Renter expectations

One of the most important roles as a realtor is to set expectations for rental clients with regards to

• Availability
• Budget
• Turn-around
• Space

Some of the biggest shocks to renters include:

• Having pets drastically reduces what's available.  Large pets narrow the selection even further
• Expecting a landlord to keep a rental vacant for over a month greatly reduces your chance of getting the unit
• Short term leases (less than a year) cost a landlord substantially, both due to lost income from vacancy and the cost of restoring and finding a new renter
• If you've looked at a half a dozen units and everything is way off the mark, then things are very unlikely to improve.

As a realtor it's important to convey this information.  As a renter it's important that your realize that ignoring your realtor's advice will quickly land you without a realtor.  No one likes to be ignored, but more importantly your realtor doesn't want to waste your time and the realtor's time chasing possibilities that will never happen.

When Shopping Rentals in in {Location_Name}, Stay within your Budget

The first step for any renter is to establish a realistic budget. Without a budget you will not be able to make an informed decision about the type of property you can afford and you may end up struggling to pay your rent. When drawing up a budget you need to consider your fixed costs. These are payments that have to be made every month and that cannot be altered. You need to subtract your fixed costs from your monthly income. These could include car insurance, travel costs, school fees and debt repayments. Then you need to subtract your living expenses, such as food, entertainment and medical bills. Once you have subtracted all these costs you will be able to determine the amount that you can spend on rent per month. It is important to be realistic when you draw up  your monthly expenses and it is a good idea to include an additional amount to be set aside for emergencies, savings and unexpected expenses. Once you have a clear idea of your rental budget then you can start looking for a property that suits both you lifestyle requirements and is within your budget. This is a good time to contact a rental agent. Rental agents have access to all the available rentals, they can ensure that you get good value for money and best of all they cost the renter nothing. [Learn more.]