Finding the apartment or rental of your dreams can be a long process. You first have to pour over plenty of listings, contact rental agencies or landlords, and then apply. Often approval for an apartment or rental comes down to the landlord’s judgement and an excellent rental application. The rental application is one of the most crucial elements of getting approved for a home. That’s why we want to help you out by giving some advice on filling out an excellent rental application.
3 Tips for Filling Out a Rental Application
Fill Out Everything on the Application
We understand finding the phone number for your landlord from 2 years ago can be a pain, but it’s very important to completely fill out all parts of the rental application despite the legwork. Your potential landlord is not going to want to search to find your previous employer’s number or call you to remind you that you left a few items blank, they will simply just move on to the next application. So be thorough and fill out all applicable items on your application.
Have Everything Ready Before Putting Pen to Paper
If you want an accurate application, it is best to have everything ready before you start, or even before contacting a landlord. Every rental application is different but most will require employer history, rental history, pay slips, rent receipts, credit score or history, proof of address, identification and more. If you have all of these ready to go, the application process will go much more smoothly and you might impress the landlord by being so prepared.
Don’t Lie
You may think your landlord won’t cross check your rental history or employer references but they likely will, especially if you’re in a competitive market. Don’t lie about anything on your rental application such as employer history, don’t put your mom as a personal reference, and don’t make up stats about your income. If a landlord finds that you’ve lied on an application, they will likely just toss it in the trash.
If you follow the above steps, you will likely have a great looking rental application and will be at the top of the applicant pile. Fill out the application thoroughly, be prepared, and don’t lie to get into the apartment of your dreams.
