If you’re currently searching for a rental property to move into, the question ‘Am I a desirable renter?’ might not have even crossed your mind, but it should. Here’s why any good landlord will go out of their way to find desirable tenant.

A desirable tenant is someone who has a proven record that they are financially responsible and can follow the rules from the lease agreement. This simply means that the tenant consistently pays their rent on time and does not cause any damage to the rental property.

In Australia, landlords can easily do a tenancy check to find out who is really renting their property. Things such as the tenant's background which includes irregular payments, broken lease conditions, money owing, damages, or criminal records, all in relation to their previous rentals.

Even though most people won’t be thinking about whether they are a desirable renter, it is still something to think about since most landlords will be going through their own checklist to make sure they pick the best tenant to rent their property.

Remember, if you ever come across a rental property and it piques your interest, then it’s quite likely that other people will feel the same about it. Make yourself stand out from the competition by going through this checklist below:

Paying your rent

A tenant-landlord relationship may include many things, but to its core, you are a paying to live in their property and they are offering you their property to live in for money. Simply, your relationship with your landlord revolves around your rental payment. This means that consistently paying your rent on time is crucial.

Chances are, your landlord depends on your rent payment to pay for their own necessities, and more importantly, to make the mortgage payment on the rental property. Even if you’re just a few days late with your rent, it’s a hassle for your landlord to go through.

A message to take home from this is to pay your rent on time every time!

Following the lease agreements

Every rental property and landlord are different so that their rules will be different as well. By default, you will have to follow any national tenant-landlord laws, but landlords may have their own personal rules that may be different depending on the type of your property that you are renting.

It’s important to ask and understand what the conditions are before you decide to rent a property so that you know what you’re up for. For example you may have a pet dog, but the landlord may have a no pet policy so you wouldn’t want to rent that property.

Every landlord has their own rules that they would like to have in their rental property, so it’s best to respect that and follow their conditions if you intend to live in their property.

Treat it like your own

Be proud that you have ownership of the rental property. Take care of the property like it’s your own while you live there. You can be sure that you’ll be getting back your security deposits and a generous recommendation from your landlord if you ever decide to move in the future.

Normal wear and tear are bound to happen with any property, just be sure to prevent any damages that can be caused by the tenant.

Maintaining the property

Keeping your property clean doesn’t just mean wiping down tabletops and vacuuming the floors. An ideal tenant will go the extra mile to manage the exterior (things like the garden, driveway, garage) as well as preventing pest infestations. A landlord may deduct your security deposits for damages or pest extermination maintenance isn’t up to standard.

Reporting issues

Small problems can turn into a big and expensive problem if it isn’t dealt with as soon as possible. A desirable tenant will report these problems to the landlord so it can be repaired earlier on before it becomes a financial burden for the landlord.

A desirable tenant, however, does not constantly report petty problems to the landlord. If a problem can be resolved on your own without breaching any lease agreements or rules that the landlord has previous stated, then it would be best for you to try that first before reporting them to your landlord.

A tenant that hassles a landlord over every little problem that can be fixed themselves is a nuisance to them, so try to troubleshoot it yourself first before calling up your landlord.

Planning on sharing your rental

If you intend to have long-term guests, then it’s best to notify your landlord early on. Signing the lease agreement means that the contract is between the tenants and the landlord, that means anyone that decides to share your rental with you will have to go through the same process you went through to officially become a tenant.