Tips to Impress the Landlord and Win that Apartment
Tips to Impress the Landlord and Win that Apartment
Finding your next apartment can be competitive! Applying for an apartment can make you feel like you’re competing for , not just find the perfect pad to call home. The competitiveness gets worse when the apartment you are vying for is in a trendy area, they allow pets, or carry other perks making them an in demand locale to live.
Here’s a some great advice to help make you and your application, stand out from the other applicants.
Preparation is Key
Landlords with hot properties will probably require a written application with various accompanying information. You carry a serious competitive advantage if you can submit your application with everything included at the time you find the apartment. Delays can make you miss out to another applicant. Make sure you have ready:
References. Include a minimum of three references. The best come from past landlords, but you can also use employers, colleagues, and friends. Be ready to provide full names, phone numbers, and email addresses. Let your references know to expect a call and that they will speak highly of you.
Previous rental or residency history. Be ready to list out the addresses of all the places you have lived in the past five years. You will need full addresses, dates you lived there, and the reason you left. You may not need five years, but be ready with this information in case it’s required.
Proof you can pay. You may be required to provide a pay stub or several months worth, detailing your current income, as well as previous year’s tax return, or a current bank statement. If you started a new job, bring a copy of the letter detailing your start date and income.
Banking information or statements. You may have to provide checking and savings accounts, and a property owner/manager may run a check on your financials. Have your social security number ready in case they need to run a credit check on you too.
Pets. Are you moving in with a pet? Make sure you have a letter from your vet showing your fuzzy family member is up-to-date on vaccinations. Know your pet’s breed, size, and weight, and if you have any pet references to vouch for your pet being house-trained, friendly, and a good resident at previous places, be sure to have that ready.
Funds ready. Arrive with checkbook and money ready to pay any application fees or put down a deposit. You wouldn’t want to lose a hot apartment because you couldn’t put down a deposit on the spot or get the ball rolling on your application. A landlord may move onto the next enthusiastic applicant without question.
Show them your best side. You want to convey how you make the ideal tenant for a potential landlord, so arrive on-time, dress neatly, and present yourself as someone who is reliable, responsible, and trustworthy. If it’s an open house, arrive at doors-opening if possible.
Stand out with something extra. This one is key if you want to stand out from other applicants. You can offer to prepay rent, put down a larger security deposit, carry renters insurance, get the apartment professionally cleaned, and if you are in the position to do it, tell them you will pay a bit extra on the monthly rent.
Be careful with law-breaking offers though. Renters are known to offer gifts to landlords and offer things that may impede local laws. Know the legalities around renting and the landlord-tenant contract so you don’t come across as a law-breaker, rather than the law-abiding tenant.
Don’t overextend yourself or your offers. You don’t want to offer too much where you set the precedent that you are expected to give more in the future. Just as all tenants are not the perfect tenant, not all landlords are upstanding either. Be wary of any landlord in fact, who chooses tenants for personal gain. This is a major red flag they may not be running their business legitimately.
At the End of it All
If, at the end of all your hard work, you don’t end up getting the apartment, don’t despair. Find out from the landlord why you didn’t get it, so you can be even more prepared for the next awesome rental find!
For questions on renters insurance or to start a easy, no fuss online quote, hop on over to start a quote or call 833-487-2683 or contact one of our friendly and knowledgeable Insurance Advisors who can help with anything you need!
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Content credited to published free book, Ann O’Connell, Attorney