6 Ways to Make You Stand Out From Other Tenant Wannabes
You’ve been scouring the classifieds in search of the perfect apartment. After coming across a lot of duds, you’ve finally found the ideal unit, but you’ve discovered that there are 10 other people vying for the same apartment. Don’t fret – there is plenty that you can do to stand out from the crowd.
Here are 6 ways that will help up the odds of the landlord choosing you over the others.
1. Have Enough Cash Ready
You’re going to need money up front for certain things before you move in, such as a security deposit and an application fee. You might also be responsible for paying for parking permits, broker fees, credit check fees, pet deposits, and last month’s rent if your new landlord requests it.
Don’t worry if you don’t end up being ‘chosen’ by the landlord as the newest tenant, as most of these (with the exception of the application fee) are typically refundable. Just make sure that you’ve got two months worth of rent saved up before moving into the place, as well as an additional couple of hundred bucks to cover these miscellaneous charges.
The fact that you’re able to come up with this money up front shows that you’re probably financially able to carry the costs of the rent each month. If you can’t afford to fork over a security deposit, your landlord might move on to the next applicant.
2. Be On Time
No one likes to wait around for other people, especially when it comes to business. You wouldn’t be late for a job interview, so don’t be late for your appointment with your potential landlord either. If you’re competing with other possible tenants for the same unit, you don’t want to do anything that will jeopardize your position. It’s just common courtesy, and shows that you have the same amount of respect for the landlord that you would hope he or she will have for you as a tenant.
3. Show Up With a Rental “Resume”
Your landlord will be thoroughly impressed if you show up with a “resume” filled with all the information that will be needed judge what you’ll be like as a tenant. The landlord will be asking you to provide such information anyway, so why not come prepared and hand it over without having to be asked?
The following are commonly requested pieces of information that you should include in this document:
• Full names of everyone who’ll be living in the unit
• Full address
• Dates of birth
• Current employment
• Vehicle information
• Contact information
4. Offer a Reference List and Letter of Employment Up Front
Along with the resume, you should also include a reference list of your previous landlords, and their contact numbers. Before landlords hand over the keys, they want to check out your background, and see if you have a history of making late rent payments, causing damage to your previous rental units, or being a nuisance to neighbors.
You’ll also want to include a letter of employment from your place at work. Unless you recently won the lottery, you obviously have to have some type of job and make an adequate salary in order to be able to make rent every month. Landlords want to see this information to make sure the person they allow to occupy their unit is good for the cash.
5. Know Your Credit’s Condition
The landlord is going to find out about your credit history, so you should probably pull your own report ahead of time to see what it’s like. If you notice any negative marks, this would be your chance to include a written statement of explanation, particularly if you’ve had any past evictions, missed rental payments, or even bankruptcy.
Even if you make enough money to comfortably make rent every month, a bad credit score will make your landlord feel uneasy. If your score is below 600, you should probably explain why it’s as low as it is up front to your landlord before he or she discovers it beforehand. When you bring up the dings on your credit score, you’ll be prepared to provide a rational and understandable explanation as to how and why such circumstances have changed since then.
6. Dress Nicely
When it comes to first impressions, appearance matters, whether we like it or not. Leave the cut-off jeans, ratty sweatshirt, and dirty sneakers at home, and instead opt for a business casual look. You don’t have to put an extravagant outfit together; a simple button-down shirt and clean slack will do just fine. You essentially want to send the message to your prospective landlord that you take good care of yourself, and will therefore take good care of the rental unit too.
If you’ve found an apartment for rent that’s affordable and is located in a desirable area, then most likely other tenants have noticed it too. If your landlord has a bunch of tenant applications to choose from, you want to make sure yours stands out. Follow these 6 tips to keep your name at the forefront in your prospective landlord’s mind.
