what to include in an offer to rent letter

[ticket123]

If you're a landlord or estate agent what do you want to see in an offer letter?

I'm looking for somewhere to rent and it's a competitive and expensive market so need to move quickly when I find somewhere

I asked an agent the other day whether landlords care about the 'calibre' (so to speak) of tenants and she said no but this can't be true?!

I would of course include what I want to pay and my income etc but what else should I say?

What you want to pay? surely the Property has a price and you either apply on the basis of paying that price or you dont apply.

Why are you writing a letter rather than applying using an application form?

An application form? I've never heard of this.

And yes. If something is advertised at £1340 and I want to pay £1300 then that's what I'll offer, for example

as a landlord I do care, although would be surprised to get a letter. In no particular order, what I want is:

• non smoker
• has run a home previously, so knows how to look after a place (ventilate, heat etc etc) and will spot problems that I need to fix and tell me. Able to change lightbulbs.
• will let me have access by previous agreed arrangement for gas safe, repairs etc.
• if pets, has workrounds for all the problems. e.g if they work and have a dog, there is a dog-sitter or day care. If they've got a cat, there's a bigger deposit.
• the kind of person I'd like to live next door to, so I don't get upset neighbours. So knows rubbish goes in the bin or to the tip, not left on the front garden. Knows that noise should not be heard outside the property. Stuff like that.

not mentioning 'pays the rent on time' because to do otherwise is theft, and I definitely wouldn't want someone in that category.

One never heard of an offer letter, or debating rent - especially in a fast paced market!

it's a competitive and expensive market

So you'll offer £40 less in a competitive, expensive market on a £1300 a month property and expect to be taken seriously? Really? For the sake of £40 you'll blow your chances? Huh.

What a bizarre concept

Writing an offer letter for a flat makes it sound like you are doing the landlord a great honour by choosing his property to live in- if it's a fast market the complete reverse is closer to the truth.

Who are you planning to give the letter to anyway? It's unlikely you'd have access to contact the landlord directly and I suspect agent won't bother passing it on.

As for the - I'll offer what I want to pay- good luck with that!

I'm surprised you're surprised! This is quite normal.

You like a place, you make an offer which the agent passes on. What do you guys do - ring up and just pass on a phone message?

None of you have ever negotiated on price, length of tenancy, conditions of tenancy, furnishings, decoration before possession etc?

I was hoping for some top tips. Never mind

Thanks Special.

And I got £75 a month off the place I last rented. Nearly a grand a year. Might not be a lot to you rudeelf but it's a holiday to us

No offer letter but as a landlord I would prioritise those who don't quibble on the price, can provide evidence of regular past, on time payments, happy for me to do a credit check etc. I also had one tenant who was a carpenter and I was planning on swapping out the kitchen and he offered to install it for free - tempting but full of potential pitfalls. I did rent to him in the end but not due to kitchen fitting offer more as he was best placed in Terms of checks and able to move quickly and so minimal void time for me.

I have never heard of an actual letter being passed on. You call the agent, so does everyone else who's interested and they pass on the details of the potential candidates to the landlord.

Who has told you this is normal practice?

The agent will check your salary, availability to move etc beforehand and, if the landlord chooses you, they do the credit checks/ reference checks.

In a fast market there's simply no time for a bit of quaint letter writing.

Equally, if it's a fast market you are very unlikely to get a discount- by all means ask but if there are lots of other people interested in the property you won't get a discount and are very likely to be overlooked even at the full price as you are likely to be considered 'demanding' by the landlord.

If a property has been on the market for ages then there's obviously scope for negotiations.

£40 is loads to me but if youre looking at £1340 a month property you're not short of a bob or two. Hardly worth risking losing the property you want in the opening application for £40.

Are you in the Uk?

Where i am you call agent and ask to view property, you view it, (ask all relevant questions including whether there is negotiation on price) decide if you want to apply, go to agent and pick up a form. Fill in form with details of all occupants, your employment history, your guarantor details, your references and a bit for you to add additional info (for me i say that i am a cleaner and extrememly house proud, we are a shoes off household etc. dog is confined to kitchen and willing to pay extra deposit for him.) then you leave the form in with your application fee and credit check fee and wait to be contacted.

Yes in the uk. Have never seen a form!

Should I have said 'offer email'? Probably. I'd email it over.

Agents round here seem to expect it. Maybe it varies by area.

And making offers must vary by area too

An agent told me yesterday the flat I was viewing had had an offer £100 below what was being asked. That was rejected for various reasons but that the landlord was open to offers.

It's expensive and good places go quick but there is piss taking wirh prices asked for of course

Never ever heard of sending a letter to a LL. One of our local agents insists you apply for the property including credit check and fees before viewing but it is still a form.

If you are looking at a LL managed property you just call the LL and ask to view. No forms to fill in, just view it and if happy to apply just tell them and they weigh you up against their other applicants.

If the LLs are open to offers then i'd say the market isnt as competitive as you are being led to believe. Sometimes they tell you that to get you to act quick, take the property and dont ask for reduction.

When I was overseas my letting agent passed on application forms and in one case a specific letter. In that one it was because I'd said no pets and they wanted to have an occasional visiting dog and offered to have carpets and soft furnishings professionally cleaned when they moved out. I took them as I appreciated their honesty and not just trying to smuggle they dog in outside of the planned inspections.

Turning up at the agents office used to be the norm! If the agent has told you what someone else has offered on the rent then it isn't a competitive market ime. It just indicates someone else thought they were asking too much.

I rented from when I was 17 till 26 I never once offered an amount! Renting is so competitive you fill in your application form on the property you want and hope for the best!

I offered £50pm less than the asking rent on our last property and offered to move in ASAP and was accepted so I would say it's worth asking depending on where you are located.

On the property we are moving into tomorrow, I didn't. It's a lovely house and I knew 4 other people were viewing it. With this in mind, the night before the viewing I listed all the reasons they should let it to us. Things like 'we have always received our full deposit back after leaving a property as we always look after it', our intention to stay there for a long time, the fact that our credit file is clean as a whistle and we have excellent references etc. I printed it off, put it in an envelope and gave it to the landlady after the viewing. They decided they wanted us to have it. Maybe it is unusual but if you really want it and there's competition, you need to do something to get ahead.