Ipswich real estate agents’ top 10 tips for a successful rental application

Ipswich’s top real estate agents gave us their advice for the best chance at rental success. See what they had to say.

Many Ipswich residents are racking up rental rejections, leaving them with less and less hope as the rental crisis refuses to subside.

Ipswich’s real estate agents have been flat out with unprecedented application numbers for the dwindling amount of properties available.

“I’ve been in real estate for 21 years and I’ve never seen anything like this,” said property manager Jaimee Julian.

“As soon as we get a property available, we get at least 30 or 40 applications.”

Ipswich was one of 18 local government areas in Queensland which saw a vacancy rate hit a record low this last quarter – down to 0.6 per cent.

Vacancy rates in the surrounding areas are similarly dire with the Scenic Rim and Lockyer Valley at 0.5 per cent, and both Logan and Greater Brisbane falling by 0.3 per cent to 0.7 per cent.

Real Estate Institute of Queensland’s CEO Antonia Mercorella said there are a number of factors contributing to these declines including interstate migration, the return of international students, and renters displaced by the February floods.

“From what we’ve seen it’s a classic supply and demand issue,” said Adam Boettcher from Boettchers Estate Agents.

“A lot of people that have been displaced for various reasons are looking for new properties.”

Heightening the lack of supply, investors in Ipswich are choosing to sell properties instead of renting them out, according to House Property Estate Agents’ Samantha Curry.

“A lot of investors in this area haven’t seen an increase in their property’s market price in the last ten years,” she said.

Kahlia Walton from First National Action Realty said that the resulting rent increases have been a further deterrent.

“Tenants are staying where they are instead of moving,” she explained, saying their hesitation to move to other areas is then feeding back in to the lack of supply.

Mr Boettcher said the rental crisis is “beyond real estate agents scope.”

He is looking to the government to provide more alternative housing and options for struggling prospective renters.

However, Ms Mercorella said legislative reform is “the last thing we need right now.”

“With record low vacancy rates, and 36 per cent of our population renting their homes, we can’t afford to reduce the appeal of investing in Queensland.”

With no end in sight for the rental crisis, see Ipswich real estate agents’ top 10 tips for securing a rental right now:

1. GET IN QUICK

With real estate agents receiving so many applications right now, they say it’s important to get applications in quick.

“Set up alerts on your phone for sites like realestate.com and domain.com, so when you get that notification you can contact the property manager straight away,” said Mr Boettcher.

Ms Julian agreed that prospective renters who get in contact with the property manager early may have the best shot.

She said she was increasingly seeing renters put applications in early, conditional upon inspection, and that this is giving those renters a leg up.

Ms Julian said to consider putting in an application before seeing the property if confident, as applications can be pre-approved before property inspections.

2. ACE YOUR REFERENCES

Ipswich’s real estate agents agreed that for the best shot of success, renters should be aiming for quality over quantity.

“Keep your record clean,” said Mr Boettcher.

He said the best way to guarantee a strong reference for your next application is to ensure you are a good tenant in your current residence.

“Stay on top of your rental repayments and leave the place in the condition it came in.”

He said a good tenant history will ensure consideration from most real estate agents.

3. CHECK YOUR RECORD

“The rental ledger is one thing that doesn’t lie,” said Samantha Curry of House Property Agents Ipswich.

Where small slips ups used to be the norm, she says rising competition is now making them costly.

She recommended checking rental receipts to make sure payments are being received on time.

In some cases, Ms Curry said tenants have been unaware that their bank transfers are being delayed or put through slower than expected, and that this has negatively impacted their rental references from that property manager.

If unsure, she said it’s always safest to check.

“It’s a matter of asking their current agents to see if there’s anything they could be doing better,” said Ms Curry.

For those who have slipped up in the past, she recommends making sure you can prove at least six months of a solid tenant history since.

4. UNDERSTAND THE MARKET

Ipswich’s real estate agents emphasised that knowing what you’re up against will give you a better chance of putting in a competitive offer.

Ms Julian said she is increasingly receiving applications offering rents above asking price.

She said this is something “we’ve not experienced here in Queensland up until now.”

Ms Julian said she often receives offers around $50 per week above asking price, and said many such applications are successful.

She said renters were able to offer such competitive rates because many are still receiving insurance payments to cover their rent after the floods.

“People in their own homes are living in other properties while their house is being repaired,” she explained.

Property manager Jaimee Julian/ Picture: SUpplied

5. STAND OUT

“Unfortunately owners are receiving so many applications, they’re getting their pick right now,” said Ms Walton.

She said building a more competitive application should be a priority for those that have applied to many places with no success.

Aside from offering a higher price, Mr Boettcher said one thing will help your application stand out:

“Be prepared to sign a long lease,” he said.

Mr Boettcher said renters offering at least one year’s lease are likely to have an advantage over other applicants.

“One thing that property owners find really desirable is security,” he explained.

6. CHECK YOUR NUMBERS

Ms Curry said one of the most common issues her agency sees is applications that don’t meet their affordability criteria.

Real estate agents assess the most suitable candidate by comparing rental price to household income.

The general rule is that a household should not be spending more than 30 per cent of their income on rent.

Ms Curry said people are increasingly putting forward applications for properties that are simply out of their price range.

“They need to make sure they’re meeting that affordability, or they’re wasting their time,” she said.

7. PREPARE TO COMPROMISE

If offering a higher price or longer lease isn’t an option, real estate agents say you may have to look at compromising.

“Keep looking around. Look in different areas more in your price range,” said Ms Julian.

Many prospective renters have a clear idea what they’re looking for – whether that be a particular area, or a certain number of bedrooms – but Ms Julian warned that renters’ “ideal property” just might not be out there right now.

“They really need to look at whether they’re able to downsize,” she said.

She recommends that those unwilling to compromise stay with friends or parents if possible until more options become available.

8. COVER THE BASICS

Ms Walton emphasised the importance of covering the basics.

“The biggest thing that we see is incomplete applications,” she said.

She said First National Action Realty often receives applications without complete references, pay slips or identification.

“Making sure applications are complete is really important,” she said.

Dylan Ansems from Ipswich Real Estate also raised incomplete applications as his number one concern.

“If they’re not complete, they’re not going to get approved,” he said.

9. REACH OUT

Ms Walton said many applicants simply don’t have access to everything they need to complete their rental application.

“Especially after the floods, many people don’t have access to identification like their drivers licences,” she said.

Ms Walton encouraged those in such circumstances to reach out to their local real estate agents for advice.

“There’s always a way of getting around those things, it’s just a matter of reaching out,” she said.

10. SEEK ALTERNATIVES

Ms Julian said she is increasingly referring prospective renters to alternate housing options.

Emergency housing is an avenue where she said renters “may have better luck, depending on their circumstances.”

Prospective renters that have children or are elderly will likely have a better chance of acquiring government assistance, she said.

Those who are currently without homes or at risk of homelessness can seek assistance by contacting the Queensland Government’s homelessness hotline, 1800 474 753, or contact their nearest housing centre.