How to Make Your Rental Application Stand Out

When you think about what a landlord wants from a tenant, it usually boils down to three things; someone that pays rent on time doesn’t cause trouble and moves in quickly. Bagging your dream rental is all about winning over your landlord from the get-go. So while they may be trying to sell you their property, you need to be selling yourself, too!

One of the best ways to make your landlord choose you is to make your rental application the best they’ve ever seen. To help you secure your dream rental, here are Fronted’s top tips on how to make your rental application stand out from the crowd.

Impress the Letting Agent

Since most landlords’ have a letting agent, the first step to impressing your landlord is impressing their agent! Making a good impression can give you a head start on the competition – especially if the agent reports back on how serious they think you are.

Treat your viewings like a job interview and put your best foot forward during all conversations. Be professional on the phone, respond timely to emails, and don’t forget to drop into the conversation what a great track record you have!

Prep Your Credit Score

During the tenant referencing check, your landlord will review your credit score. Before you apply, get ahead of the game and check your credit report on at least two of the biggest sites. See what’s lowering your score and whether you can fix anything relatively quickly.

If you already have a great credit report, make sure you drop the news into your application somewhere. You know what they say, if you’ve got it, flaunt it!

Get in Early

Most landlords want to fill a rental as quickly as possible – especially if the property is empty. If you like a place you've visited, don’t leave it more than 2-3 days before submitting your application. The longer you wait, the less serious you may look!

A tip to help you apply earlier is to keep in touch with letting agents about new rentals on the market and subscribe to email alerts where possible.

Include Great References

Submitting a rental application usually requires at least three references. If you want your form to stand out to the letting agent, make it easy for them to learn about you. Making the letting agent call around to get your references is sure to place you at the bottom of the pile.

Avoid this and get a written reference letter that includes your referee's contact details. That way, they can immediately read how great of a prospective tenant you are before making any calls.

Write a Winning Cover Letter

Your cover letter is usually the first thing a letting agent reads. Make yours stand out and give a high-level summary of everything they need to know (including what a great candidate you are!).

To write and structure a good cover letter, you can:

• Start positively – Make the introduction a summary of all your key selling points, focusing on things like your employment status, credit history and how ready you are to move in.
• Give some detail – Use the next few paragraphs to detail things like where you work, what your current living status is and why you're looking to rent this property.
• Summarise what's included – Next, mention what application documents you've included in the application to help them complete the tenant referencing check.
• Wrap up courteously – In the closing summary, keep it professional, propose how much you're prepared to pay for rent (if you already know), and add a polite thanks for their consideration.

Send a Video

To make your rental application really stand out from the crowd, you could even send the letting agent a video cover letter. These work particularly well if you're asking permission to keep a pet since they can make a cameo.

If you decide to send a video, here are a few tips to make it a great one:

• Dress smartly
• Keep it brief
• Stay professional but show some personality where you can
• Make sure your background is clean and tidy (it may reflect on how you'll treat the property!)

Highlight Concerns & Propose Solutions

If something is worrying about your financial or credit situation, your letting agent or landlord will uncover it eventually. Not being upfront about issues with your credit history etc. could be seen as sneaky. It could also impact whether you get your holding deposit back, too.

Avoid this and address the elephant in the room head-first. Anticipate what issues may cause your letting agent concern and propose a solution. It'll show that you're working towards a better history and that you're a proactive, honest tenant.

Are You Moving to a New Rental?

If you're moving to a new rental, you're probably looking at how you can save up (and pay for) your new landlord deposit. Besides traditional deposits that require upfront payments, other solutions are available that can make moving rental easier and more affordable. Fronted's Lifetime Deposits are a quick and easy way for renters to make the move, without needing to scrimp! Learn more about our Lifetime Deposits Scheme to see if it’s the right fit for you or get in touch with our friendly team today for a chat about how it works.