Like many firsts in life, landing your first rental lease can be challenging.<\/strong><\/p>\n Landlords use rental histories to find the most reliable tenant for their home, which means first-time renters are at a disadvantage when it comes to securing a property \u2013 especially when there\u2019s lots of competition for a home and all the other applicants have rental histories. <\/span><\/p>\n So what can you do to get a rental lease if you\u2019ve never had one before?<\/span><\/p>\n Finding a rental<\/strong> can be challenging.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Fortunately, supplying a clean rental history is far from the only way to prove your reliability, explains Julie Tagg, property manager of Paul Flynn Property Group in Queensland. <\/span><\/p>\n Here are her five top tips to help you secure your first lease:<\/span><\/p>\n Above all else, landlords want to make sure that you\u2019ll pay your rent on time.<\/span><\/p>\n One of the easiest ways to give them peace of mind is to find a guarantor \u2013 someone who can support your application and promise to pay your rental payments should you fail to meet them. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYoung people in particular may get a guarantor \u2013 parents or a family member \u2013 to back their application, which gives a guarantee the rent will be paid on time,\u201d says Tagg.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIncome may be tight and offering a guarantor can give young people that all-important start in the rental market.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRemember, once you have six months on your rental record, you are on your way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Many rental offices will insist on tenants using a direct debit payment system for rent. But, even if it isn\u2019t required, it helps to offer<\/a> it as part of your rental application.<\/span><\/p>\n It shows that you\u2019re committed to paying your rent on time, which, again, is one of the most important competencies when it comes to renters.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If some or all of your income comes from Centrelink, remember you can use its Centrepay automatic payment system.<\/span><\/p>\n This makes direct rent deductions from your social security payments and pays them to your private rental agency.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe use that quite a lot with tenants and it works very well,\u201d Tagg says.<\/span><\/p>\n Offer to set up a direct debit payment system to show commitment to paying rent on time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Apply for multiple rental properties with one application form using 1Form<\/strong><\/p>\n Have you ever bought an appliance or electrical good with a finance contract? If so, showing your property manager proof of regular payments will go a long way towards proving your financial trustworthiness. <\/span><\/p>\n Any statement that shows a record of regular payments \u2013 even if it is not a rental situation \u2013 can help your case, says Tagg.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat we need to show our property owners in prospective tenants\u2019 applications is consistency and commitment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Tagg confirms income is a big one for first-time tenants. And the best way to prove you earn enough to service your rental payments is to ask your employer for a letter of reference. <\/span><\/p>\n The letter should include your exact salary, how long you\u2019ve been working at the company and, ideally, a few sentences that suggest you\u2019re doing well and unlikely to be laid off anytime soon. <\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re a freelancer, you\u2019ll need to provide as much information as possible about where your income comes from and how often you get paid. <\/span><\/p>\n If your grandparents send you $20 a week to \u201cbuy yourself a little treat,\u201d put it on the application. Every little bit helps to prove you\u2019re in the financial position to pay your rent on time.<\/span><\/p>\n How do you spend your money?<\/span><\/p>\n Similar to how banks work out if you can service a home loan<\/a>, property managers use a 30% formula when deciding if you can afford a rental home.<\/span><\/p>\n In a nutshell, if rent is $300 per week, you\u2019ll need to show regular net income of $1,000 per week ($300 = 30% of $1,000).<\/span><\/p>\n If you only earn $900 net income per week, you may struggle to get the lease.<\/span><\/p>\n However, Tagg says there are always exceptions, and if you can show exactly how you spend your money in a typical week, it may <\/span>get you over the line<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIn the end, it\u2019s up to the prospective tenant to be proactive and prove their case to us,\u201d says Tagg.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAs an industry, we follow general rules when assessing an applicant\u2019s ability to pay the rent, but if you can prove [that] you spend less than [the] average [person], exceptions [can be made].\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Essentially, the harder you try to prove your trustworthiness, the more likely you to are secure a lease.<\/span><\/p>\n Realestate au<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.realestate.com.au\/blog\/images\/1024x768-fit%2Cprogressive\/2015\/07\/10102902\/Woman-looking-at-phone-2000x1500-1024x768.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n1. Find a guarantor<\/h2>\n
2. Set up a direct debit<\/h2>\n
![\"Credit](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.realestate.com.au\/blog\/images\/1024x768-fit%2Cprogressive\/2015\/07\/10103141\/Credit-cards-in-wallet-2000x1500-1024x768.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nShow proof of regular payments<\/h2>\n
Provide evidence of your income<\/h2>\n