Your guide to what renters are looking for
Tenants might live in your rental property for as long as someone else lives in a house they've bought, so it is only fair that they will set similar standards when looking for their new home.
Different tenants will have different needs and wants from their new home. For example;
- Families will be looking for space, a garden, a local school, local amenities and parking.
- Students will be looking for public transport links, something close to their place of study and a selection of pubs and takeaways.
Therefore, it is important to decide what your target market is first. However, all tenants will be looking for something clean, attractive and well maintained.
When people visit your property with the thought of letting it from you, it is important that they can picture themselves living there. Therefore, it is better to offer the property as a blank canvas. Remove pictures and photos from the walls – it is unlikely that their taste will match yours.
When decorating or choosing new furnishings it is best to stick to neutral colours. Paint the walls rather then papering them and do not spend a fortune. A tenant may only stay for 6 months and you may find that you have to smarten the place up before you re-advertise it.
Your prospective tenants may be new to the area and therefore likely to ask questions about the neighbourhood.
Be prepared to answer questions about;
- Public transport
- Local schools
- Crime rate
- Amenities
- Neighbours
- Noise in the area
- Council tax and utility bills
- Parking
You can expect an interested tenant to visit the property at least twice at different times of the day. This will be to get a feel for the neighbourhood. Also, it will be likely that they will be viewing a number of places over a short time span and might get confused between each property. Therefore, they may wish to take pictures of each room as they look around, you should not object to this.