Advertising Vacant Apartments or Home Rentals

If you are new to property management or are a do it yourself landlord, the basic tips below will help you create successful advertisements for your vacant rentals. Advertising is the key to maintaining occupancy rates and income.

First, gather and organize all relevant details about the rental unit. Size, number of bedrooms, rent amount, unique features and requirements, amenities so are you fully prepared to both craft your ad and answer questions.

On the topic of questions, be ready because you will get plenty. Here are some questions you’ll likely receive:

• How do I get there from…?
• What school district is it in?
• Is it close to…public transportation, shopping, schools, etc?
• Are pets allowed?
• How much is the deposit for…security, keys, pets?

There will be more so arm yourself with answers to as many questions as you can think of before advertising. Spare yourself from having to constantly answer the obvious questions by including the price, pet policy and location or address in every advertisement if possible.

Before you begin writing your ads, make sure you are know and understand the Fair Housing Laws and plan to avoid any words or phrases that could be construed as discriminatory. It is illegal to print or publish any real estate ad that indicates a preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religious belief, national origin, gender, disability or familial status.

If you are posting your vacancies online, pictures or a video clip can create demand for you if the sites you are using allow for it. With online advertising, even without pictures or videos, you will most likely have plenty of space to write lengthier ads. Most apartment rental websites do not charge by the word so you rarely see the “2bd 1.5ba $1000″ type ads online that are so common in newspapers. Use complete sentences, be descriptive but do not write a novel.

Do not limit yourself to one form of advertising. You can advertise your rentals online, in your local newspaper, on a sign, on a flyer, on a billboard, in an apartment guide, through listing services and in plenty of other places where people gather.

Be creative. Be prepared. Be thorough. These three things will put you well on your way to filling your vacancies with qualified tenants quickly.

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