Renting a house sometimes can be an overwhelming process especially if you have no clue about where to start or how to do it. Don’t worry, we have got your back! You have already conquered the first step of buying the house that you want to rent. All you have to do now is follow the checklist below to list your house for rent, and voila, you’ll be ready to rent it out with tenants contacting you soonest.
Step 1 – Get Your House Tenant-Ready
The first step is to ensure that your unit is clean and in good repair condition. If there are any major/minor repairs that need addressing, do it! Repair any dripping faucets, fix if the roof is leaky, replace broken windows, fasten loose screws, etc. You also need to make sure that all the items you are providing are working like the plumbing, heating, electricals (this also means fixing switch boards) and appliances (if any) like fridge, microwave, toaster, etc.
Step 2 – Research Pricing and Deposits
After all the repairs and fixes that you did as a good landlord, it is now time to do some research. You cannot randomly fix any price that you will for your rental house. So, what do you need to do? First things first, scope out your area – look for already listed houses with similar size, type, age, and what rent they are charging. You can check out listing platforms such as cirtru.com to do your research. Not only will you get to know what others are charging, you will also be able to see what they are offering like do they allow pets, what kind of deposit are they asking, if they have mentioned any renovations then are their prices high, etc. Additionally, if you're new to the rental market, consider exploring '14 tips for the first-time landlords' for valuable insights."
Step 3 – Detail Out Your Rental House
Now that you know what rent and deposit to charge, it’s time to make your house rent-ready. Start by clicking good quality / professional photos. Ensure that you capture the inside-out in natural and man-made light. Your photos are meant to give tenants a good understanding of what they are getting. Don’t embellish but definitely highlight the key selling points of your house. For example, if the house is facing the sunset, you can take a picture of the sunset from inside the house through a window. Remember, good photos means your house getting rented quickly.
Step 4 – Create an Effective Property Description
What will go best with the photos of your rental house is a nice description of what the tenants will get. Start with a straightforward headline. If the tenants know in the first go what they are getting, it’s a battle half won! Followed by the title, give out the details of your property. Mention the highlights of your home, neighborhood, local markets, etc. Provide details about the room sizes, any extra spaces like parking, back or front yard, home office, etc. Definitely mention if your house is pet friendly and if yes, what kind of security deposit is involved, ‘damaged by pet’ policy, etc. Do not hesitate to mention that there will be background and previous landlord reference checks – this can help you filter out bad or not-so-serious tenants.
Step 5 – Now It’s Time to List
With all the above steps, you are now ready to list your rental house. There are several ways to do this. You can put a for sale sign in the front yard, distribute flyers, put up posters, give an ad in the local newspaper, put it on social media, etc. But to gain a much better reach, register and list your house on an online rental listing service.
Here are a few quick reasons why listing online is an effective choice:
It will save you time. As a landlord you can input all the necessary information we discussed above in one place
Listing services often have a much wider and active pool of potential tenants, isn’t it better than you going on a hunt on your own?
Many services offer tenant screening tools in which you can put in your desired tenant profile and it can help you filter out your candidates
With the help of some services, you can also track your rental house’s listing performance, like how many people have viewed, how many have shown interest, etc. You can review and change things to make it better
In case you are not sure about what to mention in the description or have concerns regarding pricing, you can connect with the customer service of these listing services and get the assistance you need.
But what kind of sites are out there for you to list your rental house?
PadMapper
Doorsteps
Zillow Rental Manager
Trulia
Realtor.com
HotPads
Apartments.com Rental Manager
Avail
Apartment Finder
Too Long, Did Not Read? Here’s a quick summary:
A lot goes behind renting a house. If you are new in the rental business, the first couple of times may be difficult because the list and sub-list is long, but once you are used to it, you can even do it in your sleep. However if you are simply renting out an extra house you bought as an investment, this checklist can be like your mama’s recipe that you can follow to the T.
Simply think from a tenant’s perspective, what do they want? A house in good condition, affordable rent, good first look to help them shortlist, and ease of access to come across your property.
What’s important is to give your rental house listing the time, patience and detailing it needs. You may not find the perfect tenant the moment you list your house but they are out there and these steps can help you find the ideal renter very soon.
