There are more people than just you in the apartment hunting market, so you’re definitely going to have competition when it comes to getting approved for the perfect apartment. There are different steps you can take in order to be the one that your landlord picks to move in.

One of the first steps  a landlord will take  is conducting a credit report, so it is very important that you know your credit score. If you have excellent credit you can tell your landlord, and he will definitely be happy to hear that; he will still conduct the report but having a good credit score is one step closer to getting approved for your perfect apartment. If for some reason you do not have good or excellent credit, you can tell your landlord about this in advance, and then explain why you may not have the best credit. This way when the landlord goes to do the report, he won’t be in for any surprises.

Just like you need a resume when you apply for a job, it is a great idea to have a renting resume when applying for an apartment. On your resume you should include any past rental history to show that you have experienced paying rent before, and give your landlord a reference to contact. If this is your first apartment, you can put on there if you have fulfilled any leases, paid a friend to stay on the couch, or even paid your parents a little to stay at home.

When applying for an apartment you need more money than just enough to cover rent. There are other fees that will need to be paid even before you can call the apartment home. It is a good idea to make sure you have enough cash to pay for everything in the application process: application fees, deposit, credit check, pet deposit, parking permit, broker’s fees, and maybe even last month’s rent. Another tip dealing with money is to make sure you rent within your budget. You don’t want to go see apartments that you would be struggling to make ends meet and possibly not be able to afford your bills. Getting evicted from an apartment will definitely become a roadblock when trying to rent again.

Some minor steps you can take, that may seem like common sense are, to dress-to-impress. When you go to inspect at the apartment the landlord is “inspecting” you as well. Make sure you dress appropriately and professionally. This will give the landlord a great first impression of you. Do not be late. Landlords have a lot to do and may have more showings and appointments to make, so do not keep your landlord waiting make sure you are there about 5-10 minutes before your actually appointment time.

Make sure you are prepared for everything that comes with the apartment hunting process. The landlord does not have a lot of time to get-to-know you, so this first impression is going to be huge.