It can be desperate times if you are looking to rent something. Especially when vacancy rates are dipping under 2% in some areas, such as Melbourne's inner city and it's outer reaches.
Even if your not too fussy, tight rental vacancy rates in many cities means the situation can be dire. So it's not surprising that when we asked our readers what they had done to secure a rental property, more than one quarter said they had offered more than the asking price, taking a punt that a landlord couldn't resist some extra income.
If seems if people find a house or an apartment they like, they are often pulling out all the stops to secure it. Other survey respondents told us they had paid the rent and bond on the day, completed their application before the open for inspection because it showed they were keen and ready to go, or buttered up the leasing agent, believing it never hurts to be friendly.
