Tips to Attract Quality Tenants

In order to attract high quality tenants you need to offer a high quality unit. This doesn’t necessarily mean a unit with fancy amenities and high-tech gadgets (though these features don’t hurt) -- this means creating a feeling of high quality and newness and cleanliness within your rental unit.

Exterior: Start with curb appeal. Remember this is the first impression potential renters will have of your property. Many potential renters will decide whether or not to look inside a rental based on curb appeal.

• Mow the lawn and get rid of any weeds.
• Trim trees and bushes.
• Clean all windows and gutters.
• Pressure-wash dirty siding and/or porches.
• Keep the yard tidy. Don’t let newspapers and fliers accumulate in the yard or in the front entrance of the building.
• Patch cement cracks in sidewalks.

Minor interior repairs: These are easy items you’ll want to take care of prior to showing your rental to any prospective tenants. Obviously, if there are any major repairs that need to be made, take care of those first.

• Apply fresh paint throughout the unit. Stand out from other rental units by using trendy paint colors. This is an inexpensive upgrade that helps create a modern look and feel.
• Replace burned-out light bulbs. This is an easy fix and yet many landlords neglect to do this prior to showing a unit.
• Patch any holes in walls and/or doors.
• Fix doors that don't close well and kitchen drawers that jam.
• Fix leaky faucets. This will help save energy as well.
• Replace cracked floor or counter tiles. Remember, you want to create a feeling of newness.

Clean, Clean, Clean: Plain and simple, tenants like clean. If you can’t clean the unit by yourself, consider hiring a cleaning service.

• Wash windows inside and out. This will make the entire unit appear cleaner and brighter.
• Re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks. Dingy caulk makes a bathroom look dirty and dated.
• Polish chrome faucets and mirrors.
• Clean out the refrigerator. This means emptying it and washing it out.
• Clean out the oven and make sure the stove top is clean as well.
• Vacuum, clean and polish the floors.
• Dust ceiling fan blades, light fixtures, door knobs and light switches. These areas are easily forgotten.
• Bleach dingy grout.
• Professionally clean the carpeting between each tenant.
• Clean and air out any musty or otherwise smelly areas.