Competition for rental properties can be tough at the best of times but in the post pandemic marketplace it’s anyone’s game. Although renting does give you the flexibility to choose where you want to live and the freedom to change your lifestyle as regularly as you like, it also leaves you at the mercy of property managers, who are doing their best to try and help landlords select the best tenant for their property.
It may be too late for some but if you are renting now and know you’ll be moving again in the future, now is the time to put your best foot forward, play the long game and learn how to be a good tenant for the sake of your next rental application. There are some key things you can do consistently that will keep you in your current property manager’s good books and ensure a good reference at the end of your current tenancy.
Pay your rent on time.
On oldie but a goodie – it’s literally the simplest and most effective thing you can do. Rent that is regularly overdue will definitely be frowned upon by your agent. During your tenancy they will go through the usual procedures their agency has in place – emailing to advise your rent is late, calling etc. but if you have annoyed them enough by doing this consistently, they will most likely pass that information on to the next agency that queries your tenancy history.
It’s important to keep the lines of communication open about this with your property manager as prompt payment and updating will keep them in the loop – in most cases they are understanding, as long as they know what your situation is. Your best-case scenario is to know the routine and pay your rent on time – this includes paying rent earlier, if your payment method will take a few days to be processed, and using the correct reference numbers as codes so they can trace your payment to your property each month.
Take care of the property.
Scuff marks on the wall and a few scratches on the floor from dining chairs being moved regularly are to be expected as general wear and tear in a rental property. There are incidental wear and tear items that can be attended to as part of general property maintenance and upgrades, once you move out. Carpets are replaced every few years and landlords will often decide to paint a property, between tenancies, to keep it fresh and justify market standard rent increases.