Applying for rental, what helps?

Hi all,

My partner and I decided it best suited to us, whilst in Sydney to rent ourselves and invest elsewhere.

We are looking to upgrade our rental as we have been living well below our means the last year while we did some saving and buying and it's now time
to reward ourselves with some simple luxuries like air con, a dishwasher and a toilet in the house.

There's a lot of competition in the hills district area which we are looking and as a younger couple with 2 large dogs it's proving quite difficult.

What extra measures can tenants take to increase their chances of being approved?

I have heard of people offering a higher price, offering to do some work, paint/carpet, etc.
also showing savings accounts.
Would it be a good idea to include council rate notices of our own properties?
Maybe offer a larger bond, rent paid in advance?

As an investor, what makes an application stand out for you?

 

I was always put off by tenants offering higher prices.

Personally - a good rental history was always the big one for me. If they're current PM gave a glowing report - it helped a lot.

Cheers

Jamie

 

Two Large dogs - not in a good way. Tongue in cheek but it slides you down the priority list.

You'll have to find a doggy happy landlord and property or work out a way to provide assurance that the animals are not a negative to the landlord.

 

Agree with Jamie, a good rental reference.

Rather than just Council Rates, why not also get a personal reference from your Property Manager(s)?

 

Good paperwork and copies of documents is the first thing I look at.

 

Get to know the PM.

 

References that check out is a big one for me.

 

Get references for the dogs from your vet and neighbours

 

Thanks for the feedback! it seems references of all kinds is the big one.
I'll include written references from our PM's and also neighbors regarding dogs for sure, great ideas.

 

3 of my IP's have pets in them. From small dogs to big dogs.

Automatic elimination
1. Inability to sustain rental income (I have a look at the payslips to determine surplus income after rental expenses)
2. Lying about the size of the dog (I had one tenant tell us he had a small dog, it was the size of a german shepherd).

Acceptance Criteria (important to least important)

1. Agent's gut feeling about you - This is the question I always ask, and where my PM says "i didn't get a chance to talk to them properly, we both err on the side of caution and put them in the maybe bucket. Whereas if the response is "i talked to them, they seem like good people and my agent was able to dig in deeper about them, we put them in the good candidate bucket.
2. Fit of house to you/family (ie. 2 Adults + 2 Teenage Children renting a 2 bedroom 60sqm house is a no for me - mainly because i know they'll grow out it quickly. Same as 2 adults renting a 4 bedroom house is also a no, but only because its weird that only 2 people would want such a big house).
3. Honesty about pets.... but i don't like cats. I won't allow cats in... because they pee everywhere.
4. References as others have said. But my PM's gut is usually quite accurate anyway.

I actually don't mind people with pets. I generally find them more stable.
However this is why i say get to know the PM, so you don't just look like another application.

 

apart from the other good advice above, as a personal thing, someone who writes a covering letter, eg. We really like your house and promise to look after it well, trim the trees, weed and water the garden or mulch it. (Landlords are a 'soppy' lot Not just me..and they like the garden to be cared for) is well received,
I hope this helps!

 

This is a good idea, be proactive before you find the place you love - and miss out on it. When we found our ideal unit in Sydney, my saying was "be polite, but persistent". We managed to look at a place we came up to look at but the open house got cancelled, they wouldn't let us take the keys and no one was available to take us at that time, but by being a little pushy, er I mean persistent, they told us there should be painting going on over there and they said we could go and have a look, if we liked it we could submit an application. No other competition

 

Reading the various replies, i think there are different ways. Its whatever works for you.

 

Based on personal experience as a renter (without a pet)

• Be ready with all documents when you inspect the house. If you like it, apply right on the spot with all the documents
• Tell the agent you have bond ready to pay plus initial rent
• Good rental references
• If possible, look for property that open on weekdays (less competition usually)

For pets, maybe provide:

• Arrangements you have for your two dogs (e.g. dog training, good references, dog walker, etc.)

 

If the main problem is the pets, this web page has some advices:

http://www.domain.com.au/blog/pets-welcome-securing-a-rental-for-you-and-your-pet/

If you want to secure a rental for you and your pet, it’s important that you see your animal through the landlord’s eyes and take steps to address their fears in advance. Some things you can include with your rental application are:

• pet references from previous landlords
• an assurance that you will pet proof the property
• proof that your dog attended obedience school (and passed!)
• evidence that your pet has regular check-ups

If pet dander isn’t an issue with yours, mention it. If it might be an issue, offer to include a clause in your agreement that you will take all necessary measures to eliminate the problem.

 

It might just be me... But I think it looks good if you can demonstrate that you are a responsible pet owner.. Even if it little things like neutering.. Which is also relevant to the likelihood that they will cause problems(to neighbours or property).

YEAH! I thought I was the only person without those luxuries... However, I admit that in Hobart not having A/C is not a big deal...

I agree with the above feedback. If you are well presented and organised (aka all paperwork and apply on spot) that is a big plus in my books.

 

We are 2 people in a 4bed rental because we like space... also it was the best place for rent at the time... what is weird about that???

 

I'm 1 person, 2 dogs and 4 cats in a 3-4 bedder Californian bungalow with a massive backyard and only 5 mins walk to cbd. But then I live in Parkes and JesseT wants to live in Sydney.

Great advice here. Don't think I could ever move back to the big smoke now with all this lot.
Still holding out for a dishwasher, clothes dryer, gas heating, etc.

 

@VeronicaR My properties are in Sydney Metro.... maybe i might have a different opinion if i owned properties in regional. Maybe decent houses come up once in a while in regional, i don't know, you're probably better placed to answer that than me, but for metro, at any time there is a handful of decent houses, even if it means going to the next suburb (which is only 2-3km away).... and with the amount of crazy building going on, there's probably going to be an oversupply.

None the less, here are my thoughts and I accept that this may filter out potentially good tenants, however the risk/return equation is not worth it for me.

Now, these are are example of pricing differences between 2,3 and 4 bedrooms

2 Bedroom = $500
3 Bedroom = $575
4 Bedroom = $650

2 people, assuming they are couple, would share 1 room.

• I can accept that they want a 2 bedroom, 1 one for them, one for their junk
• 3 bedroom, i would already be hesitant, but would still allow it. 1 room for his junk, 1 room for her junk.
• 4 rooms, that is just odd to me, given the extra amount of rent would pay for this. This then triggers the possibility of sub leasing (which given I do not have the option of vetting said tenants, is not an attractive proposition for me). This couple could easily rent a 2 bed for $500 and save $150 per week ($7800 pa). Or they rent a 4 bedroom and sublease the other rooms to people for $200 per week, thus covering nearly all of their rent. Wear and tear is borne by me. No thanks.

Does this mean all couples who rent a 4 bedroom house are going to sublease? No. They may truly want the space. But the question, how do i know that for sure? I don't I can only take a punt and hope they don't sublease and trash the place. The likelihood of a couple sublease rooms in a 4 bedder is high, where as a family with 2 children is much lower.