London tenants woo landlords with CVs

One in 20 prospective tenants are now providing landlords with a CV, in the hope of being picked over competitors for rental property, says LudlowThompson, a large London letting agent.

The agent said it is receiving a rising number of unsolicited CVs from prospective tenants. The CVs range from detailed personal histories to prosaic employment and pay records.

"Fierce competition for properties in the London rental market is forcing tenants to go to extraordinary lengths to secure a property. The latest trend is for tenants to send landlords a personalised CV. They are yet another symptom of the overheating London rental market," Stephen Ludlow, a director of LudlowThompson, said.

Some of the details given in these CVs include: how established a couple's relationship is, their pet's name and how well house-trained it is and why they would like to live in the property. In the case of house sharers, CVs list how the sharers met, how well they know each other and why they want to live together.

The CV phenomenon is against a backdrop of fast-rising rents in London and parts of the South-east.