Write a rental application cover letter
Say who will live there and give your work and rental history. Get a short, honest cover letter for an Australian rental application.
How to use it
- Give the facts agents check Who will live there, income and how stable it is, rental history, references, pets.
- Mention the property One thing you liked at the inspection shows you are not sending the same letter everywhere.
- Be upfront about weak spots First rental, a gap in history, a pet, a new job: the letter addresses them honestly instead of hiding them.
- Attach the evidence The letter refers to payslips, references and ID — make sure they are actually in your application.
The prompt
Write a cover letter to go with my rental application in Australia.
The property and what I liked about it: [PROPERTY_DETAILS]
Who will live there (adults, children, pets): [HOUSEHOLD_DETAILS]
Work and income (employer, role, how long, income in AUD): [INCOME_DETAILS]
Rental history and references: [RENTAL_HISTORY_DETAILS]
Anything that might count against me, and the honest context: [CONCERNS_CONTEXT]
Write:
- A letter of 180–260 words addressed to the property manager, in three or four short paragraphs: who we are and why this property; ability to pay (rent as a share of income if I gave both) and stable work; rental history and how we look after a home; a direct, honest note on any concern; a polite close mentioning the attached documents.
- Plain, warm Australian English — not overly formal, no grovelling, no sob story.
- A checklist of the documents usually attached (ID, payslips or employment letter, rental ledger, references, pet details).Never invent references, income or history. Don't offer more rent than advertised or extra bond; if I mention it, note that rent bidding rules differ by state and I should check my state's rules. Never include tax file numbers or bank details in the letter.
Example result
Dear Property Manager,
We'd like to apply for the two-bedroom unit at 14/38 Lygon Street, Brunswick East. We loved the north-facing balcony at Saturday's inspection, and being a short walk from the number 1 tram would make Sophie's commute to the Royal Melbourne Hospital easy.
We're Sophie and Josh, a couple in our late twenties and early thirties. Sophie is a registered nurse at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, where she has worked full-time on a permanent contract for four years. Josh is a graphic designer, permanent part-time at Fennel Studio for the past two years. Together we earn about $166,000 a year, so the rent of $620 a week is around 19% of our gross income.
We've rented our current home in Coburg for three years and have always paid on time. We're only moving because the owner is selling. Our property manager, Anh Tran at Coburg Realty, is happy to be contacted, and our rental ledger is attached.
We'd also like to be upfront that we have a cat, Miso — a six-year-old, desexed, indoor-only cat who has lived with us in Coburg without any damage, which Anh can confirm. We've included her details and are happy to discuss any conditions.
Our ID, recent payslips, employment letters and references are attached. Thank you for considering our application.
Kind regards, Sophie Williams and Josh Carter
Documents to attach
- Photo ID for both of you (driver's licence or passport)
- Last two or three payslips each, or an employment letter
- Rental ledger from Coburg Realty
- Written reference from Anh Tran, if you have one
- Pet details: Miso's desexing and vaccination records, council registration
Notes
- Victoria has a standard pet request process: the landlord can only refuse with approval from VCAT. Check the Consumer Affairs Victoria website before you apply.
- Rent as a share of income uses your combined gross income; agents often look for rent under 30%.