Four years ago, I was searching for a rental for our family in DC and the rental market felt crazy.  (I know….take that in, laugh out loud, and reflect on when we were young and stupid.). Of course today we now know what a crazy rental market actually is and dream of what it was.  

I was searching for a home solely online from long distance, toddler in my lap, watching rental after rental immediately get snatched up.  We couldn’t catch a break, surely we would end up living in a random front yard.  Every rental we could afford and met our needs instantly had ten applications as soon as it went live.  Finally, THE house went on the market.  Without a doubt I knew there would be multiple applications and we knew our chances were slim.  As a family with young kids, two dogs and multiple moves, surely other applicants probably seemed more appealing.

I couldn’t even blame a landlord, after all, they want to protect their investment, not send a tornado into it.  If only they knew this would be our family’s seventh rental and we left homes better than we received them.  That we’re a military family who desperately needed to feel rooted in a safe, quiet family home for two years.  But how would they see this in a rental application that simply lists family members, pets, and salary?  I just knew I had to let the landlords know us beyond out application.  

The best way I have found to convey this is to write a letter.  It hasn’t always worked, but I know a rental application doesn’t fully portray who we are as tenants.  If your looking to set yourself apart from other applicants, here are tips to personalize your application with a letter.

Take the time to introduce yourself beyond the numbers on your application.  Maybe it’s only you, maybe you come with other baggage.  Offer the landlord a personal connection with you that helps them get to know you.  

For us, we had two dogs that I knew could turn off some landlords.  I explained that our dogs were old ladies who spent their days sunbathing on the porch.  I assured them our dogs were trained and had never damaged the six rental homes they had lived in.  Finally, I told them about the job bringing us to the area and about our kids.  To be clear, families with kids are a protected class, therefore not renting to a family simply because they have kids would violate the Federal Fair Housing Act.  However, it was important to me that the landlord knew that my kids are being taught the value of taking care of things and how excited they were to have their own rooms.

Perhaps your baggage is financial or the fact that you have moved a lot.  You may not look like a stable renter based purely on the application, present why that isn’t the whole picture.  While you have no obligation to share personal information, this letter is an opportunity.  Present obstacles you have overcome to be capable of signing an extended lease.

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You may need to move, but why is this rental property the perfect fit for you and your lifestyle?  There is a reason you want this rental more than the one listed yesterday.  Your letter should tell the landlord why you VALUE their property the most.  

For example, maybe you are starting a new job and this property offers you the ability to have easy access to work.  Explain your desire to spend time in your rental home instead of spending all your time commuting.  Conversely, this location might offer you ample opportunity to immerse yourself and connect with people in a new area, communicate that.  If you are moving to an area near family, explain how important it is to have close proximity to the loved ones you have been away from.  

For our family the rental was in the area we had hoped to spend a few years raising our children in.  It filled the need to provide a sense of community to our children who were facing their fifth home in a different state within five years.  

Be honest and upfront about what the landlord’s rental property means to you.  If they understand that you value their property they may also understand how you will treat their property.

You have introduced yourself and explained why you value this rental, but why should you be valued as a tenant?  Remember, this property is business to a landlord.  The level of risk a business owner is willing to accept is up to them.  However, as a rule of thumb, a landlord’s goal is to minimize the risk of financial losses.  Landlords want assurance you are a low-risk tenant that is going to pay rent and won’t cause property damage.  They want to know that you will be a stable business partner.  

Additionally, if you have letters of recommendations from past landlords or property managers, include them as attachment to your letter.  Have you have always received your entire security deposit back?  Toot your own horn and tell them.  If you are willing to sign a two year lease instead of one, highlight that as well.  

Above all, make sure your landlord knows the value of having you as a tenant outweighs the other applicants competing against you.

Will your letter get you your rental?  Maybe.  

We got our D.C. rental home.  The Realtor was very upfront with us and told us the landlord was offered more rent by other tenants but the landlord chose our family because of our letter.  

Every landlord operates under a different business model.  For some landlords they will consider applications in the order received.  For some they will look at who is offering the most rent.  But there are landlords that recognize that the most rent doesn’t alway equate to the most profit.  For them they recognize minimizing risk can bring greater profits.    

If you truly feel this rental is THE one, how much are you willing to put yourself out there to try and get it?