Real estate agents offer tips on how to secure house during rental crisis in Australia

Real estate agents have suggested that renters write a “resume” for their pet as one of many tips for securing a rental.

Demand for rental properties continues to outstrip supply in many parts of Australia, leaving many families struggling to secure a home amid stiff competition.

At the same time, apartment rents across the country have grown six times faster than wages, while house rents have grown three times faster, according to recent figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Now brokers have shared their insight on how to make your application stand out from the crowd to get to the top of the pile.

Hanna Cunliffe, head of property management for The Proper Group, said the key was selling yourself and your family.

“If someone knows something about you, whether it’s your sales or rental agent, especially what you’re interested in and why you like the area, that personalizes you a little bit more,” she told the Courier Mail.

“I go more for people who feel comfortable telling you about their family and their pets

‘For an owner if someone says what he’s doing, that’s why I like the area, it makes him people. Then you are not just an application and that makes it something different.’

Agents said it was also important to look at things from the landlord’s perspective, as many owners choose tenants based on how they believe they will take care of the property.

Lance Denovan, director of Denovan’s Real Estate, said including a resume of the pet — how well the dog is trained and how you care for it — often helped reassure landlords.

Mr Deovan said it’s also important to get your ducks in a row before applying: being organized and committed will make the whole process smoother for everyone involved.

“If you have that ready to go, you’re on a really good path because you can submit that right away,” he said.

“I would say if there was a particular reason why you wanted to live in that particular property, sometimes owners could deal with that.”

Bidding above the asking price also helps, although it may not be an option for money-strapped families.

Cameron Kusher, PropTrack director of economic research, said, “If people know a property is advertised for $550 a week and they offer $590, they have a better chance.

‘But many people don’t have the capacity for that.

“A lot of people just stay where they are, even if their landlords raise the rent, because they think that’s a better option than being back on the market and going to open houses with 30 or 40 people.”