How To Find Tenants For Your Vacant Rental Units

Setting the Right Rent for Your Rental Property

Competitive pricing plays an important role in finding tenants for your vacant property. This doesn’t always mean setting low prices for your property, but rather about what your property has to offer against the price you’re setting. Showcase your property’s amenities, location, and other upgrades to attract qualified tenants. You can also find out what other properties in the location charge and be within that range. Charging too high or low can get your property easily dismissed by tenants. Competitive pricing also puts you in a position where you’re likely to have low vacancies. As we know, low vacancies equals more losses since you still have to incur other costs.

Factors to consider for competitive pricing

You need to consider factors such as the type of your property, location, amenities, and market trends. These can affect how you get tenants for your property. 

  • Amenities

The type of amenities you have in your property can affect your clientele and the rent you charge. For example, properties with amenities such as Wi-Fi, Gym, Swimming pool, DSTV, and Parking spaces are likely to have a large clientele and higher rent pricing depending on the location. Consider upgrading your amenities if you’re a landlord in high-end neighborhoods or sub-urban areas and this will increase your revenue.

  • Location

The location in which your property is situated can also determine how much you charge.  Properties in developing areas where more people are looking to settle have a high chance of getting tenants and therefore more rent unlike in rural areas or under-developed locations. If you’re yet to set up your property, consider strategic locations with high-growth potential.

  • Current market trends

Monitoring market trends will keep you at par on how much rent you charge for your property. An increase in property demand would mean that rent will go up and so will a stable economy. Low demand for property and an unstable economy would also mean that rent prices will go lower.

  • Property type

Your property type will also determine how much you charge for rent. Rent in apartments mostly costs relatively less, as compared to single-unit family units or large homes. 

Screening potential tenants to find responsible and reliable occupants.

Screening tenants before they move in is very important for a landlord or managing agency.

  • Screening tenants allows you to check their income and rental history and avoid non-paying clients for an overall smooth running of the property. 
  • It also helps check criminal history background to avoid tenants who can potentially harm other tenants or the property at large.
  • Screening tenants eases the work of the landlord because they get to decide what kind of tenants they have in the property. It also creates a sense of security for them.
  • Screening also helps to build a good relationship with the tenants because the landlord can trust that they are responsible and won't cause any disturbance for them. 

Common screening practices 

Some of the common screening properties include:

  • Rental history

Checking your tenants’ rental history will help you identify what are their tendencies in their previous rentals. Do they pay rent on time? Do they abide by house policies?

  • Employment and Income status

Learning the employment status of your potential tenants will help you identify whether they can afford to pay rent on time or how you can work around their rent payments and avoid clashing all the time.

It is recommended to use legal and ethical screening procedures while doing this. Some of the ethical considerations to keep in mind are;

  • Avoid questions that can be considered discriminative such as race, ethnicity, religion, or others that might be triggering to the client. 
  • Focus more on the reliability of the tenant and their ability to pay rent or maintain the property. These include their income, criminal record history, employment status, rental history, etc. 
  • Develop criteria that you use on all your tenants and one that solely focuses on their qualifications to avoid claims of unequal treatment.
  • Familiarize yourself with governing Acts. The Anti-discrimination Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on factors such as tribe, gender, race, religion, marital status, and national origin. 

Standing Out among other property owners

To stand out among other property owners, especially in a competitive market is not easy. That is why offering incentives to clients is recommended. These include signing bonuses where tenants get a bonus when they sign a lease contract and an offer such as one-month free rent for every tenant in a particular season. However, you should carefully consider the incentive against its potential benefits and also if your business can afford to. Incentives will help you to;

  • Retain your tenants depending on the type of incentive. For example, free rent in December will keep your tenants around.
  • Incentives help to attract more tenants and make your property stand out from the crowd. 
  • They increase the rate of occupancy in your property and prevent it from staying long periods without tenants. 

In addition to offering incentives, creating tenant-friendly policies and a tenant-friendly environment can put your property on the map and attract more tenants. These policies include pet-friendly policies and short lease terms. Some people are inseparable and very connected to their pets. Creating an environment that allows people to keep their pets will attract more tenants. Also, having shorter-term leases such as 6 months to a year will have clients consider your property People fear losing their money and love a good deal. 

Showcasing Professionalism and Efficiency

It is important to maintain active and professional communication with your tenants during the application process. Consistent communication makes you appear as a serious property owner and can help you close deals quickly. It also makes a good impression on your tenants. Not only does it show that you have respect for their time but also prevents you from losing clients due to your unavailability. 

Also, consistent communication with tenants regarding any rules, policies, or updates avoids confusion and creates a smooth environment for tenants and the landlord.

It also increases your credibility and makes tenants trust you more. 

It is important to note that in the process of looking for tenants, viewing is a necessity for them. Create a system that allows for this to happen smoothly. Communicate any rules that potential tenants should follow to avoid any confusion. Create a schedule and set days for viewing for an easy process. This also makes it easier to attract prepared clients. Tenants could view and decide to settle in. 

Conclusion

Key Points

  • Find a proactive approach to finding tenants for your property. 
  • Consider setting competitive rent prices for your property to attract more tenants. 
  • Beware of factors that affect rent pricing. They include location, amenities, property type, and current market trends.
  • Find your preferred clients by performing tenant screening. Remember to remain ethical during this process.
  • Standing out among other property owners is important. Consider incentives and tenant-friendly policies. 
  • Maintain professionalism and active communication at all times.

Taking all these factors into consideration will help you reduce vacancy periods in your property. You can also do more research on what other ways you can use to attract more tenants for your property.

FAQs

Q: How long does it take to find a tenant in Kenya? 

A: The amount of time it takes for you to find a tenant depends on the strategies you set to find tenants. It also depends on the location and the season.

Q: What are some issues you should look out for during tenant screening?

A: Some of the issues to look out for are criminal record history, eviction history, poor credit history, etc. 

Q: Is it legal to charge a non-refundable application fee in Kenya?

A: Look out for laws that govern the relationship between landlords and tenants such as the Landlord and Tenant Act. 

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