“The girl who was looking for housing with her significant
other was surprised to realize that tenants have to go through a kind of
selection. However, what surprised her the most was not the competition for
housing, but the unexpected request from the landlord. Specialists note that
homeowners carefully select candidates, but emphasize that there are ways to
make a good impression and earn trust.
“You have to go through a kind of tenant election”
“The landlord announced that we would have to move out a
month before the end of the lease agreement. When we started looking for new
housing, the choice was not very wide. However, an apartment in Baltupiai,
right next to the place where we lived before, caught my eye. The apartment was
fifty euros more expensive than the previous one, but it had its own
advantages,” the girl told the portal “Delfi” about the beginning of her
search.
She recalled that when she called to arrange an apartment
inspection, the first questions were not about the tenants at all, but about
other nuances. “Do you have pets? Children? Are you a couple?”, – the landlord
immediately asked.
“Thank God, I don’t have children or pets, but I do have a
couple. Otherwise, I think I wouldn’t have found an apartment by now. The
inspection time was offered a few days later – at eight o’clock in the evening.
When we arrived to inspect the apartment, we passed by other people looking for
housing.
After inspecting the apartment, we wanted to reserve it
right away or even sign a lease agreement, but we couldn’t do that. It turns
out that in order to rent an apartment in Vilnius, you need to go through a
kind of tenant election,” – the girl living in Vilnius was surprised.
Aureja says she understood that landlords selected tenants
based on many criteria, such as children, pets, marital status, work or the
expected move-in date.
“The most surprising thing was the request to send our
social media accounts.
Only two out of four applicants were selected, and the
social media review was supposed to help make the final decision. However, both
my and my boyfriend’s social media are empty. We never got an apartment,” said
a resident of the capital who was looking for an apartment.
After this failure, she continued looking for an apartment
in Baltupiai. This time, everything took a little longer.
“After inspecting the apartment, we learned that the
landlords were only choosing from two couples. And this time we won the
apartment war. True, the victory was not determined by our social networks or
resumes, but by the fact that we were able to move in a week earlier than other
applicants,” she said.
Two real estate brokers working in Vilnius who spoke with
Delfi agreed that landlords carefully select people to whom they could rent an
apartment, and the most important criteria are family status, having pets, and
financial situation.
“Personal real estate broker” Sandra Jakulė said that she
noticed that, compared to previous years, the rental market has changed.
“The number of Lithuanians renting has decreased
significantly and the number of inquiries from foreigners has increased
significantly. For landlords, the reliability criterion is very important – it
is important that a person is truly able to pay so as not to cause trouble for
the apartment owner and his neighbors in the future.
It is no secret that people from other cultures can behave
differently – be much noisier, have a different view of the order of the
apartment and the staircase, and the peace of neighbors. Therefore, most
tenants prefer to have tenants of their own culture (Lithuanians or foreigners
close to our culture) than representatives of a completely different culture.
Also, not all landlords know a foreign language, so they are looking for
Lithuanians to be able to communicate with them,” S. Jakulė shared her insights.
Real estate broker Laurynas Vosylius reiterated that
nationality is important to landlords, but even more important is the tenant's
financial situation, family situation, and whether there are pets.
"In my opinion, it is better to search for a suitable
tenant for a few days longer than to later encounter an insolvent or disorderly
resident. Most often, I emphasize - most often, but not always, owners make a
decision taking into account whether the tenant has pets, small children, or
has a stable job. It is also no secret that some owners prefer Lithuanians to
foreigners," the real estate specialist commented to Delfi.
According to him, the landlord usually chooses from at least
several potential tenants: if the rental price corresponds to the market price
and the apartment is attractive, it may be possible to rent it out in half a
day.
“The most popular and sought-after apartments have always
been in the central part of the city and the surrounding districts. These are
Užupis, Paupys, part of Antakalnis up to the Šilo Bridge, Žvėrynas. In these
districts, neat apartments can be rented very quickly,” L. Vosylius shared his
observation. “Sometimes half a day is enough, and most often a few days.
Šnipiškės is also very popular due to its convenient location, concentration of
business centers, developed infrastructure and abundant supply of new
construction.”
On average, a couple may have to pay 600–700 euros for a
standard two-room apartment in Vilnius. It is precisely such an apartment – a
two-room apartment, costing 600 euros per month and located in Baltupiai –
failed to reach Aureja.
How important is information on social networks
As a reader who spoke to Delfi noticed, landlords are also
interested in the social networks of potential landlords – not only whether a
person has pets or children, but also in their social life in general.
“Personally, I have not encountered a situation where a
landlord we represent would ask to check the social networks of a potential
tenant. However, if the information is publicly available, it can provide
additional knowledge about a person. However, much more often landlords are
interested in family status – children, pets – even more than income,”
commented the real estate broker.
However, another interviewed expert seems to have already
encountered such a practice.
“Most landlords are interested in all possible information
about a future tenant, because that information can determine further relations
with the tenant and possible consequences. Since there is no other tool to
legally verify a person’s reliability than through social networks, it is used
very often,” confirmed S. Jakulė.
Tips on how to win over other tenants
We asked the real estate brokers we interviewed what advice
they would give to a person who is looking for housing for rent in Vilnius
today – how to increase the probability that he will be chosen from several
applicants?
“First, it is politeness. If a person communicates politely
and openly, the landlord tends to trust him more. If a person has a pet, he can
offer to pay a larger deposit to calm the owner, who is afraid that the pet
will cause more losses. If the person is a foreigner, it is advisable to speak
Lithuanian. Landlords are often afraid of tenants who speak English (especially
unclearly),” S. Jakulė shared her recommendations.
L. Vosylius also agreed with this. The real estate broker
provided several more tips, following which you may be able to rent the desired
apartment.
"First, I would suggest providing recommendations from
previous homeowners if you have previously rented a home. You should also not
be afraid to provide information about your job and financial situation.
It is important to understand that the landlord does not
know you. He needs to decide whether to let a stranger live in his property.
This is not easy, especially if he himself or people around him have had
negative experiences with tenants in the past. More landlords are asking for an
employment contract and information about creditworthiness, in other words,
they check whether a person has no debts. In my opinion, this is good practice.
It is more peaceful for the landlord, and for the tenant, who has nothing to
hide and can justify his financial stability, it becomes easier to win the
competitive battle against other candidates," the real estate broker
shared his advice.
Another piece of advice is to arrive on time for the home
inspection, communicate politely, tactfully and look neat. These are simple
human things that sometimes make a big difference.
A specialist working in Vilnius said that he has noticed
that a two-month deposit is becoming more popular instead of one, so he would
suggest that those looking for housing have at least three months' rent: one
month's rent in advance and two months' deposit.
"When it comes to pets, it must be admitted that a
significant number of owners do not want them. This is their choice. Therefore,
pet owners must accept that some owners will not consider their candidacy, no
matter how neat the pets are. Some owners would rather wait longer and rent the
apartment a little cheaper to someone who does not have pets. Therefore, it is
especially important for pet owners to have recommendations and provide
information about their financial situation.
Regarding young children, there is still a stereotype that
it is more difficult to evict a family with a child. However, paradoxically, in
some cases, families with children or people with pets are even more dutiful
and tidy than those who do not have children or pets," he said.”
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