Our top tips on how to show a landlord you will be a good tenant
 

1. Be organised

• be organised and make a good first impression – getting accepted as a tenant is a bit like applying for a job. So make sure you:
• are polite,
• turn up on time for any viewings or meetings,
• dress tidily, and,
• check any emails or messages you send for typos.
• if you know that you are staying in the area or a while because you study or work there, you may want to let the landlord know. This might help as landlords often want tenants to stay for longer periods of time as it saves them time and money.

2.  Take off your shoes
   When you arrive to view the property, offer to take off your shoes. It's a small thing but it helps to show you care. And helps to keep the landlord’s carpets clean.

2.  Ask responsible questions
   Ask questions that show you will be a responsible tenant and understand the importance of looking after the property. 

       For example, you could ask:

• What day does the recycling get collected?
• What happens with the bins?
• How late can I use the washing machine?

4.  Have your paperwork ready
   A landlord or agent is more likely to think that you will be a good tenant if you have all your paperwork ready. So, prepare the information they’ll probably want in advance. You'll need proof of:

• your right to rent - private landlords have to check if a potential tenant has a right to rent, by checking if they have permission to enter or remain in the UK. This rule applies to everyone wanting to rent a private property in England. To understand more about how this might affect you, look at A survival guide to starting a tenancy and right to rent checks.
• current and past addresses, start and end dates of previous tenancies and contact information for previous landlords.
• current and past employers, addresses and contact details, dates of your employment with them and how much they paid you.
• name and contact details for up to 3 personal references – not all landlords ask for personal references but it's good to be prepared. for example, a reference from your previous landlord and a reference from your employer. (If you can't get these in time, just put down their contact details. If you don’t have an employer, you could use copies of your bank statements to show what your income is and where it’s from.)
• anything else that shows that you have a good track record of paying your rent on time – perhaps a printout of a previous or current rent account or bank statements showing you pay the full amount on the same day every month.
• whilst it’s not necessary, it might be helpful to get contents insurance if you can afford it. This may reassure the landlord that you are prepared for potential issues and can cover any accidental damage to your belongings.
• if the landlord or agent asks you to provide this information by email make sure that any photos you take of your paper documents are clear enough to read easily. That way, they won’t need to come back to you with queries.

5. Line up a guarantor (if needed)
   If you already know that this landlord or their agent is going to want a guarantor, can you provide any information about your prospective guarantor, for example, about their job and whether they own their home?

6. What to do if you can't get a guarantor
   If you know you can’t get a guarantor, think about whether you want to try and persuade your landlord to waive the need for one. See What to do if you can't get a guarantor for more information.

Disclaimer

The information in this guide applies to England.

The law is complicated. We have simplified things in this guide. Please don’t rely on this guide as a complete statement of the law. We recommend you try and get advice from the sources we have suggested.

The cases we refer to are not always real but show a typical situation. We have included them to help you think about how to deal with your own situation.

Acknowledgements

This guide was updated thanks to funding from the Ministry of Justice. Law for Life would like to thank all those who provided advice and feedback on this guide, including A&O Sherman.