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How to fill a flat renting file ?

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You wish to find your new home. After many searches, you have finally found the advertisement of a wonderful room for rent in a coliving apartment. You schedule your visit, but have you thought of all the details? Yes, we are indeed talking about your rental application file! Essential, you will need to give it to the owner/landlord/real estate agent during the visit. Complete, and with all necessary supporting documents, it will maximize your chances of being selected against potential other candidates. It will also allow the owner to make a choice based on specific points, especially your family and professional situation, and your solvency, as the financial aspect is key. The first place is yours!

What document(s) should be included in your rental application file? Are there any documents that should not be mentioned and is it within my rights to omit some voluntarily? What to do if you don’t have a guarantor? How to make yourself the best candidate? These are all questions that we will answer in this article. Be ready so that no room or apartment will pass you by from now on.

How to build the best file for your rental?

You have visited your future home. You now want to position yourself and submit an application file. To create the most solid application file possible, find out in advance from your landlord/owner about the documents they require. You will inevitably need to include certain indispensable documents and information. Here is the list:

  • A photocopy of your identity card or passport – these are the only papers that legally attest to your identity
  • If you are employed, you will need to prove your employment. You will need to provide your last three payslips and a photocopy of your employment contract – these will attest to your financial situation, and therefore, give more weight to your rental application
  • Your last tax notice or non-taxation notice if you do not pay taxes

Other documents may be requested to supplement your rental application. They are not deemed mandatory but can make all the difference in setting you apart from other applications. Here are the ones we advise you to add:

  • If you were previously a tenant, your last three rent receipts or proof of residence – these are documents attesting to your good faith with the landlord
  • Your employer’s certificate, if you are employed and in a trial period
  • Your bank account details (RIB in France)
  • If you are a student, a copy of your student card or your school certificate
  • If you are a foreigner, a copy of your residence permit

To create the most solid application possible, find out in advance from your landlord/owner about the documents they require. You will inevitably need to include certain indispensable documents and information. Here is the list:

  • A photocopy of your identity card or passport – these are the only papers that legally attest to your identity
  • If you are employed, you will need to provide your last three payslips and a photocopy of your employment contract – these will attest to your financial situation, and therefore, give more weight to your rental application
  • Your last tax notice or non-taxation notice if you do not pay taxes

All these documents will reassure the owner. If you have guarantors, they will also need to provide the landlord with the same supporting documents as those mentioned above.

Are you entitled to receive personalized housing assistance (APL)? This financial aid distributed by the state, via the CAF (Family Allowance Fund in France), finances part of your rent. Distributed on a case-by-case basis and according to your resource level, it is necessary to add it so that the landlord/owner in charge of your file can take it into account. Don’t worry, it will not allow them to increase the rent. Visit the CAF website to do a simulation to get an idea of the amount you can receive. Find out the necessary conditions for you to receive the APL.

Documents that you do not need to give !

We have discussed the necessary supporting documents for creating your rental application. Now, we will talk about those that should not be added to the application file. Indeed, according to the law of July 6, 1989, and the ALUR law, your future landlord/owner/real estate agent in charge of the property, should not demand the following supporting documents from you (this list is indicative). These are private:

  • A photo of you
  • A copy of your social security card
  • An extract or a photocopy of your personal medical file
  • A photocopy of one of your bank accounts or any other bank attestation
  • An extract from your criminal record

Get your deposit ready

As we mentioned earlier, you will probably need a guarantor to move into your new home. If you have already found one among your family members or friends, then that’s a big step forward. However, if you have not yet found one or none of your relatives can act as a guarantor for you, know that there are different solutions.

Several companies can act as a guarantor for you. At Colivys, we have chosen to work with GarantMe. Our partner gives you access to rental by acting as a guarantor for you, while protecting the owners’ income. This guarantee is possible in a majority of different rentals such as traditional rental, shared housing, coliving, etc.

Other systems exist, such as:

  • VISALE: This completely free solution is a scheme from Action Logement, often chosen by landlords. It provides insurance both for the tenant, who can obtain a guarantor, and for the landlord, who will be compensated in case of unpaid rents. This scheme is open to people aged 18 to 30, or over 30 years old in professional mobility.

  • GLI: The Unpaid Rent Guarantee is an insurance covering landlords in case of unpaid rents. However, it imposes a condition on tenants: not to be in a precarious situation (employees, retirees, students with guarantor(s), independent contractors) and to be solvent. Unlike Visale, this term designates any individual or corporation acting as a guarantor for the tenant who would no longer fulfill his rent payment obligations. This solution is paid.
  • Bank Solidarity Guarantees: also called “bank guarantees”, this system allows the tenant to block a sum of money equivalent to the amount of the tenant’s rent. In case of non-payment, the bank will release these funds to the landlord.

Who can help me to build my leasing application ?

If you are apprehensive about putting together your rental application for an apartment or a coliving room on your own, know that there are solutions. The French government’s “Dossier Facile” program can help you create your rental file in a digital format. To do this, you only have 3 steps to follow:

  1. Download the necessary supporting documents and nothing else
  2. The DossierFacile services ensure to verify the authenticity of the documents, and validate your file
  3. Your file is ready! You just have to download it in the desired format (pdf or url link)

How to emphasize my file ?

Preparing your rental application file may seem very codified and institutional but it’s not. You can easily make your application stand out by following our few tips:
  • Pay attention to your presentation – it’s the first impression of you that your interlocutor will have so make sure it’s impeccable. Reread yourself and don’t hesitate to use online spell checkers to avoid spelling mistakes, and take care of your request email. Politeness is paramount so be sure to be respectful and formal. Forget the familiarities.
  • Rename the attachments included in your file – a very important thing to do so that the person reading your application can find their way around and know immediately what to refer to. This also shows your serious and meticulous side.
  • Write a cover page – it’s a detail that can make all the difference. Indeed, it’s the first element of your rental file that will be seen by your future landlord or real estate agent, if you go through an agency. It sets the tone for your file so why not remember your first files, internship reports, and create a cover page? It will allow you to make a grand entrance. Don’t forget to indicate your first and last name, those of your guarantors (if you have any), and the address of the apartment you’re applying for.
  • Write a table of contents or a summary of your motivation – the table of contents will guide the reader and allow them to know exactly what your file contains, in order to refer more easily to the page that interests them. If you opt for a summary, we advise you to include in a few sentences (one page maximum) a presentation of your motivation to live in this accommodation, your gross monthly income if you wish (or those of your guarantors), and add a recap of the documents you have attached to the file.
Once your application is written and completed, send it by email to your landlord. Be careful, it is better to send your file via a URL link. If you prefer to go through an email, use a watermark that protects your file from hacking. If you prefer, you can also hand it in person to the real estate agent in charge of your file and the property. With all these tips, you have every chance of achieving your goal, triggering the signing of your lease and moving into your new home. Don’t forget that when you submit your rental application for a property, you commit to paying each month, on a previously established date, the allocated amount of the rent. But if you prefer not to bother and waste time, have you ever thought about coliving? With Colivys, you won’t have to worry about all of this. We make your life easier by relieving you of all the headache surrounding the constitution of the rental application (and more). So what are you waiting for to reserve your room with us and discover coliving?

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