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Applying for your dream apartment or home is an especially competitive endeavor.
With so many people applying in this competitive rental market, it is essential to have a fruitful rental history in order to land the rental property.
To prove your rental history, however, you must have what is called a rental resume. Similar to a resume that you would submit when applying to a job, a rental resume is basically a summary of your experience with rental properties.
If you are not sure about what a rental resume is or what it should include, look no further.
In this guide, we will be going over exactly what a rental resume is and how to write one. We have even included a free rental resume template for your use for your own resume.
To begin, let's go over what a rental resume is and why it is important.
Why Is A Rental Resume Important?
A rental resume is typically the starting point for new and early renters. As mentioned before, it is similar to a resume you would submit to an employer but it instead explains to the landlord or property manager why you are a great tenant.
This resume is important because it is often the first thing that property managers look at when conducting tenant screening. Alongside credit checks and background checks, the resume is a good indicator of the behavior of the tenant. The landlord can find out if the tenant can reliably pay rent, has kept past apartments in good condition, and even current employment or employment history.
As you can see, the renter resume packs a lot of information into a single document. And, not only does it present information about the tenant's rental history, it also shows that the tenant is professional and is willing to go the extra step to land the property. These are all properties of a good tenant and will likely reflect positively on the property manager.
However, writing your own resume may be difficult. This is why we have provided the entire process of writing the perfect rental resume in the next section. Let's jump right in.
Writing A Rental Resume
Just like writing an employment resume, making a rental resume as good as possible is important. Below, we have included all the necessary steps to write your very own rental resume. And, at the end, we have provided a link to a template that you can use, completely free!
Basic Contact Information
The first thing that should be included in the resume is your basic contact information. This includes your present contact number, email address, and potentially your current address. All of this information is important because the potential landlord must have a way to reach you.
Objective
The next section in the rental resume will typically be the tenant's objective. Here, you should add a little information about yourself but mostly focus on your goals. You can explain what kind of property you are searching for, what kind of neighborhood, as well as how much you would like to pay.
You can also include some information about any special accommodations you would like. This could include laundry in the unit, pet-friendly, walking distance from school, etc.
Background
After writing out the objective of the rental resume, you can include a section with your personal background. This is where you would want to elaborate more on your personal life. These details include employment status, employment position, what cities you have lived in, etc.
The amount of information you include in this section is up to you. It is sometimes a good idea to include other personal details like preferred hobbies and activities. Doing so may spark mutual interests with the landlord, making your resume and application stand out.
Also, if there is any information regarding your ability to rent, this may be the place to put it. It might be beneficial to be transparent about a rough rental history instead of having the landlord find out on their own. Again, this is up to the writer and is not necessary if it is not desired.
Employment
To landlords, one of the most important qualities of a tenant is whether they can pay rent or not. By showing your employment, as well as how much you earn, you may be able to prove to the landlord that you are able to pay the full rent on a particular apartment.
However, not many landlords will simply believe everything that is on the rental resume. So, the tenant should include the contact information of a supervisor or manager. If this is not possible, there are many other ways to prove the shown income.
If you want to find out more about ways to prove income, take a look at DoorLoop's Full Guide On Proof Of Income.
Rental History
This section is where you should be as thorough as possible. The rental history should show a tenant's full history with rental properties. Each sample should include the name of the property management company or real estate firm, the address, the amount of time it was rented, as well as some supplemental information.
This supplemental information is generally used to describe the rental experience. You can include the amount that was paid in rent as well as the reason for leaving as supplemental information. Also, a rental reference is very important. This reference makes it easy for the landlord to contact the property's management and inquire about an applicant's tenancy.
References
Finally, at the end of the rental resume, are your references. These references do not have to necessarily be from past rental properties. This section can include people from your everyday life, like a supervisor, manager, mentor, or anyone who can vouch for you. It can even be a next-door neighbor, as they have firsthand experience of what the tenant is like.
It is also encouraged to provide multiple forms of contact. This makes it even easier for the person reviewing applications to contact the references and move on with the application process.
Template
Want access to the template that was used in this guide?
Simply head over to DoorLoop's Rental Resume Template and download the free sample. Then, by following this guide, you can write your very own rental resume.
Frequently Asked Quesitons
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