How to Create a Winning Rental Listing

As a property owner, your ultimate goal is to secure a long-term tenant, and a poorly written rental listing isn’t going to bring many potential renters to your door. Creating an informative and intriguing rental advertisement is best to draw in the right tenants for your rental property. You want your listing to stand out among the crowd and also help you to vet your choices. As a landlord, you have many responsibilities that go beyond your cap rate and property maintenance. Why not create a rental listing that works efficiently to bring you the best tenant applications? Let’s take a look at how to create a winning rental listing for your unit.

Rental Listing – Detailed Description

The more detail that you can include in your listing, the more time you will save yourself and your potential lessors. When candidates are reading your listing, you want to make it easy for them to either eliminate your posting or make arrangements for a tour. Most people searching for a rental have a list of features that they will compare against your listing. Including as many details as you can in your listing will help to eliminate some candidates and simplify your vetting process. Your listing should include these details.

Rental Costs

• Clearly state the rent amount, the lease duration, and any additional fees like HOA charges.

Square Footage

• Give your renters a clear idea of the size of the unit, including interior square footage, a floorplan, and the size of outdoor spaces.

Features

• Include any recent upgrades and features like wood flooring, new appliances, and storage space.

Utilities

• Include the number of recent costs for utilities and parking.

High-Quality Photos for Rental Listing

Your listing should include excellent-quality photos. You can bring in a photographer to capture your unit, or you can take photos yourself following these guidelines:

• Include pictures of every room from different angles
• Minimum of 10 photos
• Natural light, where possible, should light all spaces
• Use a tripod to capture steady and clear photos
• Photos of all outside spaces
• Optimize your photos to a minimum of 300 x 500 pixels for posting purposes
• Avoid shooting into mirrors as they can create a confusing image

If you are photographing your currently occupied unit, talk to your tenants about your needs and give them plenty of notice to prepare the space. It’s important to communicate that the unit should be neat and clean for your photos. Getting photos while there are still furnishings can make the space look cozier. If your unit is unoccupied, you may want to bring in some rental furniture to stage a scene for your photos.

3D Tour

With the help of innovative online apps like RoomSketcher that can help you to create a 3D Home tour. Your potential applicants will get a much closer look at your unit, where they can better see themselves living. Your 3D tour will give applicants a detailed look at the unit’s layout along with the features that are included.

Parking

Your new tenants will likely own a vehicle and will be interested in knowing details about the parking at your rental. Include parking details including a photo of the space. Let your readers know if the space is dedicated, well-lit, or covered. Underground or garage parking details should be included. Additional vehicle and guest parking policies should be outlined.

Include All Policies in Rental Listing

You have created policies that protect you and your tenants from damage, dispute, and danger as a landlord. To be fair to all applicants, it’s important to include the basics of all of your policies in your listing. This is a way to eliminate some applicants that will not qualify for an application. These policies should be included in your listing.

Pet Policy

• Over 70% of renters own a pet, so your listing should clearly outline your pet policies. Include the amount of any pet damage deposit in your listing. Also, outline what breeds are acceptable in your unit.

Smoking

• Smoking policies in and around the unit. Include a depository fee if applicable along with any penalty fines.

Noise

• Make sure that your noise policies are clearly outlined, including penalties for complaints. You want to make sure that your new tenants will be respectful of your policies and their neighbors.

Rental Listing – Amenities

The purpose of your listing is to draw interest in your unit. Potential renters want to know about everything that you have to offer. Spend some time when creating your listing to include all the amenities that come with the property. You should include items like:

• Onsite pool
• Laundry facilities
• Meeting rooms
• Guest parking
• Fitness center
• Onsite security
• Package lockers
• Additional storage space

Nearby Attractions

The convenience of a rental location is among the top factors for potential renters. They want to know that they will be in an area that makes their life easier. For example, listing nearby amenities like shopping, schools, and medical facilities will help potential tenants decide about the neighborhood. List items including:

• Grocery shopping
• Gas
• Schools
• Entertainment
• Popular neighborhoods
• Medical facilities
• Restaurants and bars
• Parks and attractions
• Public transit

Additional Highlights

You want your listing to bring interest to your unit, so it’s important to highlight as many positive features as possible. Renters are often looking for something specific that will meet all of their needs, so the more detail you can provide, the easier the vetting process will make. Over half of renters say that having a private outdoor space to enjoy with their family and friends is a must-have feature. List the size and availability of any outdoor spaces that come with the unit. In addition, include whether the yard has fencing.

Security is a huge consideration for renters, especially those with young children. Include all building safety features like onsite security and unit security like cameras, deadbolt locks, or security cameras. If there is an in-unit security system, it’s essential to include the details.

When to List

Potential renters have more time to take tours and search for their new homes on the weekends. Posting your listing on Wednesdays or Thursdays will help you catch potential renters’ attention as they prepare to book their tours for the weekend. Make sure that you include the option for evening tours in your listing. Over 80% of renters claim that the availability of evening tours helped them to find their homes.

Proofread Your Rental Listing

It’s important to ensure that your listing is professional-looking and clear. Take some time to put your list together, and make sure that you proofread it before posting. You don’t want to spend valuable time making corrections to your listing or answering questions from renters. Have a third party take a look at your ad before listing so they can make recommendations about what should be included.

Winning Rental Listing – Final Words

As a landlord, you ideally want to find a long-term tenant for your unit. When you create a detailed professional listing for your unit, it will help to eliminate many candidates and streamline your vetting process. When preparing your listing, it’s important to think like a renter. What features would they like to see? What features are important to renters? Ensure that your photographs are high-quality, include all policy details, create a 3D virtual tour for guests, and include all amenities to create a winning rental listing.