The Rental Application letter is a letter used to inform an applicant that he or she is approved to rent out the property he or she have applied for. The letter informs the applicant of the term of the lease, the amount of rent to pay, security deposit details, and the time interval. Simply put, this letter tells the applicant that his or her application is approved, and both parties are ready to sign a rental agreement.
What is Contained in a Rental Approval Letter?
- The landlord address, date, and the tenant’s address
- A definite statement about the terms and conditions of the contract
- The rent amount and the rent due date
- The period of the contract if agreed upon
- The facilities offered and rights for the tenant
- The interest of the owner and the tenant
- An approval statement as well as an appreciation and welcoming statement
Writing an Approval Letter for Rental Application
If, after conducting your assessment on the tenant and they meet your standards of application to rent your property. The next step is to draft and send them an approval letter to inform them that they have been approved officially. Before composing the letter, you must furnish yourself with the language and the proper guidelines to help you in writing a rental application approval letter
Step 1: Use a Letter Template
Although you can always start from scratch while drafting a Rental Application Approval Letter, using a ready-made template is always recommended. Templates simplify your work as you may decide to use it as it is, make a few adjustments or simply use it as a guide when it comes to the format and the layout. You should first check out the templates before downloading to make sure that it contains the contents you need.
Step 2: Secure the Basic Details
Just like any other letter, the first thing you should include is the necessary details at the top of the approval letter. These details include; the date, the inside address, and the returning address or the heading. Note that:
- The date must be the exact date when you wrote the letter which in most cases written on the top left corner
- The inside address should include the full names of the approved tenant and their current address
- The return address should include your full name, your title, address, and contact details, e.g., Phone, landline numbers, and email address.
Step 3: Discuss the Details
The body of the letter should have at least three paragraphs. Start with the salutation and a simple greeting in the first paragraph. State the purpose of the letter and, in a brief sentence, inform the approved tenant of his/her successful application. The second paragraph includes details such as the date of signing the Rental Agreement, the move-in date, and the security deposit detail.
Step 4: Call the Recipient to Action
The last paragraph contains a call-to-action whereby you encourage further communication with the approved tenant. This paragraph includes the date for the tenant to come and sign the Rental Agreement.
Step 5: Proofread and Check
After drafting your Rental Application Approval Letter, you must proofread and counter check your work before printing and sending it to the tenant. Ensure that the letter is well-formatted, free of any grammatical errors and that the details provided are accurate.
Things to Focus
When writing a rental application approval letter, there are some basics things you should always consider and focus on to ensure that the letter contains substantial and relevant content. Here are some of the basic things to consider when writing:
- Statement of Confirmation: the letter should inform the tenant that their application was successful and that they have been approved to rent the property.
- The Signing of Rental Agreement: the letter should indicate the date set for signing the rental agreement. This written contract protects both you as the Landlord and the tenant.
- Move-in date: indicate in the letter, when the tenant can move-in. Make sure to go through the rental agreement with the tenant and answer any questions they may have before moving in
- Deposit details: indicate the mode and duration of payment regarding the first month’s rate and the security or advance deposit.
- Deadline: although not entirely necessary, it is always advisable to have a period for which the tenant is allowed to respond to the letter. This creates the need for urgency and also helps you avoid having a vacant unit when you could have accommodated another prospect.
The Dos and Don’ts
Just like any other letter, a rental application approval letter is a formal letter that must be adequately drafted to convey its intended message efficiently. There are some simple mistakes that you should always avoid when writing an approval letter, and there are some basic things you should always consider before drafting and submitting the letter. Below is a guide on the Dos and Don’ts of writing a Rental Application Approval Letter.
What to Do
Address your Letter to the Right Individual
You must make sure that before writing the letter, you already know the full name of the approved tenant you are sending the letter to. This will help you in addressing the recipient of the letter with their name rather than the generic “Dear Sir/Madam” or “To whom it may concern.”
Include any Necessary Details
Make sure that you have included all the details that comprise a rental application approval letter. If you are not familiar with what to or not to include, you can download some of our templates that are well structured and tailored to help you understand everything you need to know about the Rental Application Approval Letter.
Structure and Organize
Structuring and organizing the letter is perhaps the most important thing you must do before sending any letter. The letter should be very substantial and informative to ensure that the information is conveyed correctly. After you obtain all the details for the letter, the next step is to organize the letter in a perfect structure and standard format. Just like any other official letter, you may decide to use block, modified block, and semi-block styles.
Choose an Appropriate Tone
A rental application approval letter must be written in a formal and respectful tone. To get the tenants to respond to the letter almost immediately, avoid using a demanding tone as this will probably scare them off.
Ensure all the Details are Accurate
Make sure to proofread the letter to ascertain that it is free of spelling and any grammatical errors. Also, make sure that the details provided in the letter are clear and accurate. Check the dates, contact information, and name to ensure that they are correct.
What Not to Do
Don’t ramble on and on
Keep the letter clear, precise, and to the point. Avoid including any unnecessary details that are not essential to the tenant.
Don’t Forget to add the Recipient’s Name, Gender or Professional Title
Make sure you proofread your work to ensure that you have addressed the tenant correctly. This helps you avoid some simple mistakes like addressing someone as “Mr.” when you meant “Mrs.” Or addressing someone as “Mrs.” when you meant “Ms.”
How to Write (Tenant Acceptance Letter)
From
Owner’s name,
Address,
City/town
Date.
Tenant’s Address:
To
Tenant’s name,
Address,
City/town
Subject/Reference: The subject matter should be simple, clear and to the point, e.g., Subject: Approved Tenant Letter
Opening remarks.
Dear Mr. / Mrs. (Tenant).
Body: This is the central part of the letter, and it should comprise of at least three paragraphs
1st Paragraph: This Paragraph consists of a brief personal identification as the Landlord and a brief explanation of why you are writing the letter
2nd Paragraph: This paragraph comprises all the information necessary to the tenant, i.e., the rights of the tenant as well as the Landlord, facilities available for the tenant, first and last month’s rent plus any other relevant information that you may find valuable to the tenant.
3rd paragraph: in the last paragraph of the letter, the owner indicated that the tenant had been approved for tenancy contact. You conclude by appreciating the tenant for their application.
Signature
Yours Sincerely,
Name of the Owner.
Free Templates & Examples
Approval For Rental Application Template
From: __________
Date: __________
To: __________
RE: APPLICATION APPROVAL
This rental application approval letter is issued to the Applicant who filed an application to rent for the property: Building Address: ___________________________. Your occupancy is set to begin on_______________________.
Please come to __________ on/by______________ or set up an appointment within to sign the lease and pay the balance of the required security deposit and first and last month’s rent. Failure to make the payment and sign the lease will cause forfeiture of rent/deposit paid to date.
Balance due is as follows:
First Month’s Rent: __________
Additional Rent: __________
Security Deposit: __________
Additional Deposit: __________
Fee(s) or other: __________
Total: __________
We hope you will have a good and peaceful stay at your new home
Sincerely,
Free Downloads
- MS Word
Frequently Asked Questions
In most cases, you will get a response in 24 to 72 hours after submitting your application. However, depending on the property manager/owner’s schedule, it may take up to a week or more to get a response.
The response time may also be affected by various reasons like, for instance, the owner may take much time checking your records or making phone calls to your previous Landlord to ask about your behavior.
In most cases, you will be required to make a security deposit when moving in. The standard security deposit is usually an amount equivalent to one month’s rent. In some cases, the landlords may choose to charge you a non-refundable move-in fee instead of a security deposit. The purpose of this is to cover any expenses incurred when preparing the unit, like changing the locks on the door or making new installations. Unlike a security deposit, a move-in fee is non-refundable.
You may also be required to pay the first and last month’s rent when signing the lease.
The Landlord has the right to approve or reject your application. Some of the reasons why most applicants get rejected include:
• Low income
• Poor credit history
• Your criminal history suggests you might endanger the safety of other tenants.
You may be required to pay a non-refundable fee when applying for a rental. This is to facilitate the costs associated with running your background and credit check. If approved, some landlords may include this fee in your rent or security deposit.