Property guides
Tips to boost your chances of getting a viewing
You might not have started your search just yet, or you might have already enquired about a home for rent you found on Rightmove, and not been successful in getting a viewing. Either way, there are plenty of things that can be done to give yourself the best possible chance of being invited to a viewing in future.
We look at how to make sure you’re enquiring about homes that are right for your circumstances, and the information it can be beneficial to share with letting agents when you’re sending an enquiry.
1. Work out your budget
- Calculate what you’d be comfortable paying in rental payments each month before you start your property search
- Consider what’s already included in the rental amount, and what you’ll need to cover on top of this. This includes things like utilities, and council tax
2. Check your affordability
- Affordability criteria can vary, but usually, the collective annual salaries of everyone who’ll be making rental payments would need to be around 30 times the monthly rent for you to be considered able to meet the monthly rental payments comfortably. So if you’re planning to split the rent with others (and you’re all named on the tenancy), the calculation would apply to your combined income
- If being able to afford the rent is a concern and you’d be looking to name a guarantor, you’ll want to communicate this with the agent as early as possible
- Additionally, if you’re able to, you could offer to pay a portion of the rent up front to demonstrate your financial reliability
3. Make sure the property fits your needs
Estate agents will upload information about the property on the property listing, so make sure you read this carefully, and check that all the features of the home will work for you. As well as making sure it includes any of your non-negotiables.
- Check the property description carefully to make sure all the features of the home meet your needs. For example, what level of furnishing do you require
- Some local authorities will have restrictions on how many people can live in properties of a certain size, so check the home is the right size before making an enquiry. For example, if you have two children they may both need their own bedrooms in some areas.
If you’re unsure about what any of the property listing information means, our glossary explains all of the terms you’ll see when searching for homes on Rightmove.
4. Share additional information
When enquiring about a home for rent on Rightmove, you’ll see an optional message field where you can tell the letting agent a bit more about you. This helps the agent see if you’d be a good match right away, and helps them learn a bit more about you. You might want to include things like:
- What you do for work, as well as how long you’ve been in your role
- Who’ll be living at the property
- Details of your rental history, if you’ve rented a home in the past
- Your required moving date, as well as whether you have any flexibility around this
- Whether you have an adverse credit history
- Any other information that might be useful to the agent
Even if it turns out the property isn’t right for you, all of this information will help the agent identify other properties they have available, or coming onto the market soon, that better match your needs.
5. Get ahead, where you can
- Timely communication and flexible availability for viewings will go a long way, especially if you’re enquiring about a home where the move-in date is imminent
- You can set up property alerts to be among the first to hear about new rental homes, as soon as they’re added to Rightmove
