The current rental market is as fierce as the housing market is dry. No wonder, given that prospective buyers or foreclosed-upon homeowners are renting instead. Obtaining a lease for a house or apartment is not as simple as signing on the dotted line. These days, potential renters are required to show a whole slew of paperwork to qualify for a lease. Before you approach your next rental open house or showing, prepare your documents ahead of time, and be first on the list when the landlord selects his tenant.

1. Credit report. Like in most financial relationships, a good credit report is crucial to gaining trust. Landlords want to see a history of payments made on time, whether it be for your car loans, credit cards or utilities. “If there is a track record of irresponsibility or overextension of one’s income shown on the report, we would not rent to the individual,” says Gary Griffin, a landlord currently leasing six apartments in the Boston area. A landlord may run her own background check through a particular credit association, but having a current report or score printed out may still separate you from other potential tenants.

2. Proof of employment/income. Showing a cash flow that will support a monthly rent expense is one of the most important aspects of securing a lease. Proof of this income can come in the form of pay stubs, offer letters and bank accounts. Some landlords require a monthly gross income of at least three times the monthly rent.

3. Recommendations and references. “Landlord references are extremely important in the application process,” Griffin says, “on par with credit scores.” Having a letter of recommendation written by your previous landlord may help you get a leg up on renting a popular space. At the very least, have a list of contact information for your last few landlords.

4. Application forms. Applications are common among rental homes and apartment buildings run by landlords and management companies alike. If you’re attending an open house for an apartment managed by a company, be sure to go to the website and download a rental application form. “Having an application filled out electronically is great,” says McKendrick, owner of DMcK Properties, a property management firm in San Francisco. Not only is your application more legible if filled out electronically, having your forms filled out beforehand will allow you to be one of the first to turn in your application packet if you are interested.

5. Your checkbook. Unfortunately, fees are commonly associated with processing a rental application, so be sure to bring your checkbook. Moreover, if you fall in love at first sight with a home, having a security deposit and first month’s rent available to pay right then and then may be the difference that gets you the space over another applicant.

Since showings can be as short as 15 minutes, showing up prepared also allows you to spend your time viewing the amenities and taking in the possibility of living there. Rather than having your head buried in paperwork, take the opportunity to meet the landlord or property manager, ask questions and make a good impression. “The more information the better,” says McKendrick. “When people show up with a file folder of materials, I am able to get a better idea of who I might be renting to.”