Get any Rental You Choose by Being the Dream Tenant

Talk to any number of landlords, and there are bound to be a few with some pretty horrendous tales to tell about some of their tenants. This means that as a potential tenant, you’ve got a lot of obstacles in your way. If you want to be able to secure your dream rental property, you have to show potential landlords that you’re the best tenant possible. Here are some tips to help you do just that.

• Prepare for the Viewing
Treat the rental viewing as an interview and aim to create the best impression possible. Think about what you’re going to wear and be careful what you say. You don’t need to dress as if you’re going to church but at the very least dress nicely. Make sure you arrive a couple of minutes early as it’s common courtesy. It also shows that you’re punctual in your habits and this can indicate you’ll be punctual when it comes to paying the rent.

• Work on Your Credit Score
A prospective landlord is going to check your credit history, so make sure it’s in good order. Getting a good credit score is easier than you think. For example, a secured prepaid credit card used once a month, and the bill paid on time can increase your credit score in a big way. You’re legally entitled to check your credit history at least once a year, and if it’s not looking healthy, you should do something about it. Collection agencies, such as Portfolio Recovery Associates, have to validate any debt and are obliged to remove negative information from your credit report if it can’t be proved.

• Be Prepared
A property owner or manager is obliged to treat every potential tenant equally under Fair Housing laws. This means they’re not permitted to discriminate, limit or show any preference. A landlord is therefore very likely to accept the first candidate who meets their requirements. Not being prepared with all the correct documentation may mean you’re pipped at the post. Always take your residential history, employment history, vehicle information, and personal references.

• Suggest a Pet Interview
Are you one of the many millions who share their life with a pet. Unfortunately, landlords don’t always take kindly to these furry or feathered tenants and often choose to avoid them completely. If you’re lucky enough to find a landlord who will happily accept your four-legged companion, you can increase their peace of mind by suggesting a pet interview. If you allow a prospective landlord to meet your pooch or feline friends and see for themselves how well-behaved and friendly they are you’re off to a great start.

• Understand What Makes a Great Tenant
Knowing what it takes to make you a great tenant is going to help you find your dream home. To start with, and this is possibly the most important requirement, you have to pay your rent on time. Any tenant who doesn’t do so deserves the title of ‘terrible renter.’ If you’re worried, you might forget, then set up an auto-pay system.
Your landlord is not going to take it very well if you force his other tenants to move out because of your less than unsavory habits. Don’t deal drugs or hang your laundry on the deck. Think twice before you hang a sheet in the window for a curtain because such a cheap way of living is not going to go down too well with your neighbors.
Pests can be a real problem if you’re in the habit of picking up free furniture from the sidewalk or bringing home boxes from stores and restaurants. Bed bugs, cockroaches and other unwanted pests love to hitch a ride in these items, and once they’re in your apartment, they’ll soon find their way into everyone else’s.

If you’re expecting extra people to be living with you, even if it’s only for a week or two, let your landlord know as far in advance as possible. They might decide to increase your rent a little, but it’s better than not saying anything and another tenant filling them in on the facts. Guests might also include any extra pets you decide you want to offer a forever home to.

Being considerate of your neighbors is something else that’s expected. Many of the other tenants in your apartment building will work a typical day job. This means they’re going to appreciate some peace and quiet when they go to bed. It’s likely that you’re sharing walls, ceilings and floors with your neighbors and your music, shoot-’em-up video games, and loud TV are going to be their noise too.

Follow these tips, and you’ll be showing your landlord that you’re a responsible tenant with enough money to pay the rent.