch holes in the wall, not to ride motorbikes through the living room, and not to take out the entire garden with weed killer. Keep the property maintained and in good condition, and people will talk you up.
- Employment: Job security is often beyond your control. But if you can help it, don’t quit your job just before lodging a rental application. Most agents will look for the ability for singles or couples to earn three times the asking rent.
All in all, agents recommend that prospective tenants respect where their bread’s buttered.
Agents are representing the landlord and will do their utmost to find a neat, clean and reliable tenant for their clients.
That means they’ll check references and rent ledgers, they’ll look for a reliable means to pay the bills, and they’ll want someone who’s prepared to keep the house tidy.
