There’s a lot of advice out there on the internet about what should go into a rental listing. Some of it good, some of it questionable. At ShowMojo, we’ve got both renters and landlords on staff. After a bit of back and forth, here’s what we decided were the most important things to include in a rental listing.
- Everything! Really. Renters assume that the apartment comes with the amenities you’ve mentioned in the listing. Nothing more nothing less. So you’re doing yourself a disservice by not mentioning the dishwasher or central heat.
- On the flip side, don’t lie. If the unit doesn’t have a washer/dryer don’t imply that it does, you’re wasting your own time and a potential renters time.
- A lot of landlords include bedroom size in their listings, which is great. It might also be nice to put size into perspective for renters. Most people can’t visualize exactly how big 11×13 is. We love it when we see landlords list what size bed (realistically) fits in a room. Renters need to know if they’ll have space for their queen size bed plus a desk and dresser.
- Laundry. This one is VERY important to people. If the unit itself has laundry, that’s great. If not make sure you mention if there’s laundry in the building, and if so, is it free or pay-per-load? If neither the unit nor the building have laundry, it may be tempting to say nothing at all. But, fact is, when prospective tenants arrive, this will be one of the first questions they ask. A quick blurb along the lines of “laundromat/dry cleaners nearby” tells tenants everything they need to know.
- Pictures. Please, please, please do not forget to include pictures. Nine times out of 10 a renter will not even look at a listing with no pictures. If you’ve got a unit that’s hard to photograph, pick the one room that photographs well and use a picture of that room. A lot of bad pictures can almost be as big a turn off as no pictures at all.
- Along the same lines, if you’re only going to include one or two pictures, try to avoid using exterior shots. If all a prospective tenant can see is the outside of your building the first thing that comes to mind will be “how bad is the inside?” That’s just human nature. If the only good looking shot you can manage is an outside view, use it. But do yourself a favor and and try to make sure any exterior shots you include are not the first or only pictures your renters see.
- Be as specific as you can about the apartment’s location. If you feel comfortable listing the exact address, do that. If not, list the nearest major intersection. Many neighborhoods are quite large, so the more specific you can be, the better. If lots of people in your city use public transit, make sure to mention which train and bus stops are within walking distance of the unit.