The criteria for what constitutes a good tenant varies, but excluding factors such as having pets or children, landlords generally look for tenants who have a stable income, pay their rent on time and do not break the bank. If a landlord considers a good tenant, he or she will have more bargaining power and the rent will be negotiable.

Does a tenant who can start renting immediately, has no requirements and signs up immediately, and does not haggle, necessarily have to be considered a good tenant?

No. In fact, market opinion suggests that a tenant who is in a hurry and doesn't haggle is more likely to be a good tenant because they may not want to pay the rent, so why go to all the trouble of haggling with you?

For protection, landlords usually ask for proof of employment and income before renting out a flat to gauge whether the tenant is able to pay the rent.

If you want to be a good tenant and gain the trust of your landlord, you can offer to provide more information, including tax returns and credit reports, as a sign of good faith.

Some people may think that these certificates are private and the landlord has no right to access them, so they are reluctant to provide them.

In fact, under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, a person's telephone number, address, identity card number and employment record are personal data protected by the Ordinance and prospective tenants have the right not to provide them.

However, when you choose not to provide them, any landlord can choose not to rent the flat to you, so it is up to you to weigh up.

However, there are certain types of jobs, such as site workers, renovation workers, taxi drivers, etc., which are not supported by income proof, are they not allowed to rent a flat?

Undeniably, wage earners without income proof do not mean that they do not have income. Apart from the usual income proof, prospective tenants can try to provide the following information.

Tenants can provide monthly bank account statements for the past few months to check the balance of their accounts to prove that they can afford to pay the rent.

If you have rented a flat before, you can also try to provide past rent payment records to prove that you have paid your rent on time every month.

If you feel that the above information is too personal to provide, the easiest and most straightforward way is for the tenant to pay the rent for the term of the lease in one go, and the landlord may offer a discount.

It is important to note that paying the full year's rent is risky, as if the landlord is still paying the mortgage and the bank repossesses the property in the event of a break in payment, the prepaid rent can be wiped out at any time.

Even if you are willing to provide all the supporting documents to show your sincerity and have a stable career, it does not mean that the landlord will definitely rent the flat to you.