You may be looking for a rental home and you are not sure where to begin. You want to make yourself an attractive tenant so that you can rent a place in a nice neighbourhood with a good landlord. So how do you make yourself as a tenant appeal to someone who is showing a rental property so that they will accept you as a tenant? Here is what most landlords will be looking for.
1. The ability to pay
A landlord wants to know that a new tenant will be financially responsible. The landlord wants to know that you can afford the rent and may ask for proof of income. Often they will want to see that your income is about three times the cost of rent as that should be enough to ensure that you will be able to pay rent on top of any other expenses you may have.
2. Paying rent on time
A landlord wants to ensure that he has a tenant who will pay rent on time every month and not make excuses for late payments. If you are moving into a new place take the time to discuss, without going into personal financial information, how you plan to pay rent and that it will be on time every month. Offer to provide post-dated checks or discuss paying rent online through an email money transfer so that you can set up automatic payments. This will help set the landlord’s mind at ease about rent being paid.
3. Highlight your clean lifestyle
Landlords want tenants who will take care of their property. When you move into a place it should be clean and you want to ensure the landlord that you will keep it clean and leave it clean when you are ready to move out.
Ensure the landlord that you are a neat and tidy person who takes pride in your home. On that note, make sure that you dress appropriately when you go to view the property. You want to present yourself in a clean and respectable manner.
4. Offer References
You often need references to move into a new place and if you offer them upfront it will assure the landlord that you have nothing to hide. IF you are a first time renter and do not have any previous landlords, you can always offer character references or ask your boss at work to be used as a reference. If you find someone who can speak to your character and work ethic it can put you a step above other potential renters.
5. Communicate
You will want to show off your communication skills right from the start. This way your landlord knows that you will communicate about any issues but that you will not seem needy. A landlord will love good communication but does not want a high maintenance tenant.
If there are major repairs to be done ensure you contact the landlord. If the shower bar falls down you can probably screw it back in yourself.
Make sure you consider what issues need to be dealt with by the landlord and what you can do on your own to save both of you time and hassle.
6. Follow the terms of the lease
If you have a lease that states there is no smoking in the house and you have a friend over who smokes, make sure they go outside. It is your responsibility to ensure that all parts of the lease terms are met. Do not get a pet without passing it by the landlord even if the lease has no specifications about pets. It is important to respect that this is still someone else’s property and it may be something they have not really thought of. 
Do not hold obnoxious parties that will disturb neighbours or other tenants and always be respectful of noise bylaws for the neighbourhood.
If you do not follow the terms of the lease or if you fail to pay rent the landlord has grounds for eviction. A landlord always appreciates a great tenant and if you are that great tenant there may even be bonuses for you like a small appreciation gift for taking care of the property.