The numbers

Background

The landlord

“As an all-in-one rental platform, liv.rent was really designed to save both landlords and tenants time & stress, while simultaneously keeping them safe.”

Olivia Lam, Founder of liv.rent

• Number of listings managed: 5
• Rental platforms used previously: Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, VanSky, VanPeople, Little Red Book
• Management software used currently: liv.rent
• Primary concerns: Efficiency, protecting the property, finding a suitable match

Olivia maintains 5 rental properties across Metro Vancouver, which can quickly become a time-consuming addition to an already busy schedule. For her, the rental process is all about minimizing stress while ensuring that her unit is filled with qualified tenants who won’t cause problems later on.

Prior to founding liv.rent, Olivia had been manually posting her listings on a variety of popular listing platforms, as well as local rental groups.

As with many landlords, she became frustrated with the time-consuming nature of the rental process – especially given the number of applicants she had for each of her five properties. Aware of the pressing danger of rental scams, Olivia was cautious to carefully screen each renter that applied to avoid missed payments and costly damage to her rental properties, while also making ongoing management of the units easier by ensuring vacancies were filled with tenants she could trust.

Challenge #1: Streamlining the application & pre-screening process

“Some days I’d receive 30-40, even upwards of 60 applications for a single unit. Being able to access all of these applications in one place was a huge time-saver.“

Olivia Lam, Founder of liv.rent

One of Olivia’s biggest frustrations with the rental process prior to founding liv.rent was having her email inbox clogged with rental applications. With multiple businesses to run and a jam-packed calendar, she felt like she couldn’t give each application the attention it deserved since there were simply so many to keep track of.

Solution: Centralizing leads on liv.rent

After consulting the latest rental data to get a sense of the market, Olivia began her rental process in earnest by creating a liv.rent listing and sharing it to a variety of other platforms in order to reach more qualified renters. For Olivia, the more prospective tenants she could reach, the better.

Directly through liv.rent, Olivia was able to share her listing to Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Kijiji with built-in marketing tools. Through this feature, she was able to easily transpose the entire listing including photos, already pre-formatted for other sites.

Since Olivia has had great experiences renting to international renters in the past, she also manually shared her postings to other platforms such as VanSky, VanPeople, and Little Red Book. With the help of the Trust Score, liv.rent’s tenant screening tool, she was able to look beyond credit information and accurately evaluate & consider other groups of renters whose applications may be overlooked by many landlords.

Each of these shared listings contained a link to the original listing on liv.rent, plus instructions for how to apply. As other landlords have done, Olivia used this opportunity as a “pre-screening” step to get a sense of how well applicants could follow directions and whether or not they were interested enough to make the effort.

Challenge #2: Getting applicants to complete their Trust Score

Once they had signed up for liv.rent, Olivia also asked applicants to get a Trust Score through the platform to aid in her decision-making.

While most applicants were more than happy to complete their liv.rent profile and get a Trust Score rating, some renters were understandably wary to enter that much personal information online. Some had concerns about how their data would be used, why it was necessary to provide it, and what measures were in place to protect it.

Solution: Emphasizing transparency & security

“Being a landlord is a lot different today than when I first started renting out property. Due to increases in scams and reports of troublesome tenants, I have to be more cautious than ever now – which is why most landlords ask for so much documentation.”

Olivia Lam, Founder of liv.rent

For Olivia, getting a complete picture of applicants is a necessity. To reduce turnover and create successful, lasting landlord-tenant relationships, it’s extremely important for Olivia to cultivate trust & transparency from the get-go.

Trust is a two-way street though, which is why Olivia made sure to point out to hesitant applicants that she had already been verified through liv.rent’s multi-layered process. She also highlighted the industry-leading data security procedures that protect all liv.rent users’ information – including important documents uploaded for verification purposes.

When prospective tenants expressed reluctance at providing things like their driver’s license and credit history, Olivia explained that all user information, including everything that is submitted to generate a Trust Score report, is stored securely in the cloud and protected by military-grade encryption protocols. For those who required further explanation, she made sure to link them to liv.rent’s Privacy Policy to quell any lingering doubts.

By this point, nearly every renter felt confident providing the required information and Olivia was able to proceed with her tenant screening process using the Trust Score.

Challenge #3: Making a final decision

“Deciding which renter(s) to choose during the end stages is always very difficult for me. I typically favourite applications that stand out so that our conversations are easily accessible, but in most cases, there are multiple applicants who I think would make great tenants”

Olivia Lam, Founder of liv.rent

Since some of Olivia’s rental properties are on the higher end in terms of rent price, her primary concern was finding tenants who could reasonably afford to pay rent on time with no foreseeable problems.

Even with the current market conditions, there was no shortage of applicants whose financial situation seemed suited to the listing they were applying for, so Olivia had to rely on the Trust Score to provide more insight into each applicant’s rental history and overall patterns as a tenant, and more importantly as an individual.

Solution: Going beyond finances with the Trust Score

Using her most recent listing as an example, Olivia had narrowed the field to three sets of candidates: a young couple, a graduate student moving from abroad, and a single professional. All of these applicants had complete profiles on liv.rent and plenty of supporting documents that clearly showcased their rental history. Even though the international student didn’t yet have a credit history in Canada, they were able to provide proof of funds that adequately proved their ability to make rent payments.

Faced with three excellent options for future tenants, Olivia had to look more in-depth at each of their Trust Score reports to find the perfect fit for the property in question.

Beyond vital information like applicants’ Credit Summary, Risk Assessment, and Income-to-rent Ratio, Olivia paid particular attention to each renter’s Trustworthiness score, making sure to view the documents they had submitted as an added layer of protection.

Ultimately, while the Trust Score played an integral role in creating a “shortlist” of qualified applicants, the final decision came down to who was the best match for this particular property, since each applicant was equally well-suited financially.

After speaking to each of the prospective tenants in-person at scheduled showings as well as online through liv.rent’s Instant Chat, Olivia decided to proceed with the young professional, who had an excellent financial history and seemed like the best fit for the building and neighbourhood.

In brief

With 5 rental properties and a significant investment on the line, the importance of an efficient and all-encompassing tenant screening process was magnified in this case.

Here’s a quick summary of the steps Olivia followed to ensure she was connecting with qualified renters at every step of the rental process:

1. Sharing to multiple platforms: Using both built-in sharing features as well as reaching an additional audience through manual sharing, Olivia was able to ensure that her listing was put in front of more renters. Expecting a high volume of applications, she also took steps to streamline the process from the outset by directing all interested renters to liv.rent – where she could see all their information in one place, communicate directly, and also favourite applications to ensure they don’t get lost throughout the lengthy rental process.
2. Prioritizing mutual trust at every stage: In this digital age, landlords necessarily require a lot of information about tenants in order to make informed and accurate screening decisions. However, Olivia was also keenly aware that tenants are particularly concerned about rental scams and took measures to promote two-way transparency right from posting her listing. By verifying her profile and listings and reassuring renters about the safety of their information, she was able to do her due diligence while also ensuring applicants knew they were in a safe situation.
3. Looking beyond traditional credit checks – For nearly every landlord, finding tenants who are able to pay rent in full and on time is usually priority #1. When there are multiple applicants who all meet your financial criteria though, landlords & property managers need additional information to reference in order to make a final decision. In Olivia’s case, her choice often comes down to a number of equally suitable renters, in which case she looks at additional information like their Detailed Risk Assessment and Trustworthiness in order to get a complete understanding of who she’ll be renting to.

Takeaways from this case

Olivia’s rental process showcases how landlords can make well-informed tenant screening decisions and save time without compromising renter safety in the process.

Here are some key takeaways from this case study:

1. All-in-one solutions make managing multiple properties possible — From beginning to end, Olivia was able to use the liv.rent platform as her one-stop hub for all relevant communications, applications, showings, and even contracts & rent payments.
2. Doing your due diligence makes for stress-free tenancies — For landlords & property managers renting out multiple units, ensuring each vacancy is filled promptly with trustworthy tenants is paramount. Though it may require additional effort upfront, the countless hours saved from dealing with troublesome occupants is well worth it.
3. Trust is a two-way street — While landlords need to ask for a lot of information throughout the application process, it’s important to remember that today’s renters are hyper-aware of rental scams. Taking the time to verify your profile and listings is an excellent first step towards building a relationship of trust & transparency.

Rethink The Way You Rent

Not on liv.rent yet? Experience the ease of digital applications & contracts, verified tenants & landlords, virtual tours and more – all on one platform. Sign up for free or download the app.

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The post Landlord Case Study: How to streamline tenant screening for multiple rental properties appeared first on liv.rent blog.

Hi everybody! My name is Matisse and I work here at liv.rent as the Marketing Manager. I rent out three properties and use liv.rent to manage them and find my tenants. Recently, I successfully rented out a 3 bed, 3 bath listing in Vancouver in less than 10 days from the listing to the contract being signed. During this time, I received more than 90 inquiries and 50 applications for my apartment. 

I’ll be going through exactly what I did and how you can use the features available within liv.rent to simplify the tenant search and screening process and rent out your apartment fast.

How can I find a tenant faster?

Like most landlords, I’m extremely busy and always looking for ways to do more on the go. My favourite thing about liv.rent is that I can do everything on my phone and cut out a lot of the time that’s usually wasted during the rental process. This allows me to find qualified renters faster, with less time and energy spent on my end.

To break it down, my flow essentially consisted of four simple steps:

1. Share your listing to multiple sites to reach more tenants
2. Use liv.rent as my rental hub
3. Screen candidates using liv.rent
4. Send video tours and book time slots

I’ll be going over what each of those steps looks like and how to rent out an apartment fast using liv.rent.

Share your listing to reach more tenants

To reach more qualified tenants, it’s important to cast a wide net. Thankfully, liv.rent makes it easy to advertise your listing on multiple sites so that you can reach as many interested renters as possible.

This was relatively easy for me as I’m part of a lot of different Facebook groups, but it also led to a barrage of messages from tenants. I received 150+ inquiries in total, which was great for getting leads, but I needed a way to filter out the really interested candidates.

If you’ve used Facebook Marketplace in the past, you know that about 95% of the messages you receive are the standard “Hi, is this still available?”. I didn’t have time to go through and reply to every single message, so instead I directed all interested applicants to my liv.rent listing and communicated there. This is essentially your first screening step as it eliminates the candidates who aren’t committed, while also organizing all your communications into one convenient location.

Use liv.rent as your rental hub

Once my listing was up and running, I started receiving messages on Facebook Messenger instantly. Whenever this happened, I would direct the candidate to message me and apply on liv.rent. This is important because I don’t want to continue any communication on Facebook – it’s a better way for me to organize my chats and keep all the communication and documents in one place. 

No matter where you post or advertise your listing to, you want to direct all your leads back to liv.rent (I call it my rental hub) and tell them to apply there. From there, I received over 50+ applications which was quite overwhelming. So, what I ended up doing was going through each application and short-listing or favouriting my top applicants. 

Screen tenants and create a short-list using liv.rent

Once I have a good number of applicants on liv.rent, my next task is filtering out any renters who don’t seem 100% interested in moving forward with my listing, and also any renters who don’t fit my requirements. I’m looking for someone who will take care of my unit, respectful of noise levels, and of course, can pay their rent on time. 

With this in mind, I created a tenant screening flow using liv.rent to help me save time and streamline my entire rental process. I work full-time and I really didn’t want to waste my energy on anyone who either wasn’t qualified or wasn’t seriously interested in renting my unit. 

Normally the Trust Score is the first thing that I check when looking for new tenants. Students, particularly international students who apply, may not have a credit history in Canada. In this case, I would defer to their submitted statements to see if they are employed, if they have an income, or are otherwise able to pay for rent. I also made sure to call the references listed on their application to better understand who they are as a renter. 

Send video tours and book showing time slots

After I narrowed down my top applicants to about 15, I sent the remaining candidates a link to my video tour using liv.rent and asked them to book a showing if they were still interested in the apartment. I created some options for time slots for my listing and let them know that they could go ahead and book one that was still open. 

When all was said and done, I ended up with about 10 tenants who booked a viewing – my pool of high-intent renters who I knew were seriously interested and fit all my requirements. I was able to rent out this listing in just about 10 days – I could have rented it out faster if I wanted to, but I chose to do my due diligence and go through more applicants to ensure I was totally satisfied with who I chose to rent to. 

I rented my suite out to 3 international students and I was able to use the built-in contract and pre-vetted addendums to quickly and easily get all the paperwork in order.

My tips for renting out an apartment

To summarize, let’s recap a few of the most important tips and features that helped me streamline the rental process using liv.rent and ultimately rent my apartment faster:

• List on multiple sites using built-in sharing features
• Direct all of your communications to your rental hub on liv.rent
• Use liv.rent features to screen and short-list potential tenants
• Send video tours and conduct showings
• Create contracts and addendums using liv.rent

Rethink The Way You Rent

Not on liv.rent yet? Experience the ease of digital applications & contracts, verified tenants & landlords, virtual tours and more – all on one platform. Sign up for free or download the app.

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The post Landlord Success Story: How To Rent Out An Apartment In 10 Days appeared first on liv.rent blog.

The numbers

Background

The landlord

• Number of listings managed: 1
• Rental platforms used previously: Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist
• Management software used currently: liv.rent
• Employment status: Employed full-time
• Primary concerns: Safety, saving time, finding a suitable match

The landlord in this case was renting out a two-bedroom partial house in Vancouver’s Riley Park-Little Mountain neighbourhood, seeking a source of passive income without the stress of troublesome tenants. The listing was originally posted to Facebook Marketplace, as well as liv.rent’s own Facebook Group.

In the posting, the landlord expressed that she would prefer a family or young professionals, and that her main priority was having responsible tenants who she could trust to pay rent on time and take care of the unit.

“I was so grateful to learn about liv.rent. My colleagues already knew about it, but I had no idea how much help it would be!“

The tenants

• Budget: $2,200
• Areas of interest: Cambie Village, Mount Pleasant, Point Grey/U.B.C.
• Reason for moving: Relocating for work opportunity
• Employment status: Employed full-time
• Primary concerns: Safety, budget, securing a home before arriving in Canada

A family of renters reached out to liv.rent’s support team, looking for a place to rent in Vancouver for under $2,200 per month. These tenants were moving to Canada from abroad, and had been continually inquiring to two-bedroom units near the University of British Columbia with few results to show for it.

Though their budget was far below the city-wide average rental rates, our team of Rental Experts accepted the challenge and promised they’d do all they could to find a suitable property. The tenants were almost set to depart for Vancouver, and needed a place as soon as possible. The family was relocating for a work opportunity, with the husband/father having previously worked in a globally-renowned university.

How they did it

A perfect match

While researching listings for potential outreach, liv.rent’s client success team came across a two-bedroom partial house for rent in Vancouver for a lower-than-average monthly rent price. Shared to liv.rent’s Facebook Group, the listing had only been available for a short time but had already been saved by a number of interested renters. Recalling that we had recently spoken to a family of tenants whose preferences aligned nearly perfectly with this listing, we contacted the landlord by phone, leaving a voicemail to let them know that a family of qualified renters was interested in the unit, highlighting that they had already verified their key information for the landlord’s peace of mind. liv.rent isn’t a placement agency, but we always try to assist in situations such as this one where there’s an opportunity to connect like-minded landlords and tenants.

The landlord returned our call almost immediately, sympathizing with the renters’ situation and curious to learn more about their suitability as tenants. After the landlord expressed frustration with the typical rental process and the number of time-wasting replies on other sites, our Rental Experts explained how liv.rent could simplify their renting with built-in tenant screening, marketing, digital contracts & rent payments, and other automation features.

Getting verified

While still on the line with our support representative, the landlord created her free Essentials account. She then filled out her listing’s details using liv.rent’s pre-loaded template, attaching photos of different angles of the unit, as well as a pre-recorded video tour since the tenants were renting from abroad. She proceeded through the verification processes, uploading a picture of her photo ID and land title documents.

The unit itself was a two-bedroom, one-bathroom partial house with a private entrance – and best of all, it was located in a family-friendly neighbourhood with easy public transit routes to U.B.C., perfect for the young family.

In just over 15 minutes, our team had successfully verified the landlord’s account and address, and her listing was ready to be shared! Using the easy built-in sharing features, the landlord was able to invite the tenant to apply directly, starting a conversation over liv.rent’s instant chat to streamline communication.

Simplifying the tenant screening process

After reviewing their application and asking the prospective tenants some preliminary screening questions, the landlord felt ready to continue with the rental process. Although the renters didn’t yet have a credit history in Canada, the Trust Score and liv.rent’s identity & income verification processes gave the landlord peace of mind to proceed. As the tenants were currently in Latin America, both parties had to work around a 4-hour time difference. Using liv.rent’s instant chat though, they were able to find a time slot that worked for everyone and arranged for a Zoom interview.

Virtual tours make renting from abroad a breeze

During a half-hour video call, the landlord asked a series of questions to get to know the renters better, answering any questions they had as well. While still on the call, the landlord performed a video walk-through of the property, showing the tenants each room as while as the exterior of the unit and the surrounding neighbourhood. The tenants were thrilled with what they’d seen, and the landlord was satisfied that she’d found the perfect tenants for her unit.

Making it official with digital contracts & rent payments

With both parties in agreement, the landlord created a lease agreement using liv.rent’s auto-filled lease templates, generated in seconds using the information they’d already entered onto the platform. Next, the landlord sent a Payment Request for the rent deposit through liv.rent, which the tenant promptly and securely paid directly on the platform.

As easy as that – the lease agreement was complete and both the landlord and their new tenant had found a great match in under 24 hours from the original listing being posted.

How liv.rent helped

From start to finish, this case study shows how liv.rent’s digital tools were key to this landlord renting out their listing in 24 hours, ensuring both parties were able to proceed safely and easily. Renting online can normally pose a number of threats: the tenants might not be who they say they are, their documents may not be valid, or they might not be as interested as they say they are. With liv.rent, the guesswork was taken out of the equation as the tenants had already taken the time to verify their paperwork – showing that they were a.) interested, and b.) qualified to rent.

Once posting their listing on the liv.rent platform, the rental process took mere hours, as both parties were able to do everything they needed in one convenient place. With tenant screening features built right into the platform in the form of the Trust Score and liv.rent’s verification processes, the landlord was able to easily gauge the renters’ qualification in just minutes, rather than waiting for a traditional credit check. Then, using digital contracts and rent payments, the remainder of the rental process took less than an hour.

Since there was a time difference involved and the renters weren’t able to see the unit in person before signing a lease, liv.rent’s support for up to 20 photos, as well as video uploads, was integral to properly preview the property. The instant chat feature also played a big role in ensuring streamlined communication throughout, rather than constantly waiting for emails to send or communicating across different messaging apps.

“liv.rent was a game-changer. From verifying my listing to creating & signing a lease – everything was so easy. I’m never going back!“

Takeaways from this case

While 24 hours is definitely on the lower end of the time it takes to rent out a unit, there are three key things landlords can take away from this case study on renting out their listing:

1. With the right tools, renting online can be both safe & easy — Many landlords are wary of tenants renting from abroad, preferring face-to-face interactions over digital ones. This case showed how with liv.rent, landlords and tenants can establish a similar connection through mutual verification, instant chat, and video uploads/tours.
2. The right tenants are worth making an effort for — Though their listing was originally posted to Facebook Marketplace, this landlord took advantage of liv.rent’s features in order to make communicating with these prospective renters easier. Doing this allowed them to make better-informed decisions about who they were renting to, ultimately leading to a perfect match and a happy, long-lasting tenancy.
3. Mutual trust is key to successful renting — The primary factor in this case study for renting out a listing in 24 hours was trust. Since both parties were absolutely sure that the other was trustworthy and a suitable match, the rental process was able to proceed much faster than usual.

Rethink The Way You Rent

Not on liv.rent yet? Experience the ease of digital applications & contracts, verified tenants & landlords, virtual tours and more – all on one platform. Sign up for free or download the app.

Subscribe to receive the latest tenant & landlord tips and get notified about changes in the Canadian rental market.

>> Stay up-to-date on the average rent in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal: Rent Reports.

The post How a Vancouver landlord rented out their listing in under 24 hours with liv.rent appeared first on liv.rent blog.

Finding a Rental During COVID-19

Rental Communication During COVID-19

Viewing Rentals During COVID-19

Applying for a Rental During COVID-19

Signing Contracts During COVID-19

Tell us a little about your family

We’re a family of 4 from Dubai, originally from the Philippines. We received our Canadian Permanent Residency this year and we decided to make the big move. We’re excited for the change of environment and look forward to starting our new life in this beautiful country! Thanks to liv.rent, we were able to easily find a place that we can call home. 

Finding a Rental during COVID-19

Renting during COVID-19 can be a daunting task as COVID-related protocols around the residential renting process continue to evolve and change regularly. Hence, we asked Rosemarie to share her own experience navigating these ever-changing regulations and restrictions.

How did you start your search for a rental? Did it differ because of the pandemic?

Before I discovered liv.rent, I searched on platforms such as Craigslist, Padmapper, and Kijiji simultaneously. Regardless of the pandemic, this was how I would begin my search.

How did liv.rent compare to the other platforms you used? 

The best thing about liv.rent is the Verified Listings; this is something I noticed during my first search and since then I’ve used liv.rent exclusively. It is also what sets liv.rent apart from the other platforms.

I appreciated the fact that each listing had a verified stamp and that the real estate agents, property managers and landlords were also verified. This way, you can view their profile and company, along with some background research, to ensure their legitimacy.

Because of this, I knew I could trust the listings on the liv.rent platform. This was especially important as my biggest concern was being “scammed” while searching for a place overseas and because I knew nothing about renting in Canada.

What are your favourite liv.rent features?

In addition to the Verified Listings, my three other favourite platform features are:

1. Search/Filters – allowed me to use different criteria and to browse through listings in both the list and map view
2. Video Tours – helped us narrow down our favourite listings
3. Live Chat – I appreciated being able to chat with liv.rent agents, who helped me keep track of all my inquiries

I also enjoyed liv.rent’s blog. It covered topics such as renting during COVID, and the monthly rent reports which outlined different rental price levels in Metro Vancouver. These articles were extremely useful, so I started using liv.rent for their rental resources on top of finding a place to live.

Rental Communication during COVID-19

Keeping open and clear communications during these uncertain times is crucial. While landlords, property managers, and renters continue to limit physical interactions, many are turning to digital tools to carry on communication. Here are some tips and tools that Rosemarie shared with us to effectively communicate with landlords and property managers during COVID-19.

What was your main communication tool? Email? Text? Phone? Chat?

I relied heavily on the chat and email functions of liv.rent’s app to communicate with landlords and property managers.

Which avenue of communication was most effective for you?

The chat feature was most effective for me because landlords were very responsive.

Viewing Rentals during COVID-19

The rules and regulations for in-person viewings differ across the world, leaving many landlords and property managers to limit to virtual showings. We asked Rosemarie to share some of her insights on viewing rentals during the pandemic. 

How did you choose a property?

When looking for a place, I took into consideration the price, location and amenities/features. I liked that most of the listings on liv.rent were detailed and included a list of all the amenities for both the unit and building itself. The video tours included in certain listings also helped us to narrow down our favourite listings.

Did you arrange a viewing?

Yes, we arranged an in-depth virtual tour with the Real Estate Agent through video call.

Did you view any rentals in person? If so, how was that experience during the pandemic?

No, we didn’t view the properties in person. We chose the rental based solely on chats with the realtor and his virtual tour of the rental.

Applying for a Rental during COVID-19

When it comes to the application process, most rental and real estate regulations advise renters and landlords to consider digital applications to limit in-person meetings. Rosemarie explained her experience on applying for a rental during COVID-19.

How many rental applications did you have to complete and submit?

We completed and submitted 2 rental applications.

How did liv.rent simplify the application process for you?

We only had to fill out our renter profile once and used it to apply to multiple listings. Also, liv.rent made it easy with verified listings, helpful agents, and the simple and easy chat application which allowed for smooth communication.  

liv.rent’s blog provided us with lots of resources which was useful for first time renters. For example, the article BC Tenancy Act Explained outlined what should be included in a tenancy contract.

Signing Contracts during COVID-19

Last on the agenda of securing a rental is signing the Tenancy Agreement. Similar to the application process, many rental regulations advise Renters and Landlords to use digital methods.

Thankfully, with liv.rent you can simply sign and send a pre-loaded Tenancy Agreement directly through the platform. This helps to limit additional in-person meetings with Landlords and Property Managers.

Access all 6 pages of your BC Standard Residential Tenancy Agreement with pre-loaded information and customizable digital Addendums. It’s all ready for you to review, sign, and send while abroad or maintaining a safe social distance. 

For more tips on moving during a pandemic, check out our article on Tips for Moving During COVID-19. And find more COVID-19 related resources here:

• Tips for Moving During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Canada – Rent Relief For Renters
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Canada – Support For Landlords

Not on liv.rent yet? Experience verified listings, digital applications and contracts, and more – all on one platform. Click here to sign up now or download the app to get the full digital rental experience

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The post Renting During COVID-19: A Renter’s Journey appeared first on liv.rent blog.

Felipe and Lais are a Brazilian couple who have recently moved to Vancouver. Lais is studying and Felipe is looking for employment. They secured a place to live in Gastown before moving here thanks to their relocation company, Easy Dream, and the liv.rent app, recommended by Easy Dream.

Other than high rental prices, what are some of the biggest frustrations renters face in Vancouver?

As an immigrant, it was hard to rent before actually arriving in Vancouver and there seemed to be a lot of bureaucracy. Also many people simply ignored our contact, not returning our emails, which was very frustrating,

Have you experienced any rental scams in Vancouver? If so, what happened?

We didn’t experience any scams but we have friends that almost lost $1,000 CAD deposit on a scam. The fake property manager asked for an early deposit and said the keys would be delivered to a mailbox.

(Read our top tips on how to avoid rental scams here.)

How long did it take you to find a place?

It took 2 months, but likely because we were in Brazil. When we hired a company in Vancouver to do it for us (Easy Dream), it took only 3 days to find and secure the rental using liv.rent

How did liv.rent improve you rental search process?

For us, the main improvement was simply our ability to complete the entire rental process on our phone, remotely from Brazil, attaching documents, and digitally signing the lease contract. It was great to be able to follow the whole process in real time using the app.

What features from liv.rent do you like best?

We loved the chat feature and the fact that all of the legal documents were available in app. And as mentioned, the ability to sign all the documentation digitally was a great feature given we were in Brazil.

How did you find out about liv.rent?

We reached out directly through liv.rent’s Facebook group and the friendly customer care contact recommended we download the app and try it out. It was so simple and intuitive. We love it!

Do you have any feedback for our platform, or any additional features you’d like to see?

We missed having the measurements of the rooms in each unit. We only saw the square footage of the whole apartment but did not know the size of each room so, for example, it was hard to determine whether a queen bed would fit in the bedroom. It would be nice if landlords/property managers could provide this level of detail…but this isn’t an app issue!

——

Looking for other perspectives on moving to Vancouver? Check out other posts in our Spotlight series:

Renter Spotlight: Volleyball Canada

Property Manager Spotlight: Luxury Rental Suites

Property Manager Spotlight: W Brothers

Subscribe to our newsletter for up-to-date rental reports and other useful rental-related information.

The post Renter Spotlight: Felipe & Lais From Brazil appeared first on liv.rent blog.