Tips for being accepted on a rental?

dg121

Hi All,

Hoping there may be some landlords / estate agents here or anyone with prior experience who might be able to help me out.

I'm moving soon to a new city and am looking to apply for a rental that I absolutely love and is perfect for me location wise for my new work. I'm going to be competing with 1-2 others for the place and the agent has told me that they put all offers to the landlord to choose who they want. I might be a little disadvantaged in that I'm self-employed and wondering if such things may concern the landlord when they have the option of regularly employed tenants.

In what kind of ways can I help myself stand out from the others and make it more likely that the landlord chooses my application over the others, assuming all will be applying at the same rent price offer? Curious to hear what are the key things that might make the difference.
My initial thoughts was to put a cover letter together to go with the standard application documents introducing myself to the landlord (single, no dependents, no pets, will work in the health sector, etc), stating why I love the property, perhaps offering a longer term than 12 months, offering X amount of months up front to appease on the self-employed concern.

Is this a good idea and are there any other suggestions that might help? Appreciate any advice.

Cakeguts

Information about your previous tenancy perhaps?  To be honest as a landlord myself I would still want the people who are employed if they could afford the rent over someone who was self employed if the self employed person couldn't prove how they were going to afford the rent. 

Good properties with good landlords let easily and for longer than 12 months anyway. 

dg121

Thanks Cakeguts, yeah information about the previous tenancy is part of the application form.
What would help a self-employed person in terms of proof of income beyond 3 years previous tax returns and perhaps an offer of paying a chunk of rent up front?

AdrianC

dg121 said:

I'm moving soon to a new city and am looking to apply for a rental that I absolutely love and is perfect for me location wise for my new work.

If this property is available and being marketed now, how do you know it's going to still be available at this point in the future when you'll be actively looking?

I'm going to be competing with 1-2 others for the place

How do you know that's all that'll apply? It may just be you, it may be a few dozen.

I might be a little disadvantaged in that I'm self-employed and wondering if such things may concern the landlord when they have the option of regularly employed tenants.

So long as you've got a track record of your self-employment, I wouldn't have any issue (I'm a landlord who's been self-employed for decades).

In what kind of ways can I help myself stand out from the others and make it more likely that the landlord chooses my application over the others, assuming all will be applying at the same rent price offer? Curious to hear what are the key things that might make the difference.

When I've had a choice of potential tenants, one thing that's helped the decision is to look and think "Why isn't this person buying? Are they likely to be?" - if it seems that, in their place, mortgage affordability would be straightforward, I'll lean away from them, because I suspect my property will be a stopgap while they look.

I turned one tenant down precisely because their income was 60% of the flat's value, and whose job was secure and established. The tenant I took instead has been there for five years, and has first-refusal to buy if and when he can borrow - his self-employment is legit but non-traditional.

My initial thoughts was to put a cover letter together to go with the standard application documents introducing myself to the landlord (single, no dependents, no pets, will work in the health sector, etc), stating why I love the property

It can't hurt...

perhaps offering a longer term than 12 months, offering X amount of months up front to appease on the self-employed concern.

Hmm.
Longer fixed-period tenancies are a bad thing for landlords if the tenant turns out iffy. Landlords WANT good tenants to be long-term tenants, anyway...
And a large up-front is no use if the tenant then doesn't pay the rent monthly... plus it's a ruse often used by people who wish to use the property for less-than-legitimate purposes.

dg121

Thanks for the comments Adrian, very useful. In answer to your first couple questions, I'm viewing stuff virtually now via a contact in the city (agent are fine with this) so I have something lined up for when I move. The agent have told me it's just me and a couple others right now.

AdrianC

What timescale are you looking at? When will you be ready to sign a tenancy?

It might be a couple of others "right now", but if they have a busy day... They could have several more people saying "Yes, we'll take it, ready to sign immediately" by lunchtime.

theartfullodger

A high income backed by genuine payslips and bank statements, no CCJs, good references, no or very minor pets (eg stick insect), calm polite and smart appearance. Happy with just 6 month initial tenancy. Prompt and honest replies to any queries.  Flexible start date.  Content with contents, no requirement for changes to property. Initial month's rent and deposit available any time.

Suggestions please on how to be an acceptable landlord.

dg121

I'm virtually viewing today and will be making my decision on it today too.
Seems there's no need to worry about offering a longer tenancy then. It's listed as "long term" ideally, so just offer a standard 12 months but make it known I intend to stay long term and not looking to buy anytime soon?