How to secure a rental property in a tight market

In a tight property market, finding a suitable rental is not an easy job - you’re competing against many other tenants for not enough houses.

Property managers will go as far as checking your social media to ensure you’re the right candidate.

OneRoof reveals top things property managers check for before picking a perfect tenant for the property.

Appropriate social media

Dunedin’s Nidd Reality director Liz Nidd says social media plays a big role and can be a deal-breaker when choosing the right candidate.

“People need to understand that if they are using a professional company the search will go as far as their Facebook pages.”

There have been cases, Nidd says, where after a social media scroll, the agency decides to “never ever” allow the tenant into their properties.

Tenants need to keep in mind how they portray themselves on social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

“You normally trust your gut feeling. It’s not rocket science,” Nidd explains.

A newsfeed filled with party pictures or a profile photo of you passed out in the bush is not going to get you far in the rental search.

“Do they look like responsible tenants? Are they the kind of people that you are going to get calls about from the neighbours every weekend about noise or noisy vehicles?” she says.

Write a letter

Vendors who are looking for tenants to live in their house have an emotional attachment to their property, so want to know you are that responsible someone who will take care of the place.

Nidd encourages potential tenants, especially families, to personalise their application by telling the landlord and the agents their story.

Tell a bit about yourself and those who will be living in the house, share your hobbies, your passions, why you’d love to live there and why it’s important for you to be a successful tenant for this property.

“In a market like this you just have to use every trick in a book and try everything if you want to be a successful tenant.”

If you have a pet, write your pet a resume too or include a picture of it in the letter to up your chances.

Have clean record and references

It’s no surprise that it’s important to have good references when looking for a rental property.

But good references could be selective. To get a bigger picture, some property management companies use a shared service which has all your renting records.

“I don’t think people realise how intense of a background check this is,” Nidd says.

They can source up to 12 years of tenancy tribunal decisions. If you have history of a rental problem where a property was not cleaned up well enough and did not get your bond back, that's also on the record.

“Having a bad debt record is never a goodie,” she says.

However, the final decision falls on to the property manager and their personal assessment to decide if you’re suitable.

Show up on time

Don’t underestimate the power of showing up on time.

Give yourself enough time to get to the appointed location and find parking.

Emergencies happen but remember to communicate with them with the agent and ask if the appointment can be rescheduled.

Ghosting is a big no-no.

But unfortunately, it happens a lot in property management, Nidd says.

“We see a dozen people a month who make appointments to view the property and just don’t show up. We hear nothing and it shows absolutely no respect to the agent.”

If you don’t turn up to a viewing but then want to view another property with the same agency – just know your name is already on the naughty list.

“We are unlikely to rent another property to you because you are unreliable,” Nidd says.