When you decide to put your property up for rent, you have to be super smart about who you are renting the unit to, and for how long. Even so, the market today is tough, and the competition pretty strong. So, what are you to do when you want to avoid problem renters, attract new, great tenants and encourage them to rent your property? There may be a few things you should consider:

Neat as a New Pin

Tenants will be attracted to a well-kept property that looks great and appears easy to maintain. Your property doesn’t have to be the best and most luxurious house on the block or in the street, but – as long as it’s well presented and has potential – you are good to go. How so? Because tenants don’t always look for never-before-lived-in apartments; usually, they’d go for units that merely “feel” right, look fresh and clean, and give them an impression of a home. So, before you put up your property for rent, organize an open house or bring in a professional photographer to snap photos of it, consider booking a cleaning agency to spruce up your place and make it sparkle!

Don’t Force Your Tastes on Anyone

There are plenty of positives and negatives of renting a property, and you want to be on top of your game.

Renters don’t want anyone’s style imposed on them, so make sure your property features neutral colors, plain décor, and not too much furniture. You want the tenants to envision what the rooms would look like with their furniture, ornaments, and décor and not feel suffocated by what they find. Another attraction is light – if the area is dark (with not much natural light), manipulate artificial lighting in a way it brightens up the room.

Well Connected

Easy access to school, employment hubs, sports and leisure facilities, public transport, etc. is one of those practical features a rental property should have. If your property is indeed well connected, don’t be shy to advertise it. Depending on the target group you are looking to rent to, make sure they are aware of the advantages you can offer them. For instance, if you are looking to attract families, advertise your property as being close to a school, kindergarten, parks, and other family-favorable places. If you are looking to attract business people, let them know gyms, spas, parks for jogging, office hubs, and similar are close by.

Naturally, if none of this right, i.e., if your property doesn’t connect to the features, you’d like it to, don’t advertise falsely.

Sustainability

Due to currently popular market demands, sustainability is becoming one of the top five tenant demands. Unfortunately, not every rental property was built as a sustainable unit, but that doesn’t mean you can’t open yourself up for sustainable improvements. Show your potential tenants that you are aware of the dangers of global warming, and how your actions are contributing to helping the cause by:

• Switching to LED lights in your house

• Reusing and recycling

• Replacing the existing furniture with recycled ones

• Building a garden

• Turning to solar energy (if possible)

Sustainable buildings are not only popular on the market, but they also have a positive impact on the life cycle and operating costs of the property.

Increased Security

Living in California means having to be big on security; if you’ve got a chance to upgrade your property security, then do so. Invest in:

• CCTV / 24-hour security in any form

• Security guards (if you own the building)

• Brightening the areas of your property, so they don’t appear dangerous or spooky

• Visitor registration, and key-card access

When looking to attract new tenants, think of things that you would make YOU happy if you were searching to rent, and try to apply it to your property.