Chances are, if you’ve ever tried to rent a house or apartment with a pet in tow, you’ve likely met a fair bit of resistance from landlords. 

After all, they have their pristine carpets, spotless walls, and landscaped garden to worry about.

But there’s a growing number of renters who are going the extra mile to promote their furry friends to prospective landlords, by creating a separate ‘pet resume’ and attaching it to their rental application.

Agents say it’s often the difference between a landlord allowing a pet to move in and refusing them entry.

Currently, rental application site 1form allows tenants to upload a cover letter and pictures of their pets.

So, if you’re putting together a pet resume, what should it include?

Pet resume basics

Sam Nokes from Jellis Craig South Yarra says that your pet resume should, first and foremost, have a cover letter that includes as much information about your pet as possible.

“Size, weight, breed – those things are very handy,” Nokes says.

“It is something the landlords appreciate when they’re considering it. It’s a great way of swaying a landlord that’s pretty 50-50 about pets.”

References

Nokes says independent references are probably the most important thing to include in a pet resume.

“Things that are good are letters or a note from [your current home’s property manager] to say that the property’s been good with inspections, and that there’s been no pet damage, no smells or anything like that,” Nokes says.

“A note or reference from the neighbours is always a good one, saying they haven’t had any issues with the pets – they’re the main issues, so it’s really about addressing those: Noise, damage and smells.”

Photographs

Some landlords are concerned about the size of the animal. Picture: Getty

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Without an indication of what a pet looks like, an agent or prospective landlord might be reluctant to accept an animal.

Biggin & Scott Richmond’s Jenn Durling says attaching a couple of photos is the best way to demonstrate a dog’s size and show that it’s unlikely to cause any property damage.

“It’s certainly helpful. I don’t know anything about dogs; I’m not a dog person. So, when someone says they have a dog on an application, it means nothing to me. But if I can see a photo, and I can see it’s a small dog, then I can relay that information to the owner,” Durling says.

Nokes adds that it also pays to include a photo of the area the dog sleeps, to show that the area is well kept.

A personal touch

Try to make the application and your pet memorable. Picture: Getty

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Both Nokes and Durling also suggest including a memorable piece of information in your application, not only to endear the animal to your prospective landlord, but also to push your application to the front of the agent’s mind.

“We often see funny photos,” Nokes says.

“We might see the last three years of the Christmas card that’s got the dog in it, or we’ll see the wedding photo that’s got the dog in it. They’re just trying to show you that this isn’t a dog that they just leave at the property; this is an animal that is part of their life, which they respect and look after.”

Durling says she’ll never forget some of the applications that cross her desk.

“Some of them make them look like dating ads. They put a real story behind it and they’re very, very witty.”

“When I’m just looking at application after application, when someone puts something in that’s a little bit amusing, I quite like it, and it sets them apart.”

Pick up the phone

Durling also advises renters to call agents and explain their pet situation.

“If you’re sending you’re dog off to your mum and dad’s while you’re at work, that’s really important information for the owner of the property to be aware of,” she said.

This article was originally published on
3 Sep 2019 at 9:00am
but has been regularly updated to keep the information current.

Finding reliable tenants has always been a very important job for property managers. 1form makes it easier than ever for everyone involved in the application process.

Allowing renters to apply for multiple properties with just one form, the online application is the preferred system of choice for real estate agents trying to find the most suitable tenants for their properties.

REA Group Executive Manager for Rent Kul Singh says it’s difficult to overstate the importance of any feature that makes it easier for property managers and landlords to find the right tenant for their homes

“Investment properties can be one of the most expensive assets a landlord has, and finding a great tenant provides them with confidence that their asset is being looked after,” he says.

“Our survey² found that the most important factor for landlords and property managers is finding the best tenant (83%) – it’s even more important than higher rental yield and leasing out the property faster.”

Anything that makes the process of finding a quality tenant easier is widely appreciated by the rental market. Picture: Getty

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The pet section

The pet section in 1form asks tenants to supply their pet’s name, its breed and council registration number. And it also asks renters to write a bio and include a picture. As new tenancy laws are put in place across the country to make it easier to secure a rental with a pet, this comes at a key time.

Joanne Pearson from McGrath Real Estate St Kilda says she enjoys receiving applications with pet information, as transparency between the tenant and the agent is key to a healthy ongoing relationship.

“We’re a very pro-pet company, and, in the past, we’ve asked tenants to create a pet application to get them over the line. We love getting applications with beautiful pet photos and thought-out bios, so having this addition to 1form suits us,” she says.

REA data suggests its important for property managers, too, with 48% saying that they always research the breed of tenant’s pet³. By giving tenants the option of adding a complete overview of their pet, 1form’s feature has the potential to dramatically reduce the time property managers spend on research.

Profile pictures of both the potential tenants and pets help the agent connect. Picture: Tim Hunter.

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Getting to know you

1form also includes a bio and picture section for the human applicant, which makes the application more personal.

“It’s great because you get a sense of who they are with this extra information – it’s not just a form,” says Pearson. “It helps to make a connection to that person.”

Make sure when you’re searching for your next rental that you sign into your MYREA account. By having an account, you can save the rentals you want to apply for later, keep up-to-date on new rentals in the market within your preferred neighbourhoods, and contact listing agents to find out more about the property.

^{1 Adobe Omniture, Oct – Dec 2017. 2 Residential Consumer Omnibus, Sept 2017. 3 REA National Property Management survey, Mar 2018.}

This article was originally published on
7 Jan 2020 at 9:00am
but has been regularly updated to keep the information current.