How to win over a potential landlord and score the rental property you want

It came as no surprise that the landscape gardener who offered to remodel and maintain the grounds of the rental property was the successful applicant.

Or that the wannabe tenant who offered to pay six months’ rent in advance and have the house professionally painted secured the lease.

Real estate FOMO is rife in the rental market, as house-hunters around Australia slog it out for the prize of a place to call home.

The fear-of-missing-out is well founded in many cases, and applicants are going to great lengths to stand out from the crowd.

Persa Kapsali, portfolio manager and team leader at Hocking Stuart’s Brunswick office in Melbourne, says it’s common for applicants to offer more than the asking price – anything from $10 a week to more than $100.

“It’s something people do, but it’s not something I would recommend,” Kapsali says.

“It can end up in almost a bidding war, where someone at the end is paying a lot more than they would have needed to. Also, offering more rent does not mean that someone will be a better tenant, and our landlords know this.”

Donna Carr, new business manager at Ray White Bondi Junction in Sydney, says there are pockets of fierce competition in Sydney’s rental market, but demand tends to soften when the sales market is strong.

“In the eastern suburbs [of Sydney], rentals haven’t been as competitive for the past couple of years because sales have been so strong,” Carr says.

So what are the rules of engagement? And how can you make your application shine?

Get the basics right

Yes, it sounds obvious, but filling in the application form correctly is a good start.

“A lot of people don’t bother,” Carr says. “They have contact numbers missing, for example.”

Make it easy for the agent – and the owner – by giving them all the information they request at the beginning.

Let your referees know you’ve put their names down, and don’t be tempted to lie on your application. In the internet age, it’s too easy to be caught out.

Show them the money

Don’t be afraid to provide more information than the application form requires.

It’s common for applications to ask about your employment and rental history, for example, but if you happen to have piles of cash sitting in a bank account, that might make an owner more inclined to think you’ll pay the rent on time.

“We understand about privacy concerns, but you can black out account numbers and other details,” Carr says.

Make it personal

Just as a killer cover letter can help you land your dream job, a well-crafted letter to the landlord can help you score your dream home.

Carr says her agency forwards all applications to the landlords, most of whom aren’t moguls with multi-property portfolios.

“They’re mums and dads. They want to know someone will look after the home. Say you love the property, you want to look after it, and you’ll treat it as your own.”

Kapsali agrees that adding some personality can help. “I’ve had people provide pet resumes, or tell us what football team they support. It’s that little bit extra that will make them stand out,” she says.

Apply in the off-season

This advice could come too late for anyone wanting a beachside pad this summer, but you’re likely to be up against fewer applicants if you apply during the slow season.

For summer hotspots, that means winter. For university towns, it means any time but the start of the academic year. Ditto suburbs near teaching hospitals.

Act quickly

Paying double rent for a few weeks stings, but possibly not as much as missing out on your umpteenth rental property.

Carr advises would-be tenants to have their paperwork in order as soon as possible, ideally lodging their application straight after they have inspected the property.

“If somewhere is vacant, the owners will more than likely want someone to move in sooner rather than later. The way the system is set up, you’re likely to need to pay some double rent … you can’t move from one place to another from morning to afternoon,” she says.

Offer your expertise

If, like the landscape gardener, you have skills that might prove irresistible to a landlord, feel free to offer them.

This strategy doesn’t guarantee success, but it might make an owner consider your application more closely.

“We put all the applications forward to the landlord, but at the end of the day it’s their decision,” Kapsali says. “[The gardener] would have come first anyway, but it was that little bit extra that made him stand out.”