6 tips for advertising your rental property and securing your dream tenant

With almost all prospective tenants researching rental property online before arranging a viewing, the way that you market your property will affect the type of tenants that you attract.

Spending a little bit of time getting this initial stage of securing a tenant right means you’re much more likely to get the ideal tenant; a person who will always pay rent on time, doesn’t complain or cause conflict, never disturbs others and keeps the rental property in better condition than when he/she moved in – hey, we can all dream right!?

There’s so much property to rent in London, how do you make yours stand out from the crowd?

If you don’t have a professional property manager helping you, here are our 6 top tips for advertising your rental property and securing your dream tenant:

1. Do your research

Do you know your area? Just because you think your property is worth X amount per month, that doesn’t mean it actually is.

Choose a realistic price to advertise your property at to keep the process as efficient as possible and avoid any void periods.

Take a look on Rightmove, Zoopla and Open Rent to see what similar properties in your local area are renting for. Consider if yours has benefits such as outside space or off-street parking, what condition is the property in?

What is the letting market like in your area?

Could anything be affecting the market in your area, for example the opening of a new Rail Station or the closure of a large employer?

Brexit, anyone?

It’s important to remember that rental valuations changes based on many factors. It is not only the property itself that impacts the rent you will be able to achieve from it.

For a free no obligation valuation please feel free to contact our Lettings Experts.

2. Keep it Simple

Write a compelling but easily understandable description of your rental property.

Just keep it simple.

List the rental property’s monthly rent, security deposit requirement, location, availability date, lease length, the number of bathrooms and bedrooms, square footage, utilities and pet policy. Briefly, describe your screening process and tenant criteria.

Start with an opening sentence or two on why your ideal tenant would want to live there, give insight into not just the property but the lifestyle on offer.

For example if your ideal tenant is a professional working couple you may focus on local restaurants and bars, cultural activities, gyms, and transport links to major cities.

Then describe the property as though you are walking through it, ensuring you finish with any outside space on offer.

Here’s a step by step guide to help:

Highlight location and lifestyle the property offers

Describe the interior of the property, remember to include any appealing furnishings or appliances that are included – keep it factual and avoid hyperbole

Describe any outdoor space – again keep it factual

Mention any additional features such as parking

State the date the rental property is available from. If you are holding an Open House for viewings which we highly recommend, then include these details too.

List expected bills for the property per month if they are not included in the rent.

3. Photography

Don’t judge a book by its cover they say, apart from we all do.

If you don’t have high quality photographs of your property, prospective tenants are likely to simply scroll past and not even read the description you’ve spent so long crafting.

If you aren’t using a Letting Agent to advertise your property, its well worth investing in professional photographs. They normally cost around £300-£400 for an experienced professional and will last for years to come.

Unfortunately, iPhone pictures just won’t cut for today’s savvy renters.

Before your photographer comes, ensure the property is clean and tidy.

Consider things like the windows, if they are grubby this can look off-putting in the pictures and it can’t always be edited out.

Stage the property with some fresh flowers, make it look like a home but avoid clutter.

When uploading your pictures to online portals, studies have shown that kitchen and reception rooms are the most successful main photos.

Try and create a tour of the property via the arrangement of photos on the portal.

This will help prospective tenants imagine they are walking around the property and can boost enquiry rates.

4. Marketing

By now you might have an idea of which online platforms you’d like to advertise your properties on.

The big hitters, Rightmove and Zoopla, are only open to Letting Agents to advertise on.

However you can get around this by using Open Rent which allows you to list on Rightmove and Zoopla plus 100 partner sites for £29 for 3 months (although by following our tips you should find a tenant long before then!).

Other platforms we recommend looking into are:

• Facebook Marketplace
• Your personal Facebook, Instagram or Twitter profile
• Gumtree
• Spare Room (better for a house share than a whole property)
• Email friends, family and colleagues to see if they know anyone. Incentivise them with a thank you hamper or bottle of Champagne!
• Whilst most people find their new rental property online, you could also consider advertising in your local area – the Post Office, Supermarket, local Newspaper.

Remember to ensure you are compliant when advertising your rental property. Does your property have a valid EPC? If not contact one of our Letting Experts and we can help you arrange this.

5. Hold an Open House

Now your rental property is online, and if you’ve nailed points 1-4, you should be receiving lots of enquiries.

We would recommend holding an Open House, inviting all prospective tenants to view the property on a designated date at a designated time.

This will save you time as often tenants will cancel or not show up to viewings for various reasons.

Before your prospective tenants arrive:

Make sure you’ve turned all the lights on, this allows the light time to settle showing the property off at its best – we recommend half an hour.

Ensure all surfaces are clean and the property smells nice. Open a window if it needs airing.

Is the property a comfortable temperature? Too cold, put the heating on. Too hot, open a window.

Bring some fresh flowers with you to add a homely feel

Remove all clutter and mess

If there are any weeds/rubbish/cigarette butts in the garden or on the front path, do a quick sweep and get rid of them. First impressions count.

6. Seal the deal

Print leaflets with all the information prospective tenants will need to make a final decision e.g. any upfront costs, the deposit amount, the monthly rent and if this includes bills, information on parking and transport links, expected costs for bills, and how to secure the property. Include your phone number and email address.

If you have the attendees contact details, and their permission, follow up with them after the viewing.

Send an email or a text, or if you have the time a call is always the best way to answer any questions they may have before making a final decision.

When you do receive an offer request a holding deposit which will be put towards their security deposit to sift out the time wasters.

And voila, you are ready to tenant the property!

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For more information on what to do once you accept an offer on your rental property – referencing, contracts and compliance, please contact one of our Letting Experts by clicking here.

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