Average Americans move around 11 times over the course of their lifetimes. Even if someone moves only half of that amount, they’re still going to be dealing with a lot of apartments for rent and a lot of landlords. Although there are plenty of landlord horror stories, the first role of a prospective tenant is to impress the landlord who is managing the apartment for rent that they desire. It’s a safe bet there are going to be many other tenants applying for that same space, especially if it’s in a desirable neighborhood and is being offered at a great rate. Here are some proactive approaches a tenant can take to impress their next landlord.
Fix A Credit Report
Running a credit report has become standard with most applications for apartments for rent. It might not be the final deciding factor, but it can certainly indicate how a tenant handles their bill paying. A credit score can fall anywhere between 300 and 850. A decent score that hovers around 580 could work for a first-time renter. There might be some “damage” on a credit report that could be easily removed. Repairing those incidents can bump up a score by several points.
Be Prepared For the Deposit
Suppose the ideal apartment for rent requires first and last month rent plus a security deposit. A good tenant will be able to afford that kind of cash outlay without hesitation. Typically, this information will be conveyed in the listing of the apartment. The first meeting with a landlord is not the time to haggle over how much money a tenant can afford to pay. Incidentally, anyone looking at apartments for rent should carry their checkbook with them just in case they need to write those checks on the spot. Acting quickly can make all the difference.
Dress to Impress
Once a tenant moves into an apartment for rent, the landlord doesn’t care what they will be wearing around the house. For that first meeting, however, a tenant should always dress to impress. This doesn’t mean wearing a suit and tie but instead approaching the situation like going on a job interview. What will the landlord think if a tenant shows up in ripped jeans and a T-shirt? Does the outfit show the landlord that this is a responsible person with a good paying job? Perhaps they are, but if the potential tenant looks sloppy, the landlord won’t know.
Punctuality Matters
Just as dressing to impress a landlord matters, so does punctuality. As with everyone else, a landlord will have a busy schedule. Even a delay of fifteen minutes can throw off their entire day. That is why showing up on time is crucial to impress a landlord. No one wants to hear about getting stuck in traffic.
Finally, a tenant shouldn’t keep secrets from their landlord. That includes pets. Either the apartment for rent is pet-friendly or it isn’t. There won’t be a lot of middle ground with the landlord.