Prospective tenants 'hand over CVs'

Desperate tenants are resorting to the job-hunting tactic of handing in their CVs amid fierce competition in the rental market.

London-based Ludlow Thompson reported a "growing number" of unsolicited CVs from prospective tenants, giving information ranging from detailed information about their relationships and pets to more prosaic job records.

The letting agent said one tenant even offered to bake a potential landlord a cake to clinch a deal.

The firm said that one in 20 would-be tenants are handing in a CV in the hope it will give them the competitive edge.

People are giving details such as how established their relationships are if they are in a couple, the name of their pet and how well house-trained it is, evidence of how clean and tidy they are and in the case of house sharers, how well they know each other.

Stephen Ludlow, director of Ludlow Thompson, said: "Fierce competition for properties in the London rental market is forcing tenants to go to extraordinary lengths to secure the property they want.

"The latest trend is for tenants to send landlords a personalised CV, explaining why they would be a great tenant.

"CVs from tenants are unprecedented. They are yet another symptom of the overheating London rental market."

Mr Ludlow added: "Some of these documents give a really quite personal account of the prospective tenant and can really reflect the personality of the prospective tenant.

"They go far and beyond demonstrating that they will be a reliable tenant."

Demand for rented accommodation has intensified as would-be home buyers needing large deposits have had difficulty getting on the property ladder.

A survey released last month by the website Easyroommate.co.uk found that flat share rents are rising at nearly 5% per year.

A separate study out last month, Rightmove's Consumer Rental Forecast, found that "trapped renters" - those who would like to buy but cannot afford to - make up the majority of the rental sector at 55%.

Mr Ludlow added: "It's astonishing to see tenants adopting such a personal approach. A recent tenant at one of our offices even offered to bake a cake for a potential landlord.

"Of course, some landlords look only at the rent and whether the tenant has passed the standard referencing checks.

"But other landlords might be swayed by the personal touch provided by these prospective tenants, particularly if they are choosing between different tenants offering similar rent."

PA