What Happens During The Tenant Vetting Process?

To match the perfect property with each family’s needs, applicants can expect Rental Experts to ask for the following information

• What the applicant desires in the property
• If the prospective tenants have pets. Don’t stress about this – a great referee may help by telling your Rental Experts property manager that a pet was not a problem.
• Precisely who is going to be living there, how old each person is, and the person’s details if he/she is a legal adult
• What ability the applicant has to pay the rent ie. Income, based on pay slips (a property typically isn’t suitable for somebody unless income is more than twice the weekly rent)
• Proof of ID – birth cert or passport
• Previous landlord/property management company is often asked for.
• Legal name and aliases
• The applicant’s credit history. This helps ensure each family is being matched with a property which fits within budget not just this month but for the whole duration of the tenancy.

Frequently asked questions, myths and misconceptions

• It is against the law to choose tenants based on employment status eg, if unemployed or on a benefit
• Rental Experts does not sell tenants’ information to any business
• Rental Experts does not list debtors or disputed tenancy outcomes on any website
• However, all Tenancy Tribunal results are public, so expect Tenancy Tribunal outcomes to be noted
• Landlords’ insurance doesn’t cover the contents of a tenant. So tenants are always encouraged to have contents insurance.
• It is against the law to choose tenants based on marital and family status – including any responsibilities for dependants
• A landlord can’t change a tenancy agreement after it is signed because they find out the tenant is unemployed.
• A landlord can add extra conditions to the tenancy agreement if they relate to things that may damage the house or cause extra wear and tear such as smoking, limiting the number of people allowed to live in the house, stating which areas on the property cars can’t be parked, rules around pets and meth testing
• A landlord can charge a maximum bond of four weeks rent. Landlords cannot charge any more than this regardless of pets.
• Carpets must be clean at the end of the tenancy (‘reasonably clean and tidy condition) but this is not the same as being professionally cleaned. Talk to the property manager and they may be able to suggest the right mats, rugs or shoes-off policy so keep everyone happy. Having said this, using a Rug Doctor on a carpet can help eliminate any chance of a disagreement over the cleanliness of the carpet.