Getting a rental is like going for a job

Janet Ormsby is 72 years old and struggling to find suitable accommodation at an affordable price.

Potential tenants need to declare any bad credit, provide phone references, be nicely dressed and have well-behaved kids if they want their rental application to stand out, agencies say.

Tauranga Rentals owner Dan Lusby said applying for a house was like going for a job.

Figures from Trade Me show the number of rentals listed for the city in 2014 dropped 30 per cent while the median price had increased 21 per cent.

Mr Lusby said people needed to be upfront about debt.

"By telling us early we may be able to get around that right from the start. They need to be honest about everything because we will do credit checks." Tidy attire and good mannered children were also important, he said.

"We always look more favourably at tenants that come in nicely dressed. If a mum comes in with her kids and they are running around terrorising the place ... we have to consider if that is how they are going to treat the house."

Good references with contact numbers were paramount as written ones were never relied upon, he said.

Employers would be asked for character references if the people were from overseas or never rented before, he said.

The final decision was likely to be based on attitude.

"It comes down to personality and how well we get on with them and those sorts of things. We always want to meet them. We will never rent a house to someone unseen."

Tauranga Harcourts managing director Simon Martin said prospective tenants need to ensure they fully completed the application form, supplied written character references and evidence of their identification, as well as other supporting documentation. Without it the application was likely to go to the bottom of the pile, he said.

Mr Martin said first impressions counted when it came to property managers and prospective landlords, and people should treat their application like a job interview.

"People don't have to dress up in a suit but they do need to think about their appearance and make an effort. They also need to be polite and respectful."

Eves and Bayleys Real Estate chief executive Ross Stanway said a good credit rating, creditable written references, a good employment history where applicable, and evidence of financial capability, were some of the basics that could increase chances of success.

Mr Stanway said prospective tenants also needed to be well presented when they came for an interview with property managers and landlords.

Those who could also show evidence of a medium to long-term commitment to the area were more likely to have better chances of success, Mr Stanway said.

Rentals BOP owner Gary Prentice said they took every tenant on their merits and it was not a first-in, first-served basis.

"We look at every case individually, who they are and what their background is. But obviously if a tenant has a real chequered past they are going to have problems because it is very hard for us to justify putting them into a property."

A lot of companies asked for income, expenditure and financials but we think that is going a bit far.

"Most tenants should be able to work out their own financial situation as to what they can afford. We shouldn't be telling them it is too dear for them if they think they can make it work. But they have got to be realistic. If their income is $300 a week and they are looking for a property at $400 it is not going to work." Additional reporting Sandra Conchie