Here are our hot tips for surviving the rental heatwave!
Have you been looking for a rental property over the summer months in Canberra? While Canberra cools down after a record-breaking heat in the past weeks, Canberra’s real estate is still scorching -particularly for rental properties. If you’ve gone property hunting this summer, you’re probably used to seeing over 30 people showing the same level of interest in the rental you’ve had your heart set on.
A shortage of rental properties and vacancy rate under 1 per cent means the demand versus supply is at an all-time high. Locals are also competing with an influx of people moving to Canberra for employment opportunities.
With this in mind, here are my hot summer tips to survive the rental heatwave!
It is recommended that if you see a listing that suits your needs online, you need to make the advertised showing time. It’s likely that the first showing is the last.
What can you do to help secure a rental?
Complete the application forms before the showing and submit them to the property manager.
www.1form.com.au is what most agencies use for applications and it’s free to use for all prospective tenants.
- Complete the forms in full and provide as much information as possible – too much information is never too much!
- If you cannot make the advertised showing can you send someone on your behalf? Most property managers will allow this. Some agents will even arrange facetime showings for interstate people. If you don’t ask, you will never know.
- Make sure your available start date is as close to the listed available date.
- Please read the advertisement carefully and look at the images provided, that is all the information the agents have to first introduce the property to the public. If you need to know more go to the showing and check your specs personally.
Are you a group tenancy?
Everyone needs to start somewhere and most groups tend to find it harder than a family or couple to be the successful applicants for a rental home. You need to make your group stand out but also be realistic at the same time. Write a cover letter introducing each person from the group and explain the dynamics of your group. Look for rentals that would suit a group – there are plenty of perfect group houses available. If you see a home more suited to a family set up, it is likely the owners will gravitate to the family who apply over a group of say four people.
Do you have pets?
Most landlords and property managers will ‘consider’ pets. Again you need to be realistic. A small courtyard home for three large dogs isn’t going to pass with an owner but a smaller dog or cat that you have may suit the courtyard. Provide some personal information on your pet(s). Provide some pictures of your beloved animals and perhaps also the condition of the gardens in the current property that you reside in. You need to build rapport with the agent and owner and this is the perfect way to again stand out from your competition.
How long can you rent for?
This time of year if you are unable to commit to a 12-month lease where someone else can, you are going to miss out. Owners want to keep their tenancies switching over when the market is at its peak. Having a lease end in the middle of Canberra’s Winter when no one is moving to the frozen Capital is not in the owners’ best interest to optimise their investment returns.
If there is an option on the listing to REGISTER your information via the website advertisement, please do this. This is the best way to be informed on the listing and the progress of the letting of the property.
Good luck Canberra, it’s a busy time for you and also for property managers, stay patient and do not be disheartened that you miss out on the first place you look at. There are so many good tenants out there, the decision to pick just the one is very hard for the owner and property manager.
This is a sponsored article, though all opinions are the author’s own. For more information on paid content, see our sponsored content policy.
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