Looking to rent a home? There are six things that will help or hinder you

PHOTO: A variety of household types are now competing in a high-demand private rental market. ABC News

Two-thirds of tenants in Australia rent through a real estate agent. A national shortage of private rental housing forces these tenants to impress the real estate agent to secure a property — their application needs to stand out from other applications.

An analysis of articles on leading online real estate sites identifies six aspects of interactions between the real estate agent and tenant that affect a tenant’s ability to secure a rental property.

My research reveals the power of the agent over the tenant. Agents strongly stigmatise certain tenant characteristics during the property search.

These real estate articles typically fail to recognise the systemic issues of housing shortages in Australia.

As owner-occupied housing becomes more unaffordable and public housing becomes less available, a variety of household types are competing in a high-demand private rental market.