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Valentine\u2019s Day is done and dusted for another year and non-romantics are breathing a sigh of relief that their news feeds are no longer clogged with declarations of love and puppy memes. Unless, of<\/p>\n
Valentine\u2019s Day is done and dusted for another year and non-romantics are breathing a sigh of relief that their news feeds are no longer clogged with declarations of love and puppy memes. <\/span><\/p>\n Unless, of course, they happen to be a landlord on the receiving end of the new trend for love letters from prospective tenants.<\/span><\/p>\n With rents rising and the national rental vacancy rate at a record low, aspiring tenants are pulling out all stops to woo property managers and potential landlords in order to secure a lease on a home.<\/span><\/p>\n Love letters written to the property manager, colourful pet CVs, gifts and offers above asking price are just some of the ways rental-seekers are striving to stand out from the crowd in a highly competitive market.<\/span><\/p>\n Shannyn Laird, Head of Customer Experience at :Different<\/a><\/span>, <\/span>said the shortage of available rentals meant prospective tenants needed to apply for several properties and many were finding creative ways to attract the attention of property managers and owners.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWith the current vacancy rate in Queensland, for example, we\u2019ve heard of some home hunters applying for more than 15 properties before being successful,\u201d Ms Laird said.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe sometimes receive personal letters from prospective tenants, explaining in great detail why they would love to rent a particular home and some people have even created CVs just for their pets, with adorable photos of them too. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThese gestures can show a property manager or owner just how much the prospective tenant plans to take care of their home as if it were their own.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n In a landlord\u2019s market, Ms Laird said securing a quality, long-term tenant \u2013 not necessarily the highest bidder \u2013 was often the primary goal for property owners.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe have seen many instances where owners have turned down applicants willing to pay a higher rent and instead choose someone they feel is a better fit for the property, which is why adding a \u2018love letter\u2019 to the home can often help an applicant stand out.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Capitals crammed<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n According to Domain\u2019s Rental Vacancy Rate Report <\/a>the national rental vacancy rate dipped to 1.3 per cent in January, the lowest since Domain records started in 2017.<\/span><\/p>\n Domain Chief of Research and Economics, Dr Nicola Powell, said\u00a0the tightening rental market reflected a decline in the number of rental vacancies available across all cities. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAll cities are firmly in a landlord\u2019s market, apart from Melbourne, however, if trends continue, it could join the other cities very shortly,\u201d Dr Powell said. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf conditions carry on in the same direction we\u2019re likely to see competition and weekly asking\u00a0rents continue to rise<\/a>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n All Australian capital cities, except Perth, experienced a monthly drop in vacancy rates in January.<\/span><\/p>\n Sydney dropped to 1.9 per cent, the lowest since March 2018, while Melbourne\u2019s\u00a0vacancy rate fell to 2.4 per cent.<\/span><\/p>\n In Canberra, the vacancy rate fell to 0.7 per cent and vacancy rates in Brisbane,\u00a0Adelaide,\u00a0Hobart and Darwin were all lower compared with previous years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As availability continues to tighten, pent-up demand is causing rents to rise.<\/span><\/p>\n Capital cities, regional areas, houses and units all saw an increase in rents in the December quarter, culminating in the highest calendar year growth rate since 2007. <\/span><\/p>\n