Showcasing Rental Property For Prospective Tenants

Showing prospective tenants around rental properties can mean a lot of hard work for landlords, and if you have a number of units, it means each unit has to be kept in pristine condition. However, if all units are identical, it is a good idea to do one up as a showcase unit, just the way builders and developers keep a show-home to show prospective homebuyers, what’s they are offering. This way, you have access to a furnished example without the worry of displacing a current tenant, or whether the inhabited apartment is in a suitable condition to be shown to potential occupants.

If, heavy mortgages or other monetary issues do not allow you to keep one rental unit unoccupied, the following steps should help you to effectively showcase your property to attract quality tenants.

1. Curb appeal must not be under-estimated. If the exterior of your rental building looks run-down and shabby, chances of attracting new tenants is pretty slim. In order, to draw them in, your rental property should receive a pretty slap of paint ever so often, to make it look more invitingly enticing. Even small and modest buildings need to make a good impression, and nothing does it better than keeping them well maintained and in mint condition.
2. Do up the interiors. If your property is unoccupied at the moment, then take this opportunity to check it out for any problems that need rectifying e.g. repairing what needs to be fixed and giving the interior walls, doors and windows a lick of paint, as you did the outside. In case, the property is occupied, give notice to the tenant that you need to enter his / her unit for a check out. To avoid any embarrassing situations, such as, a messy apartment or damaged interior, enter it alone before taking a prospective tenant for a viewing.
3. Give the unit a proper spring cleaning, clean it thoroughly. Nothing is worse than a filthy rental house or unit. In order, to establish your reputation as a responsible landlord, who maintains his / her property and takes pride in its appearance, a reputation that will leave you with no dearth of prospective tenants, ensure unoccupied units are the last word in clean, as well, check occupied properties ahead of time to make sure they meet your exacting standards.
4. Establish your selling points. You must know what features in your rental unit will go down well e.g. new appliances, a spectacular view, etc. Remember to point them out when showing potential tenants round the property. In other words, in order to be a successful landlord, you must also be a good salesman, one who knows how to sell the place.
5. Ensure the carpet is clean. As you will find, the carpet is the first thing to suffer in rental units. Have it professionally cleaned and give it sufficient time to dry, before showing the unit to prospective tenants. If the carpet is in bad condition, replace it before showing anyone around.
6. Depending on circumstances, show your rental unit in furnished or unfurnished condition. Some people prefer to view a vacant property, so as to envision their own belongings in it. However, if it is proving difficult to rent out a vacant property, furnishing it could change your prospects, considerably. Especially, if your property has minus points, such as, the downside of having small rooms. You will find strategically placed furniture will not only open them out, but will also help them appear bigger.
7. Temperature setting. If, the weather is either hot or cold before an appointment, it is a good idea to go into the unit ahead of a viewing appointment with a prospective tenant, and setting the temperature to the relevant comfort level. People will not want to stay if it is too warm or cold inside on a hot summer or cold winter day, a fact that may cause them to miss the good points of your property. Coming into the cool or warm depths of your rental unit, will make them want to linger inside, giving you sufficient opportunity to list its selling points.
8. Switch on the lights. If the electricity has been turned off, have it turned on again, before a viewing of your property. Showing them around in the dark may give potential tenants the idea you are trying to hide something. Paying a few extra dollars to have the service switched on in advance is generally a sound investment.
9. Show the grounds. If you have a pool, a roof deck, or an interesting feature on your property, do make sure your potential tenants are shown all of them. Taking them on a tour of the grounds will give them a fairly good idea of what it will be like to live there.
10. Come prepared with your rental conditions. You must come prepared with lease and rental application forms, including knowing the amount you will be charging for security, key and pet deposits. Give prospective tenants all the information, have them fill out the rental application form, and show them the lease agreement terms. This will let them know you are an experienced landlord, who knows his / her business well.

A well-maintained and clean rental unit means a better class of people will apply to rent your property. As well, careful selection and screening prospective tenants thoroughly will help avoid later problems, if any. For help in suitable tenant selection, visit www.e-renter.com for tenant screening and background check services, the best and only way to prevent expensive litigation, penalty charges or property damage.