A Great Rental Reference – Why Do I Need One and How Do I Get It?

Stand out from the crowd

It’s no exaggeration to suggest that the current rental market is… competitive, and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is rife as renters hip and shoulder their way through dozens of fellow applicants at each property. So, it’s more important now than ever to find a way of standing out from the crowd (in a good way, no clown suits) with a killer application. As part of said killer application, a wannabe tenant will have a rental reference or two from previous rental providers to assure any prospective rental providers of an exemplary rental history.

Great, easy, done!

Hold on there, sport, not so fast. Scoring a glowing rental reference requires some effort and consideration on your part first.

Ponying up

Let’s start with the obvious, RENT – for the love of budgeting, pay it on time. Your rental provider is banking on a reliable and ongoing income stream, so make this a priority. Agent’s will request a copy of your payment ledger from previous leasing agents to confirm your past payment history. This is a tamper-proof document that records the exact date of every payment.

Spray and wipe

There’s no place like home and a good renter cares for their home as if they owned it. Keep it clean, maintain garden areas if required to, and make sure the ‘floordrobe’ has been cleared during routine inspections. Regular cleaning of bathrooms and kitchens throughout your rental tenure makes eventually retrieving your bond a whole lot easier too.

Honesty is the best policy

As they say in the classics, sometimes s*%t happens, and accidents occur. As tempting as it may be to sweep the incident under the carpet (maybe even literally…) step-up and report it to your helpful portfolio manager for advice on how to get things repaired. Big respect for honesty.

Your best self

Your portfolio manager is not your unofficial servant, even if they are called Jeeves, Pennyworth or Benson. They are there to be a helpful conduit between landlords and tenants and deserve your very best manners at all times. Acting in an entitled, rude or outrageously demanding manner will score zero brownie points, with no gold star on an end of lease reference.

No rental providers wants a renter with a sketchy payment history, or a track record of leaving homes in a state of disrepair. An ideal renter is genuinely prized, often being favoured over those choosing to offer a higher rent, so do yourself a favour and be the very best renter you can be!

Are you currently on the hunt for the perfect rental property? See what Real Lifestyle we have available today!