Advertising Your Brentwood Rental Home for Lease
You are looking to fill a vacancy in your Brentwood rental home. In order to accomplish this, you will need to decide where and how you would like to advertise the vacancy, as well as how much to charge for rent.
How can you determine rental rates for your rental home? You can search Craigslist for comparable properties and rates. The classifieds sections of local newspaper websites can also help. You could also consider checking with online vendors, such as Rent Range, or you can contact us for a free rental property assessment. Keep in mind that what you think your home is worth (what will cover the mortgage, etc.) is not necessarily the same as what the market will bear.
Have you thought about how much to charge for a security deposit? Be aware that many states such as California have limitations on what you can charge for a security deposit. Determining market rental rates and appropriate deposit amounts will take about an hour or more of your time.
Now that you have established your rental rate and security deposit amount, it is time to get that Brentwood rental home advertised. Taking pictures is always a good idea, but make sure you take the time to include the right shots. Remember that the included photos are intended to help sell the home as a desirable place for someone to call home. Ambiguous, dark, off-center, and poorly done photos will not show your property in the best light. When taking photos in the bathrooms, for instance, make sure the toilet seat is down and you are not a “ghost” in the mirror. Be sure to take a photo with your back to a large window to capture the room filled with light. Remember, too, a bedroom is more than a window and a closet, so ensure that you get full pictures showing the entire bedroom. The potential resident should be enticed to see more from the photos taken. It is also a good idea to use photo editing software to adjust your pictures accordingly. The process of taking well-lit, quality photos, with proper editing can take around four hours of your time.
Dark Photos do not make the property look appealing
Well-lit pictures make your property more desirable.
After you are done with your photos/videos, it is time to prepare an advertisement that will speak to the potential resident. Try to steer clear of writing in such a way that you are advertising “who” you want to live in the home, instead of advertising the home and its amenities. Do list special neighborhood highlights, utilities, appliances, as well as any restrictions. Craigslist is still considered a viable place to advertise your Brentwood rental home, but you may also want to consider paid online or local sources if your home is not getting the desired requests for showings and applications. Paid advertisements usually cost around $35 and up, and will usually take an hour or more of your time to write and place your ad online.
Lastly, let’s not forget to place a “for rent” sign in the yard that conforms to the neighborhood standards. If you are in a common interest community, for instance, there may be restrictions on the type and placement of signs. Some HOA’s may require a post sign, similar to those used by realtors. TO acquire and place a sign can take another 1-2 hours of your time, not to mention the added cost this brings, as post signs, if needed, usually start at around $75.
Properly advertising your home for rent can pay huge dividends in the future, as you will hopefully get your desired rental rate, and better yet, a tenant who treats your home not like a rental, but truly a place to be proud of.
Like to learn more about advertising your Brentwood rental home for rent? Please contact us for a free rental property assessment.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
