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Beyond the obvious of a great credit score, good job history and sufficient salary, references from current / previous landlords - what are landlords looking for in a tenant and how can I increase my odds of being the most desirable tenant so I can get the rental I want?
I think I'd be looking in the following neighborhoods on Staten Island and also Bay Ridge, Brooklyn -
Old Town, Westerleigh, Castleton Corners, West Brighton (especially near Forest Avenue and off of Manor Road), Great Kills, New Dorp, Tottenville, Snug Harbor, Arrochar and possibly St. George.
That said, my credit is only ok - 650 range according to FICO. My salary and work history are excellent, and I've lived in the same building for 23 years and have an excellent payment history with them. I would also want to know the best way of persuading a LL to "let" me have a cat - I'd be happy to pay extra deposit, etc.
Location: St Thomas, USVI - Seattle, WA - Gulf Coast, TX
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You sound like a desirable tenant already. Stability & responsibility (work and personal), ability to pay (make at least 3x your prospective rent amount), and great renting history are a LL's dream. Any time you add a pet to the equation, there's a chance that a LL would prefer an equal-but-no-pets candidate over you.
If a tenant was persuading me to allow them to become a cat owner (I've happily rented to cat owners in the past), I'd take an extra pet deposit and ask for proof of pet liability insurance. If your LL already has a no-pets policy, then covering those bases and offering a high pet deposit and/or slightly higher rent would be your best bets, I suppose. Since you're looking into new places, the best policy is always to talk personally with your potential LL, give them an opportunity to get to know you, and be open about what your potential requests are. No reasonable LL is going to turn you away simply because you asked if you might be allowed to have a cat in the future and what that would require. They can simply say no to the cat and offer the rental, pet-free.
You sound like a desirable tenant already. Stability & responsibility (work and personal), ability to pay (make at least 3x your prospective rent amount), and great renting history are a LL's dream. Any time you add a pet to the equation, there's a chance that a LL would prefer an equal-but-no-pets candidate over you.
If a tenant was persuading me to allow them to become a cat owner (I've happily rented to cat owners in the past), I'd take an extra pet deposit and ask for proof of pet liability insurance. If your LL already has a no-pets policy, then covering those bases and offering a high pet deposit and/or slightly higher rent would be your best bets, I suppose. Since you're looking into new places, the best policy is always to talk personally with your potential LL, give them an opportunity to get to know you, and be open about what your potential requests are. No reasonable LL is going to turn you away simply because you asked if you might be allowed to have a cat in the future and what that would require. They can simply say no to the cat and offer the rental, pet-free.
Thank you so much and thanks for the great info. I will also offer to get renters insurance.
Might be overkill but if your rental market is a hot one, you might want to offer vet records of the cat with a notation that it's healthy and has no issues. Otherwise, you look "great" on paper. Good luck!
Beyond the obvious of a great credit score, good job history and sufficient salary, references from current / previous landlords - what are landlords looking for in a tenant and how can I increase my odds of being the most desirable tenant so I can get the rental I want?
I think I'd be looking in the following neighborhoods on Staten Island and also Bay Ridge, Brooklyn -
Old Town, Westerleigh, Castleton Corners, West Brighton (especially near Forest Avenue and off of Manor Road), Great Kills, New Dorp, Tottenville, Snug Harbor, Arrochar and possibly St. George.
That said, my credit is only ok - 650 range according to FICO. My salary and work history are excellent, and I've lived in the same building for 23 years and have an excellent payment history with them. I would also want to know the best way of persuading a LL to "let" me have a cat - I'd be happy to pay extra deposit, etc.
Your thoughts and advice are appreciated.
You should be fine. I hope that you find a wonderful next home.
And, If I were you, I'd make sure you check out any potential LL or properties for yourself also.
Good luck. Keep us updated.
I found a couple of links with some good pointers for you as the renter.
Might be overkill but if your rental market is a hot one, you might want to offer vet records of the cat with a notation that it's healthy and has no issues. Otherwise, you look "great" on paper. Good luck!
Thank you so much. I think I make a pretty good in-person impression as well - was just worried about the cat issue and the less than perfect credit but I am working on it. Thanks again.
You should be fine. I hope that you find a wonderful next home.
And, If I were you, I'd make sure you check out any potential LL or properties for yourself also.
Good luck. Keep us updated.
I found a couple of links with some good pointers for you as the renter.
thanks. Alot of things are guaranteed to change for me (all of us really) in the next 5-10 years - or could be sooner.
Thank you for the links - that is great and I will check them out later and will keep researching.
Beyond the obvious of a great credit score, good job history and sufficient salary, references from current / previous landlords - what are landlords looking for in a tenant...........That said, my credit is only ok - 650 range according to FICO. My salary and work history are excellent, and I've lived in the same building for 23 years and have an excellent payment history with them. .........
Pluses from the landlord's point of view are excellent landlord references, non-smoking, no drug use, no pets, reliable income, no criminal record, application completely filled out with no falsehoods on the application. It's important to show up on time for your appointment and to be clean and polite.
For you personally, OP, your credit score indicates that you haven't always paid your bills on time and you want to get a pet as soon as you move in. You seem to me to be a pretty average applicant. That depends upon how good your landlord references are, though. I put high value on landlord references. 23 years in one place, you only have one landlord reference. That's not ideal. I don't know if you really are a good tenant or if your landlord is praising you, trying to get rid of you.
The easiest way to get permission for a cat is to move into a building where pets are allowed. Then don't complain if there is some barking going on. Buildings where pets aren't allowed aren't going to be impressed by your request for a cat before you even get accepted to move in. Nor will they be happy if you request a cat right after you move in. No pets generally means no pets and you should only move into a no-pets rental if you are fine with not having a pet.
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