As part of a series, the Star is answering common questions about renting in Toronto. Do you have questions that you want us to answer? Email the Star at renterFAQ@thestar.ca.

The question:

In Toronto’s tight rental market, prospective tenants could be up against dozens of people for an apartment.

How can you increase the chances your rental application is chosen?

The answer:

It’s all about proving an applicant can foster a win-win relationship with their landlord, says a full-time landlord with properties across the country.

William Blake is a member of the Ontario Landlord Association and has more than 25 years of landlord experience managing properties in Alberta, B.C. and Ontario.

Blake said most landlords are looking for three main things from a potential tenant: Will the tenant fulfil the term of the lease? Will they treat the property well and report any issues? And lastly, can they be accountable for rent payments? If a potential tenant can prove they will handle these three things, Blake said they have a good shot at landing the place.

“Many landlords like stability,” he said, putting an emphasis on the importance of a healthy, two-way and nonconfrontational relationship.

Del Condominium Rentals general manager Shanker Narayanan said that there are no “specific requirements” for applicants because every applicant is different. However, he emphasized on the “financial diligence” of potential tenants.

“Landlords want to know if the tenant can pay for the term of the lease,” Shanker said.

“We use a tool with Equifax to project the individual’s financial diligence. So, for instance, someone seeking a unit that requires 90 per cent of their income is not a good fit for them. It’s just a way of securing good quality tenants.”

Shanker said at the end of the day, the landlord needs to feel safe and happy with the tenant.

Similarly, Trevor Valade at Landlord Property and Rental Management Inc. in Toronto said financials such as a perfect credit history, employment letters and character references are key to having a great application.

“Clear credit reports, accurate proof of income and employment, references from work, references from former landlords, and character references are the most important,” Valade said.

According to Valade, a tenant unwilling to show their financials is a big red flag. The landlords need to know the tenant can pay rent on time.

“The point is to have as much transparency as possible,” Valade said. “The landlord wants to know that whoever is renting the place is going to be responsible and a good custodian of their house.”

Another thing that Valade thinks is important during the applicant screening process is being very respectful.

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“The attitude you bring to the screening really matters. If they don’t like dealing with you during the screening days, then they’re not going to want to deal with you when you’re living in their property.”

Valade also believes what might give you an edge over other applicants is completing the rental application beforehand and taking the first and last month deposit with you. This makes the process to secure a unit faster.

According to Valade, a lot of landlords shy away from roommates and college students because they think they’ll throw parties and cause a lot of damage, and the way around that is twofold.

First, Valade believes it’s important to counter this misconception from the start: get strong character references from previous roommates, landlords, workplaces.

“The more the better,” Valade said.

Second, if you’re a college student and have no income, then get a strong guarantor who is willing to show their proof of income.

“Having a parent or anyone else with strong financials really helps,” Valade said. “It’s truly a matter of transparency.”

Similarly, there is a lot of discrimination that still persists with landlords against new residents who don’t have strong employment history, are new in the city or who don’t have a longer credit history.

“It’s discrimination in that they’re just afraid because they can’t extrapolate enough information to feel secure about renting their unit.”

But according to Valade, a way around that is to build a picture of yourself as an individual that is as transparent as possible. This would involve the applicant leaning heavily on strong character references.

“Remember, they just want to be able to trust you,” Valade said.

With files from David Venn

Abhya Adlakha is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @AbhyaAdlakha