There may have been a time when good references and a deposit were all you needed to get yourself a rental home, but in 2024 you’ll need to bring far more to the table.
New research from Rightmove shows that agents in the UK receive 19 enquiries from prospective tenants per available home — double the pre-pandemic average of eight.
In some areas though, the situation is even worse, with Wrexham being revealed as the busiest rental market across the country at a whopping 54 enquiries for each rental property.
Glasgow and Bristol followed closely behind in the ranking with 52 and 51 enquiries per property respectively, despite advertised monthly rents skyrocketing past the £1,000 mark in both cities (compared to £967pm in Wrexham).
It’s all to do with demand continuing to grow while supply has dropped 32% since 2019. As such, more of us are vying for the places that do crop up, which for renters can feel like fighting a losing battle of endless phone calls and cancelled viewings.
It’s depressing and demoralising, but unfortunately in the current climate, you need to set yourself apart from the competition to ensure you snag your dream home.
So, we spoke to letting agents for their insider tips that’ll give you the edge.
Move fast
Before you even get to the stage of applying for a property, you need to be quick off the mark in registering interest – and being able to sign on the dotted line ASAP helps too.
James Forrester, Managing Director of Barrows and Forrester, tells Metro.co.uk: ‘Proactivity is key, and not only do you need to apply as soon as possible, but ensure you are ready to move in right away, while also providing a degree of flexibility if required.’
It’s all about making the agent or landlord’s life that bit easier.
Add a personal touch
While there’s no need to share your life story, some insight into you as a person helps make your application stand out.
James comments: ‘Your background, hobbies and employment status can help paint a picture of who you are as a person and what you’re likely to be like as a tenant.’
Keep it professional; steer clear of mentioning your love of late night partying and aversion to tidying up, for one.
Get references in order
Alongside your own account of your tenancy potential, include recommendations from others to bolster your chances.
‘References are a great way to get ahead and having a good write up from a previous landlord will instantly elevate you above those who don’t,’ says James.
‘A guarantor will also provide an additional layer of comfort to landlords, so if you can get one, all the better.’
Show you care
Director of Benham and Reeves, Marc von Grundherr, tells Metro.co.uk: ‘Time and time again, we see tenants turn up to a viewing late and traipse around showing little to no emotion.
‘Always be on time and show a genuine interest. After all, it’s someone’s property you are looking at and they may be more inclined to let to someone who actually wants to live there will appreciate it fully.’
It helps your case if the landlords or agent can put a (smiling) face to a name on a stack of applications, and by respecting their time you signal you’re a respectful person overall.
And even if this property isn’t ‘the one’, politeness at the viewing could pay off further down the line.
‘If needs be, fake an interest,’ adds Mark.
‘You’d be surprised how often a tenant disregards a property almost immediately, before returning later once it’s already been let as they simply can’t find anything else suitable in their desired area.
‘While you’re always likely to miss the boat in this instance, you may also find that your less than enthusiastic approach to begin with puts you at the back of the waiting list.’
Don’t try to negotiate down
‘Unfortunately, money makes the rental market turn and so you really need to be prepared to pay asking price, if not more,’ says James
‘Trying to negotiate on price is unlikely to put you top of the pile and the reality is, regardless of how good a tenant you are, there are plenty more out there willing to pay the price required to secure a property.’
Read the room when it comes to the offer you ultimately make. Asking price or above may be best, but going way and beyond this in the hopes of securing a place when you’re the only interested party isn’t ideal either.
In some cases, it may be helpful to start with the asking price but let the agent know you’re open to negotiation. It all depends on the situation.
Ask for a longer tenancy
Even if a higher rent is out of the question for you, a longer tenancy is an attractive prospect for many landlords.
Mark says: ‘While most landlords are comfortable with as short as six months as an initial tenancy agreement, don’t be afraid to ask for longer.
‘Committing to a longer agreement shows you’re serious and it also prevents the landlord from having to find new tenants for a longer period – everyone’s a winner.’
If all else fails, manage expectations
Sometimes you put your best foot forward, do everything right, and still it isn’t enough.
There may have been another candidate who pipped you to the post with their viewing charisma, or perhaps the landlord was looking for something different. In reality, however, the decision may have been made due to cold, hard cash.
‘It will ultimately come down to three things – paperwork, good credit and a sufficient income,’ says James.
Ensuring you have documents pre-prepared and a deposit saved will stand to you, yet a bad credit score or low, unstable income could be what clinches the rejection.
So if you keep coming up against the same issue in your search, it may be time to consider looking in a different area or for cheaper properties.
Being a tenant right now is a sad state of affairs, but when you need somewhere to live, all you can do is try, try again.
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