13 Tips for Renting From an Actual Renter

1. Ask as many questions as early as possible

Ask as many questions prior to moving in, preferably at the initial property inspection. Not only does this show initiative and interest in the property which you are applying for, but it is also great to have all the questions out of the way as soon as possible so you are not having to chase them up later. Take a notebook with you or make notes in your phone! You will be even more prepared if you are offered the property, and have all the information ready to act accordingly.

2. Know the true rental price of a property

The reason I say this is because many rental advertisements do not make it clear how landlords and real estate companies calculate the weekly rental price of a property Eg, A rental advertisement might indicate that the weekly cost of a property is $345, however, also state that the bond (also the monthly rent amount) is $1499. You may say to yourself, hold on a minute $345 x 4 weeks in a month equals $1380, so why is the monthly rental amount stated in this advertisement a lot more? Aha. This is because landlords and real estate companies often calculate the weekly rental amount by using this formula:

Bond x 12 (no. of months in a year) ÷ 52 (no. of weeks in a year) = Weekly rental amount

So in the above case the equation would look like this:

$1499 x 12 = $17, 988 | $17, 988 ÷ 52 = $345

There you have it. Keep note of this when searching for suitable rental properties and remember to focus on the bond amount as more of a true indication of the rental price.

3. Make copies of the rental agreement and any important relevant documents

Make sure that you receive a copy of the rental agreement the day that you sign it, after reading everything carefully of course! It is always important to keep a record of what is expected of your stay at the property, it should include things such as Tenancy Acts and Landlord regulations relevant to you, as well as the dated length of your stay, whether it is fixed-term or periodic, the required bond amount and any other expectations of you whilst residing at your new property.

4. Obtain the landlords direct contact details if possible immediately before moving into your new rental property (especially if renting through an agency)

Although many landlords will go through real estate agencies to do all of their work through, it is still always great to have a direct contact to the actual landlord as well as the property manager assigned to the property you are renting (if through a real estate company). Sometimes real estate agents can be unpleasant to communicate with, and often miscommunication can happen on their end. It is also great to develop a good relationship with your landlord, this may help your chance in renewing the property down the track. It is also more likely that the landlord will care more about keeping the property in good condition when it comes to repairs. So grab your landlords contact details if available, shoot them a nice message and rub them up the right way. Hopefully you can thereafter rely on them directly if there is an issue with the property, or at least be on good terms with them if anything goes amiss.

5. As soon as you get the keys for the property, take photos of every room yourself and note anything that is faulty or in need of repair

I cannot stress enough how important it is to take before photos of the property (separate to those made by real estate), especially anything that is not up to standard, dirty, broken, scratched or dinted. Once you have noted anything that needs fixing, you should immediately notify the real estate or landlord in writing, so that they can organise to have it fixed as soon as possible. Make sure you include everything that is needing repair and keep a copy of what you wrote. Not only can these issues get worse with time if they are not fixed, however you may most likely be held liable for them when the next inspection comes around and especially during your vacate date. If you do not notify them about these issues, they will have no way of knowing that you didn’t create them yourself. So be proactive and get that camera out! As a new tenant, you should also receive a condition report to sign off on at the beginning of your tenancy, this is a report in which the current condition of every room in the house is noted, including fixtures, doorknobs, any scratches or faulty lights, working smoke alarms etc. You will be expected to go over this and sign off on the report, which is to be sent back to your landlord or property manager. If there is anything that you do not agree with or believe has been missed, ensure that you note this down on the condition report before sending it back. Make sure that you also receive a copy for your own records.

6. Make copies of all your keys

This is a no brainer. Keys are one of the top things that are easily lost or misplaced. Avoid a sticky situation by making a few copies, and giving one to a family member or close friend to hold onto for you. However, remember that you will be expected to return all copies of keys upon your vacate date.

7. Before moving any furniture, take measurements!

Measuring furniture before the big move is a must, especially with those bulky, and oddly shaped items. Not only will it be a lot easier when moving things over to have a plan on how and where you will relocate these items, but it will limit you from making unwanted scratches and dints, trying to squeeze furniture through doors and around corners. You may also find that you either need to upgrade or downgrade your furniture, making a great addition to that pre-move garage sale!

8. Purge before the move!

As difficult as this may be for you hoarders out there (and trust me I know!), a purge of unused and unnecessary items you own should be given some priority to. Before I moved, I tried to get rid of as many items that I knew I wouldn’t use or that I no longer had a place for. So many items can get shoved into storage and clutter a home, and it just takes away from the attractiveness of a living space. Take some time to genuinely organise what belongings you really want to keep, and either donate the rest or have a garage sale and earn some extra pocket money for the move!

9. If you are a pet owner, look at renting a property with floorboards/tiles and less carpeted areas

Carpet + pets = stains and odour, enough said. In my experience of being a cat owner and a tenant, the more carpeted areas your property has, the more likelihood of staining there is, often accompanied by odour which has the potential to linger. Stains such as toilet accidents and throw up, cannot always be removed even by professional services. Some chemicals have the potential to change fibres in the carpet making it extremely difficult to restore it to its natural state. This can become a big dent in your wallet as you try to pay for extra stain removal services, and in the end, you may end up having some of your bond deducted anyway. Which is why I recommend looking for a property with floorboard/tiles so these ‘accidents’ as well as any human spills can be more easily cleaned up and will not create stains.

10. Another one for pet owners – repellent on furniture you don’t want ruined, as well as scotch guard

I scotch guard just about everything in my house as an extra precaution, to avoid tears and wear. My cat sometimes has the tendency to scratch at certain things in the house, so I will sometimes rub or spray a little something on whatever I want protecting. Make sure you find repellents that won’t be harmful to your pets! This will keep you from being upset with them, and having to fork out any extra money on ruined furniture/surfaces. Keep your pet distracted with some toys, and set aside time to play with them or take them for walks so that they can release some of that energy!

11. Put a lock on your mailbox!

Put a lock on your mailbox, especially if you live in new development areas/townhouses. Personally, I don’t like risking my mail being stolen, as it has been before, so I always have a lock on it. Even though most things these days are mailed electronically, it takes next to no effort to just take the extra safety precaution. If you still feel like mail can be taken out easily from your mailbox or you have a small area to store mail, always ask to pick up important mail from the direct source eg. Bank cards, government statements, medical. Alternatively, you can get a P.O box set up at your local post office, which are offered in various sizes dependng on your needs.

12. Contents insurance

No if ands, or buts on this one! As soon as you get accepted for the property, I want you to do your research and pick a company to take out contents insurance with. My partner and I have contents insurance which covers a range of things, from theft, loss, accidental damage and more, we have also asked to insure our valuable portable items outside of the home in case of damage on the go. You will be required to pay for this annually of course, however insurance companies often offer a range of payment plans, giving you some flexibility with instalments. Now this will cover your backside in case of any of the above emergencies occurring to your home or your valuable items. For example, your new $700 dollar TV gets knocked off the TV unit, and the screen completely cracks and is no longer usable. Because you have an insurance policy covering that TV, it should either replace or partially pay for the sum of a new one. However, depending on how much coverage you have, you may have to pay some out of pocket. It is important to figure out the actual cost and value of the items you want to insure (or as close to) before making a claim for this reason. Now, these are just rough estimates, every company’s policy will be different and it will depend on what type of plan you choose to go on as well. But you catch my drift right? Contents insurance is a must! Do you really want to risk damage to your personal items and home and have to cough up heaps of money upfront? I don’t think so. So do your research and compare plans carefully, please and thank you.

13. Make friends with your neighbours

In times of disputes and emergencies, it’s handy to know someone close by that can give you advice, or lend a helping hand. Start a conversation with your neighbours, and get on good terms with them. You never know when you may need their understanding when you’re hosting a party or when you’re out of town and need someone to house sit your furry friend. Practice this with caution and aim to build a strong aqcuaintance or even friendship overtime.