Crocodilian Blog
The Temporary Rental Blog from Berlin

Secure Lettings of Furnished Apartments: What is important?

Christine Kandler Von Christine Kandler
check of tenants

What are the Prerequisites for secure Lettings?

Damage to the flat, late, sporadic or no rent payments or tenants who do not move out on the agreed date – landlords who rent out their flat on a temporary basis want to avoid all this at all costs.

A prerequisite for secure lettings is thoroughly vetted tenants. Tenants should fill in a detailed application form, they should present their work contracts to make sure that they work in Berlin and that they earn enough to be able to afford the furnished flat. But in order to get a comprehensive picture, information on the personal background and their plans regarding living in Berlin is also important. Prospective tenants should make a strong first impression and the communication should be easy right from the start. Therefore it is necessary to invest some time to correspond and to speak with prospective tenants on the phone. Even if the tenant has filled in an application, it is necessary to check all information for consistency and plausibility - e.g. whether the flat actually fits into the budget, what the plans are as far as the rental period is concerned, how many people are actually moving in, etc. This is a very important part of the process.

Crocodilian always does a thorough check of tenants. To this day, our tenants have always paid their rent and have moved out on the agreed date.

Many applications get rejected during this process and we continue to search until we find a suitable tenant. This process takes longer than just sending the contact details of the prospective tenant to the owner. But a good check is in the interest of the landlord and if a tenant rents for a few months or even longer, it does not make any difference if you rent out your flat two days earlier or later.

But if security is an important criterion for you, it makes no difference whether your flat is rented after three or after five days. The important thing is that the flat is let to a good tenant and that you have as few vacancies as possible.

Crocodilian also checks if the flat suits the tenant’s needs. This is also important because if the tenant is happy with the apartment, he or she won’t move to the next furnished apartment at the next opportunity and tenants will also treat the flat with more care. A good and harmonious tenancy is our aim and goal.


Why is Exclusivity a Prerequisite for safe Lettings?

If a thorough check of prospective tenants is important for the landlord, Crocodilian requires exclusivity.

What is the reason for this? With other platforms or providers, a more superficial check takes place. They check only on the basis of the documents submitted by the prospective tenant. We know, of course, that an unchecked tenant can be just as good as the one checked by Crocodilian. But it does not have to be and we do everything to avoid surprises. The experience of the last 15 years has proofed us right in the vast majority of cases. And we have learned from the few lettings that did not go quite harmoniously.

If an owner would list his apartment with Crocodilian and somewhere else. we would have to adapt to the market criteria and present you with a tenant asap. In this scenario, refusing tenants and doing thorough checks would not make sense, if another provider would just pass over any application to you. If speed, i.e. the first one to present a tenant, is the criterion, quality is not the issue anymore. If you are happy with any tenant and if you don’t require a selection of tenants, Crocodilian is not the right agency for you.

If we have exclusivity, Crocodilian also takes over the rental management. This means that we strive for a seamless letting with very little ton o vacancy at all. Therefore we won’t present you a tenant who only want to rent in a few month's time.

Other advantages of exclusivity: Renting out to corporate Clients

Crocodilian has been working with many corporate clients, film company, startups, re-locators, etc. for years

Companies rarely apply for specific flats. They send us search profiles and they trust our recommendations Many startups and other companies have been working with Crocodilian for years. They appreciate our service because of the accuracy of the information, the availability by phone and the fixed contact persons. In return, however, companies demand commitment. Long-term cooperation with companies can only work if the companies also profit from our service, i.e. the flats they have chosen are actually still available. Corporate clients have little time and they need to make fast decisions. They cannot wait for a landlord to get back to us about if the flat is still available, might be rented or that he or she might have a prospective tenant and will know in 3 days' time if the flat is still available at all. Furnished rentals is a fast business and we can only offer exclusive listings to corporate clients.

Do Landlords run a Risk by offering their Apartment with Crocodilian exclusively?

No. We won’t list your apartment if we won’t be sure that we will find a good tenant for the flat. If we are unsure, we will tell you and we will rather refuse to market your apartment than listing it without success.

Summary:

Exclusive listings make everything easier for landlords, tenants, and also Crocodilian. This is why we can offer very attractive conditions and services to landlords, including collection of rent and deposit and transferring it to your account, making sure that tenants pay on time, organizing the first payment (always difficult if tenants live outside Europe), 360° virtual tours which replace viewings

Landlords who list their furnished apartment with Crocodilian exclusively can be sure that their furnished flat will not be let to the first available tenant but to a thoroughly checked and suitable tenant. This is the prerequisite for a good and stress-free tenancy, fewer repairs, and less wear and tear.

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