NO RENTAL REFERENCES???

Hey there, I did a video on this but writing it down for some of you.

BOLD FIRST NOTE- these are suggestions, NOT GUARANTEES,

only sharing personal stories that have worked in past deals.

So you’re ready to fly the nest? Congratulations, that is a BIG first step into adulthood.

Seriously, monthly bills, big step into adulthood.

Now it’s your first time, naturally you have no rental references

& here is how we will finesse the system a bit.

#1 We make sure any future landlord and their agent know

every last cent & every last bank account that we have.

Proof of cold hard cash, HELPFUL!

#2 We are calling your boss, or HR, whoever we need to get these two things.

We want a Letter of Employment & are politely asking for a letter of personal recommendation.

When asking, please let your boss know you are looking for a place to live not a new job. T

his way you don’t freak them out + you get a better letter : )

TA DAHH- We now have proof of employment which we collect up with pay stubs (2-3 of them)

+ we add a PERSONAL REFERENCE to our rental application.

These are all great things when submitting an offer.

#3 We might need to phone a friend, parent or rich auntie,

somebody solid & see if they will be your guarantor.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN ???????

In short form- The lease is still in your name however,

skip town, trash the place, default on rent etc. the landlord can LEGALLY go after you and/or your guarantor. Generally students will use guarantors (at least in the deals I do).

Students who have no earnings, since they are full time students,

parents will be guarantors for a lease (think students studying abroad).

Since they have no earnings for a landlord to see,

a guarantor + you will be on lease

and their credit + proof of income

will be “GUARANTEED” cold hard cash to pay the rent.

Now, speaking of CHC (cold hard cash), let’s have the money talk.

So…… Legally, a landlord cannot ask for more than first & last,

HOWEVER, legally they can accept much more than first & last if offered.

This may stun you, but it happens & people offer

multiple months of rent up front for multiple reasons.

My approach, (if financially possible of course) is this.

FOR EVERY DING ON YOUR APPLICATION DUMP A MONTH INTO THE DEPOSIT!

A list of potential “dings”* that could impact your offer,

Low Credit

Self Employment

Earnings below a threshold in comparison to monthly rent

First time renters & large groups of people (think a group all pitch in for one bigger place)

*Again, these are only suggestions & I always suggest leaving multiple months of rent out of the equation unless absolutely necessary & only after an offer has been initiated, your agent has spoken with the listing agent, you know if there are multiple offers, newness of the listing etc. etc. An offer is always put together in several pieces, showing your earnings, your credit, who knows you, years at your job speak to consistency, etc etc. As a realtor it is my job to package you and your information up to look like a solid candidate. This always starts with conversations with listing agents and speaking with you my client and ensuring we present everything we have and at least stand a chance for thorough review and we work with the offer step by step. When you are ready to rent please have these discussions and explain what you are comfortable with, with your agent.

Side bar- would love to be your agent of choice when renting so reach out : )

Lastly, ALWAYS USE A REALTOR WHEN RENTING.

It may not be me but always use a professional to review everything and assist you in showings and protect your information & watch out for any scams out there.

PS- If you need a rental application or are having a hard time securing a place and you are in Toronto/GTA I am just a phone call away.

Have an awesome day from wherever you are reading this & in the comments please share your wildest renting stories, first apartment stories, horror stories. Anything at all, they are always fun to read.

How I Got Into Real Estate

For years, on my free time, I would tag along with my mum door knocking

& would stage properties for her clients.  Oddly, It was a nice change from my regular job.

After a while staging, making places look “LISTING SPECIAL” I started posting content about taking care of your home.

From making your bed, to getting your place ready for guests. you get the idea.

Flash forward 2-3 years

I’m posting regularly, picked up some momentum and built a solid following on TikTok (Go figure) & mum says:

“HEY, you talk about homes, you stage homes,

take the real estate course & come SELL homes.”

Of course, it took a minute for it to sink in, (working with family is tough)

but one day, albeit over a year later, I was like

“You know what mum, I’m going to do it”

Next day, went online, booked the courses and zipped through it.

Once I did my final exam, found out I passed (93% on that final exam).

I am sharing that last grade because the course was tough and early on I failed two exams.

Learned quickly. STUDY, STUDY, STUDY…. & Get Passit… IYKYK

Anyways, next day passing that last exam. I booked a meeting with Murray Goldkind (Broker of Sutton Group Admiral)

& here we are in 2026 still there & looking forward to a wonderful year to come.

5 Tips To Keep Your Place Smelling Fresh

In case you have kids, or pets, or just don’t have time to play happy homemaker all day, here are 5 quick tips to keep your place smelling fresh.

1) Open the windows every day, even when it is super cold,

and let in fresh air for 5-10 minutes.

2) If you have a cat, clean that litter box DAILY. Two reasons for this, your cat deserves to do their business in a clean box (would do your business on an unfllushed toilet?). Also, cat pee is very pungent and very stinky so let’s not let it bake in the sand.

3) Monthly, wash throws & cushions on your couch. Think about it, we eat, we sweat, we spill, over time that all becomes stink. So once a month, give them a quick wash

4) NO STASHING DIRTY CLOTHES IN THE CLOSET. Instead, get a little hamper, ideally with a lid containing the stink & keep clothes off the floor (which is dirty & also a tripping hazard. JUST SAYING

5) When cooking, always had the hood vent running & soak pots and pans (once they cool down) instead of letting that grease cake on, becoming a bigger mess and a bigger stink.

HOPE THIS HELPED,

HAVE AN AWESOME DAY

Dag Lestani Larsen

Reach out anytime 416 618 1412 misterdaglarsen@gmail.com

Time to $ave on Heating & Cooling

BILLS, BILLS, BILLS, they keep getting BIGGER, BIGGER, BIGGER!

So here are 5 ways to fix that, (at least on those heating and cooling bills).

1) Make the switch to LED bulbs. Yes they cost more up front, but they last for years and you start saving instantly once you make the switch.

2) Pay attention to PEAK pricing. Some places have tiered charges for electricity use depending on time of day (this will be clearly stated on your bills). So if you are on a tiered system, start taking those showers, starting the dish washer and doing laundry when electricity is cheaper. For me the cheapest time is 11pm -7 am but it can be different where you are. Luckily I am an early riser so it is a shower at 5:30 am, laundry at 6 am followed by unloading the dishwasher I started the night before.

An affordable do it yourself option I found on Amazon, however you can source your own at any hardware store.

3) Replace sealing strips on the bottoms of your doors. These foam sealing strips are inexpensive and easy to apply yourself and seriously cut down on drafts seeping in.

Click for my favourite SMART Thermostat. the GOOGLE NEST (comes in charcoal grey or my favourite, PINK 😁)

4) Consider a SMART thermostat. There are great rebate options and discount codes (check out my last blog post) to buy one and the perks are amazing. You can set timers throughout the day, crank up the heat or AC on your way home from your phone and can monitor your usage and spending without waiting for your monthly bill

5) Better Daily Habits! Little things like turning off lights when you leave, air drying clothes instead of using the dryer (which is also way better for your clothes & makes them last longer) & turning off the water while brushing your teeth. OHH & just in case mom and dad didn’t teach you, you should be taking 2-3 minutes to properly brush your teeth.