Property we want (rental) has very high demand

[radishing]

How do you convince a landlord to pick your application to rent their flat?
Seen a flat of our dreams up for rent, and would be very keen to rent it. Even without viewing it.

How can we get the landlord to pick our offer? We match 90% of what the landlord is looking for. But due to covid and my husband being self employed, we won't meet the income of 30 x rent. My mum is very happy to be our guarantor and earns enough.

We have plenty of savings, enough to show we could rent for the next few years. We want the flat for at least one, maybe two or longer years.

The only other thing we can think of, is to offer to pay the year's rent upfront.

Or offer slightly more than asking price?

Our current rental was in high demand. I wrote a letter to the landlord along with our application. Explaining what it would mean to us to get the property, with a reference from my old landlord to show we never missed rent and cared for the property, and a little about us. I want to show community connections and that we could be trusted. It work for us!

Does it have a garden? If it has a garden you're likely to be up against people with pets (if the ad doesn't specify they're prohibited) therefore you'd have an advantage if you don't have pets.

As paying rent is basically optional at the moment ( no penalty) that offer of a year in advance might be worth it. Make sure you have a tenancy to match and that the money is ring fenced if there is an agent.

Paying six months up front, signing a long lease, offering over all may work.
I want someone who will pay on time and maintain my property. I don't really care about the emotional bit. Reference from previous landlord is a basic requirement I would have thought.

By all means write a letter/email like Haribo mentions (especially detailing your local connections and how long you intend to stay) and include references, but don't offer 12 months upfront this is generally seen as a red flag amongst LLs.

Good luck!

Yes don’t offer rent up front it d a huge red flag and a headache from a money laundering perspective

Hang on, your income needs to be 30 times your rent?!

The government needs to sort this country's rental landscape out pronto.

The money up front being a red flag - absolutely yes in normal times, it is a drug dealer tactic. But at the moment when landlords could be forced to house a non payer for two years - I'm not sure.

Fortunately I have decent tenants and insurance, and when they decide to leave thats it. The business is way too risky now.

@Puntastic

Hang on, your income needs to be 30 times your rent?!

The government needs to sort this country's rental landscape out pronto.

I was surprised by this too, it must be over a year though? Eg rent of £800, income annually must be £24k. Can’t be monthly!!

Good reference from previous landlord, and perhaps one from your DH’s accountant, guarantor, willing to sign for 12 months, though happy to have a six month break, no pets, indicate an interest in it being your long term home, no CCJs, a love of gardening, take the property as soon as it becomes vacant, even if some necessary maintenance works then need to be done around you.

I would offer that if it suits the landlord you could pay six months in advance. (Rent in advance can be a red flag.) Ditto DIY. If your husband is in a trade, fair enough. I would love to rent to a plumber. But I have suffered my share of bodgers . If you offer, stress that any works would only be carried out with the landlords permission.

I'd have thought offering to pay over the asked for rent would be a winner. So go £50 a month over what they've asked for.

@NickyHeath I guess that makes a tad more sense, but seems unnecessary and quite prejudicial against the self employed etc. I also can't imagine it's terribly helpful- whether it is affordable or not depends on what outgoings there are, I'd have thought.

If there is 'very high demand' there is likely to be more than one person who is 100% what they want, not 90%.

So probably not much you can do. Definitely don't offer to pay a year in advance.

@Puntastic

Hang on, your income needs to be 30 times your rent?!

The government needs to sort this country's rental landscape out pronto.

It's a typo - income is usually 3x rent. So if rent is £800 a month your income should be at least £2400 a month.

OP if you can show that you have savings then it shouldn't matter too much about the income. They basically just want to know that you can pay the rent.

The problem around here is that properties are just snapped up and landlords don't want to spend longer than necessary finding a tenant. They will often go with the first people who meet their requirements. So my advice if you love the property would be simply to get in there as quickly as you can.

Have all the paperwork together which proves that you have savings, can pay the rent, have a guarantor, and also a reference from your previous landlord. Email it all over along with your expression of interest and state when you can move in. Good luck!

Do you have a viewing booked already?

Is it through an agency or a private let?

If it is due to COVID, is it only last financial year that you didn’t make 30x rent? If you can show that previously you did, are likely to again (the business still exists and should bounce back) and you have a guarantor then you are in no worse a position than the next person.

30x rent on a £1000 a month rental (for easy figures) is £30,000. That is a monthly take-home pay of around £2000.

We have a viewing later, but apparently there are over 20 people also viewing the property

Would it be a good idea to tell the estate agent at the viewing that we are very serious about it?

"If your client desires, we are able to pay 6 months or 12 months up front" But also happy with guarantor etc.

I think your best chance is the offer to pay 6/12months up front. LL's biggest fear is not getting the rent, particularly right now as it takes so long to evict.

Money up front can really appeal if the landlord has cash flow issues, is coming to the end of a fixed term mortgage, or similar.

You won't know, so its worth offering.

It's a typo - income is usually 3x rent.

It’s likely not a typo. We had to meet the 30 x rent requirement as well but it is yearly, not monthly.

Rent £1800 meant we had to earn at least £54,000 per year.

As a landlord, I would choose a prospective tenant who I thought might be handy/good at DIY, it's fantastic when a tenant can just sort a small repair themselves and I can reimburse for materials, instead of having to get a tradesman/ handyman for every little thing.

30 x rent has been standard for years.

I take it your Mum owns her own home? I personally always offer rent in advance (plus an increased deposit) as I'm a disabled lone parent with pets.

Ideally it's a good idea to speak wirh the landlord directly so that you can get an idea of what they might want, and they can get a "feel" for you.

I would suggest emphasising that you have a guarantor and substantial savings, but if the owner still has any concerns you would be willing to pay some months upfront

Have all your financial details laid out in one document ready to go

If you like the flat tell them right away you would like to take it. If you are lucky they will want to save themselves some work and not do the rest of the viewings. This happened to me last year.

Good luck!