{"id":53312,"date":"2017-04-27T05:48:52","date_gmt":"2017-04-27T12:48:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/?p=53312"},"modified":"2026-03-19T05:58:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T12:58:07","slug":"5-secrets-of-successful-rental-candidates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/5-secrets-of-successful-rental-candidates\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Secrets of Successful Rental Candidates"},"content":{"rendered":"

Trying to find an affordable rental apartment or house in a particularly tough market? When you live in a popular town or city, finding a rental home that fits your budget, location and lifestyle can seem an overwhelming task\u2014and it certainly doesn\u2019t help when you show up to view a listing and find a lineup out the door.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, there are a few ways prospective tenants can gain an edge\u2014here are five tips for standing out, even in the most competitive of rental markets:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Come with Paperwork in Hand<\/h3>\n

When a unit is in particularly high demand, you need to be prepared to snap it up immediately\u2014and that means doing your homework before viewing it and meeting the landlord. Not only should you fill out the rental application ahead of time, but take the time to square away important verification details such as your record of employment and credit score.<\/p>\n

\u201cI personally won\u2019t take anybody out unless they give me those documents first,\u201d<\/em> says Emma Pace, an agent with Zoocasa Realty<\/a> who helps place tenants as well as buyers. \u201cIf you don\u2019t have all your documents prepared, you\u2019re just going to lose the rental. There\u2019s really no point of you searching until you have that.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Essentially, you should do what you can to make the task of assessing your eligibility as painless as possible for the landlord. Even a brief delay, such as failure to contact your personal or employment references, can put you at a disadvantage.<\/p>\n

Have a Solid Job Situation<\/h3>\n

If you can help it, avoid hunting for your new rental while in between jobs; just like when applying for a mortgage, the stability of your employment, and your ability to service your debt obligations<\/a> (i.e. pay your rent) will be scrutinized by your prospective landlord. Lack of a concrete employment history (or its equivalent if you\u2019re self-employed) will be an immediate red flag, even if you\u2019re within a temporary probation period at a new position.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re (the landlord) getting multiple applicants, and one of them has been bouncing from job to job every six months, or maybe they\u2019re still on their three-month probation, that\u2019s not ideal,\u201d<\/em> says Zoocasa Realty agent Brittany Kostov. \u201cBut at the end of the day, it\u2019s all just down to that specific landlord and what they would prefer.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Check in with Your Credit<\/h3>\n

\"CheckMake sure your credit score<\/a> is in the best possible condition before you start your rental home hunt. Since this is a clear indicator on whether you have a history of paying your bills on time, it\u2019ll be a major deciding factor from a landlord\u2019s perspective. Take the opportunity to order your report beforehand and comb through for any potential issues; pay off any outstanding items, or investigate anything that looks amiss.<\/p>\n

According to Kostov, a healthy score and ability to pay debt can often be the deciding factor, even between two similar rental applicants. \u201cI had a client that went up against another rental application\u2014that other applicant had a car, my client did not, and they made similar income,\u201d<\/em> she says. \u201cThe landlord eventually chose my client because she really did a total picture of, \u2018Ok, how much can they actually afford? If rent is $1,500 a month, and your car payment is $600 per month and you\u2019re making $60,000, there\u2019s not a whole lot of wiggle room there.\u2019 They\u2019re really taking everything into account.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Pay to Get Ahead<\/h3>\n

The truth is, cash is king. Offering to sweeten a rental deal by offering more than first and last month up front or a damage deposit (where legal) will often put you ahead of other rental hopefuls. This can also be an effective way to offset a less-than-great credit score.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s say they\u2019ve got a wonky charge on their credit card, they missed on a payment\u2014there\u2019s a story behind everything\u2014and that can affect their credit score,\u201d <\/em>says Kostov. \u201cThey can say, \u2018That was a one-off, I can provide six months of rent up front and give it all to you in cash.\u2019 That\u2019ll level the playing field a bit more.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Be On Your Best Social Behavior<\/h3>\n

Applying for a non-pet rental, but have an Instagram full of pictures of your pooch? That can be a big turnoff of landlords who may think you\u2019re fudging the details. In fact, scoping out a prospective tenant\u2019s social media presence is often the first step in the vetting process.<\/p>\n

Says Kostov, \u201cThe first thing that I do when I\u2019m on the listing<\/a> lease side representing the landlord, is Google them (the prospective tenant) or search them on social media. That\u2019s going to tell us more than any rental application will.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Pace adds that most landlords are most concerned that you won\u2019t damage the unit, especially if they\u2019re subletting a lease of their own, or a private condo unit. In fact, finding a great tenant is the main reason many prospective landlords connect with a realtor in the first place.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur goal is to try to make it as easy as possible for them to get someone who they\u2019re comfortable with living there, that they don\u2019t feel they\u2019re going to need to chase down for money, they don\u2019t feel is going to ruin their place,\u201d<\/em> she says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Trying to find an affordable rental apartment or house in a particularly tough market? When you live in a popular town or city, finding a rental home that fits your budget, location and lifestyle can seem an overwhelming task\u2014and it certainly doesn\u2019t help when you show up to view a listing and find a lineup…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":157,"featured_media":53317,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3671],"tags":[38975],"class_list":["post-53312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-renting","tag-rental-application","gallery-content-unit"],"yoast_head":"\nApplying for Rental Apartments: Learn the Secrets to a Smooth Process<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Applying for rental apartments is no easy task, especially if your market of choice is a tough one. 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