Renting in the current climate can be a stressful experience. However, with a few tips up your sleeve and some prior planning and preparation it doesn’t have to be.
This is where Ouwens Casserly Property Management comes in.
How to help your application stand out & secure the property you want
We’ve put together the following list for how to make your rental application stand out and ensure the smoothest transition from your last rental to the next, as well as a few trade tips on what’s required in an application for those of you making the jump from the family home to living on your own.
1. Open for business – get inspecting
If you love the property, it’s likely you’ll stay in the home for longer – and we want to play match maker!
Physical inspections are important because we want you to enjoy your new space. Like you, we’re not too keen on moving in and realising afterwards that our washing machine doesn’t fit in the laundry, or that there isn’t space for our home office set up.
Photographs are great to spike your interest and to get you onsite, but nothing beats walking around and inspecting areas that the photos don’t capture – the amount of natural light, water pressure, hidden storage cupboards, whether your fridge fits in the cavity, unexpected steps etc.
It’s also a great opportunity for us to meet with you and form a relationship. If this home isn’t right for you, we can give you some alternative options.
2. I’ve found the home for me! How do I apply?
We accept both paper and online application forms.
If you prefer paper, we get excited about receiving applications in a folder on the day of the inspection, with ID and supporting documents already copied and your cover letter. The application can be downloaded from our website and pre-filled, ready to be handed to us after you’ve viewed the home.
If you favour online applications, we use an electronic tenancy application called 1form. Forget printing, scanning, photocopying, stamping and walking to the postbox – you can fill in an online application using 1form instead! Click ‘apply now’ on the website which you saw the property advertised to be directed through to 1form. Once you’ve created a profile with all your personal information, you can apply for as many properties as you like with us.
3. The application form
It should go without saying, but filling out a rental application in its entirety is a must.
It’s a competitive market, therefore we recommend that you make sure your application is completed and clearly outlines from the get go.
4. So what I should I provide?
We require some ID from each of the three categories below.
It makes the process much quicker if you give us copies of your ID at the same time as the application, rather than leaving it up to us to remind you later.
5. All together now – get everyone to fill in the paperwork!
Your housemates don’t have to attend the property inspection (although this is preferable), but we need to receive their full and completed application and references.
If you have a complete set of documentation for all members of the household, your application has a better chance of being top of the pile ready for us to process first.
6. What else helps my application?
First impressions matter and having a cover letter to support your application could be the added detail that puts you ahead of the competition. This can be informal and let your personality shine through. List some of the features you love about the home and why you want to move there.
To help give us peace of mind that you’ve been on time with making payments before, providing your rental ledger can be helpful. Never rented before, or perhaps you’re a student/in between jobs? No worries; you can provide bank statement showing regular payments to a mortgage or other debt, or that you have some savings.
Your personal and professional references are also important in the application processing stage. Providing us with up to date contact details helps speed up the process, and it’s helpful for you to let them know prior that we may call them, so they’re prepared for our query. We love written references from reputable sources too; perhaps you have done some charity or volunteer work, or maybe your netball coach is keen to help you secure a new home.
Moving out of home for the first time? What an exciting time! We might ask your references a bit more about you and you may need to provide different documents to show you’re a stable, low risk tenant – having long term secure employment is a good example of this.
7. Some important points to consider
So you can comfortably afford your new home, we recommend that you apply for homes that have a rental amount of around 30% of the total household income.
We really value honesty. Start off on the front foot by proactively raising any issues that could be potential stumbling blocks. Do you have a rough patch in your credit history or are currently in between jobs? We ask that you’re upfront about it and let us know your side of the story.
Now you know what makes your application stand out from the crowd – we look forward to leasing to you soon!
MAKE IT HAPPEN™
Alex Ouwens and Nathan Casserly have a genuine passion for real estate and love to help people achieve their goals and dreams through property. Find out more about OC here.
