Whether you’re new or seasoned to landlording, if you own one or more rental properties, you know that it can sometimes be challenging to attract quality tenants.
The best way to do it? Illustrate yourself as a quality landlord. Offering a clean property, being organized, and giving possible renters clear and accurate information will demonstrate that you’re someone who’s worth renting from.
Here are nine great ways landlords can attract high-quality tenants to their rental property.
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1: Write a Detailed Rental Listing
Naturally, the first step for enticing quality renters is to actually get them to a showing. When creating your listing, be descriptive, precise, and use catchy verbiage that’s amplified with a variety of great pictures. Seeing is believing, so impressing them with captivating property photos will always get people interested in checking it out.
Also remember to be clear in your directions and make them easy to follow. The last thing you want is for a potential high-value client to get lost trying to find your property.
2: Offer Individual Showings
It’s a common practice for landlords to schedule open houses for their rental property listings. Yes, there are benefits to holding an open house—and yes, it saves time, but they can also hinder your rental process more so than help it.
When you limit your open house schedule to a single time slot, you automatically eliminate potential renters who aren’t able to come to a showing at that time. Instead, focus on screening and meeting people based on interest. If someone who meets your criteria contacts you and wants to schedule a showing as soon as possible, that’s an excellent sign they are serious about renting from you.
3: Be Mindful of When You Schedule Showings
When coming up with the best times to show off your rental property, consider its best features. Is there a big yard? Great views? Exquisite natural lighting? Set your showings for the time of day when your property’s features stand out the most. If that happens to be during the evening, schedule for a weeknight. Alternatively, if your rental looks best during the day, consider weekend showings.
Also make sure to check if there are any construction or renovation projects going on in or around the area so you can avoid scheduling during those times. No one wants to visit a property only to be drowned out with sounds of hammering and power tools.
4: Create Informational Handouts
Creating and passing out handouts with relevant property information is a great way to demonstrate to renters that you’re organized and thoughtful. Not only will tenants ask less questions, but they’ll also get more personal space while viewing the home or unit.
Handouts also give people something they can take home with them, which means they won’t forget important details about the listing.
The things you should always include in your rental property handout are:
- Lease start and end dates
- Security and/or pet deposit info
- Property rules and policies
- Move-in and move-out fees
- What’s included in rent
- Property amenities
- A couple key photos of main living areas
- Clear property address
- Landlord contact info
5: Know & Highlight All Property Amenities
Just because your past tenants didn’t have kids, pets, or vehicles doesn’t mean future tenants won’t. For that reason alone, it’s important that you know your area’s amenities—and in good detail, so you’re not caught off guard by any questions.
Are there any daycares nearby? Dog parks? Veterinary clinics? Hospitals/Urgent cares? Grocery stores? Schools? Bike paths? Shopping? Nightlife? All of these are great tidbits of information to include when considering the needs and wants of possible renters—and the more you know about the neighborhood, the better.
If you want to go the extra mile and really impress people with your organizational skills, create smaller handouts that you can give to potential renters like those with pets or young children, that have all pertinent information regarding any and all local amenities.
6: Establish Your Potential Tenant Criteria Ahead of Time
If you want to attract quality tenants, you need to know what you’re looking for beforehand. Do you allow smoking? Pets? Do you allow co-signers or subletting? Is there a minimum credit score or monthly income? Knowing what you do and don’t want is important, so make sure you’ve outlined everything you expect from renters before you schedule a showing.
Most significantly, laying everything out in the beginning can save you future legal headaches that stem from accusations of discrimination. Don’t forget to review your state and local rental landlord-tenant laws—you certainly don’t want to add any requirements or restrictions that are illegal.
7: Fix, Clean, and Stage Your Rental Property
This should go without saying, but we’ll say it anyway: any maintenance issue should be addressed and fixed before you show or rent. Appliances, HVAC, leaking pipes, loose doorknobs, working lights—these are all things that quality renters look for when trying to identify a good rental property.
Don’t fall short by doing the bare minimum either. If one doorknob or cabinet handle is loose, there is a good chance that others are too. Demonstrate your responsiveness as a landlord and potential tenants will undoubtedly notice.
If you’re renting a property that’s currently unoccupied, invest in staging it. Filling the main living areas with nicely placed furniture and tasteful decor gives people a better idea of what it could look like when they move in. Need some ideas? Here are six top dollar ways to stage your property.
If your property is occupied, allow yourself an hour or so to prepare by opening windows, taking out the trash, vacuuming, cleaning, and wiping down surfaces. Also remember to open all window blinds and turn on all the lights—with a couple spare bulbs on hand, just in case.
8: Keep Open Communication with Current Tenants
If you have a tenant currently residing in the property you’re trying to rent, it does require a little more planning and prep work. Make sure to talk to them about possible showtimes at least a week before, and be respectful of their schedule.
As you can assume, a messy property will only deter quality tenants, so kindly ask your current renters to clean up the space before a scheduled showing. Set the expectation by letting them know you plan to make beds and vacuum yourself and remind them that potential renters will be looking inside bathrooms, cabinets, and closets.
9: Have All Relevant Forms & Paperwork On Hand
Finally, make sure you have all the necessary documents on hand—completed or not, for parties interested in taking the next step. This includes any leasing forms they may need to seal the deal.
We recommend using virtual lease applications, so you don’t have to worry about having them completed during the property showing. Just remember to keep a print-out version for them as well.
More Advice from a Landlording & Rental Property Expert
Attracting quality tenants for your rental property isn’t difficult if you know what you’re doing. Here we’ve listed nine fantastic ways to do it—all you have to do is follow-through!
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