how to make a good impression with your landlord

After finding a property you like, there are several stages of interviewing, referencing and documentation checks you’ll need to go through in order to move into your new property.

Creating the wrong impression with your landlord or letting agency during these stages might leave them wondering “do I really want them to live in my property?”; this could end up with your application being rejected in favour of a different prospective tenant.

To ensure you get the rental property you want, here are our top tips for creating a great first impression with your landlord or letting agency.

Be Realistic About Budgets

Traits of a good tenant include paying the rent on time (and in full) every month. Being honest with yourself about your budget saves both parties time and reduces the risk of an early end to the tenancy.

It’s in you and your landlord’s best interests to ensure that you can afford to live in the property; remember that your landlord will have access to information such as salary and outgoings and thus will have an idea of what rent you can afford.

Take a look at our blog post on things to consider when choosing your rental property to find out more about agency fees, moving costs and other additional costs that should be considered when choosing your rental accommodation.

Turn Up on Time To Property Viewings

Landlords and letting agencies run like clockwork when arranging viewings, often with arrangements scheduled in the minute another finishes. Turning up late to your viewings not only creates a bad impression, but can mean you miss your time slot and ultimately miss out on the property.

As well as giving off the impression that you are a punctual character (and thus punctual in paying your rent), being on time or even a few minutes early for your viewing is just common courtesy; factor in any time for traffic and other unexpected delays when planning your departure time.

Present Yourself Well

Whether it’s the initial viewing or the interview stage, it pays to present yourself professionally throughout the whole process of securing a rental property; we don’t mean black tie event standard, but smart casual never hurt anybody. 

Whilst it may seem old-fashioned to some, your prospective landlord is more likely to think “they take care of themselves, so I know they’ll take care of my property”.

Have Your Documentation Ready

There are certain documents that are essential when going through the process of securing a rental property. Not having these documents to hand can cause delays and even leave you missing out to another prospective tenant.

Here are a few documents that will be essential to have available and ensure the process runs smoothly with no delays:

• Proof of identity – Passports and driving licences are both acceptable. If you are coming from abroad, you’ll also need a copy of your visa and associated documents.
• Proof of earnings – You’ll need to provide proof of employment and earnings to prove you can afford the rent. This could include a recent payslip, tax return or employment contract.
• References – Just like when applying for a job, you’ll need to have some references ready for the landlord or letting agency to contact. References often come from previous landlords, employers or friends.

Abode Tip – Check your credit score before your application! Almost every landlord and letting agency will run a credit check to see if they have a record of handling repayments well. A bad rating can result in your application being declined and even lower your rating further.  You can check your credit score for free at Clearscore.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Your Landlord Questions

Coming prepared with a few questions to ask the landlord or letting agency representative shows your interest in the property, also preventing any issues arising further into the tenancy through a misunderstanding. We’ve come up with 6 questions to ask your landlord before moving in to get you started.

Be Responsive

After going through the trouble of viewing, falling in love with and providing all the necessary documentation for the property it would be a shame to miss out because of a few missed calls.

Be sure that you’ve added your landlord or letting agent to your address book, you reply to any comms promptly and return any calls that are missed.

Secure Your Dream Rental Property in Bristol with Abode

At Abode, we make it easy for tenants to find and move into their dream rental properties, why not take a look at some of the properties we currently have available. We also make life easier for landlords, with 3 levels of service ranging from arranging viewings to collecting rent.

For more information on our available properties or services, why not get in touch with one of our friendly team today on 0117 973 8866 or email info@yourabode.co.uk.