So you’ve listed your rental property and you received calls from applicants stating their interest in your property now you need to show them the property and what it has to offer them. One thing you should do is research the neighborhood your rental property is in because you can use this to as selling points to the applicants. For example, if your rental property is near a major commercial part of the city and has easy access to taxis and public transportation, mention this to the applicant. Or if your property is located near some of the city’s best-performing high schools, this would appeal to a family who is interested in good schools for their teenagers.
One thing you can do is have all of the interested applicants view the property on one day because it will be easier for you and it creases a sense of urgency and competition among the applicants. Also have some rental applications on hand that state what your criteria is, how much you’ll charge every month and the amount of the security deposit. Also be aware of your surroundings if you’re showing applicants the property during early evening hours and don’t wear expensive jewelry or carry credit cards with you to the showing because there are potential applicants who could be criminals. This is why background checks are important when renting your property to others.
Before the applicants arrive clean the home a few weeks ahead of time and make necessary repairs. Hire a landscaper to spruce up the front yard and backyard, and accessorize the home with colorful pillows and vases. If the paint on the walls is old and chipped, touch up those walls or paint them a new color. Check your thermostat to ensure it’s working correctly and wax the floors to make them look new. If necessary, install a new washer and dryer in the laundry room and change old or dirty light bulbs and clean the ceiling fan.
When showing the property to applicants, point out the best features of the home. For example, if your home has a newly furnished basement, tell applicants about how spacious it is and how it can be used for entertaining guests or as a play room for the children. If you just installed a stainless steel refrigerator or new oak kitchen cabinets, market this to applicants because most renters enjoy apartments with stylish upgrades. Emphasize the efficiency of the laundry room and that since you put a washer and dryer in it already, they don’t have to buy new ones. Talk about the spacious closets or the shed in your utility room as renters like apartments where they’ll have adequate storage space.
Answer applicants’ questions as it relates to moving in the apartment and your terms of the agreement. Mention the due date you expect payments to be made and the consequences for not paying on time or not paying altogether. Talk about some of the legal issues that could arise and how you plan to solve those problems in a fair way.