Want to know how to find tenants for your rental property?
Then, this is the guide for you.
In it, I’ll cover my exact process for finding, vetting, and welcoming great tenants. These techniques have helped me build a thriving rental property business, and today, I’ll help you do the same.
Ready? Then, read on to learn more.
Biggest takeaways:
- If you choose the right tenants, you can avoid costly issues like home damages and non-payment of rent
- Some of the best ways to find tenants include online rental listing platforms, social media, and networking
- It’s crucial you thoroughly screen your tenants before signing a lease
Who is the best type of tenant?
Good tenants can be hard to come by if you don’t know what makes a tenant good or bad. Even worse, getting bad tenants can lead to unnecessary problems and even evictions.
But here’s the thing.
I’ve never had to evict any of my tenants in the years I’ve been building my rental property business.
Why? Because I choose the best.
Good tenants have:
- Steady, predictable income
- A proven track record of paying rent on time
- Positive references from former landlords
- No criminal record
- A good credit score
- No prior evictions
But before you look for a tenant, you need to figure out who your ideal one is. This video will help:
In the next section, we’ll cover how to find tenants like these.
7 ways to find the best tenants for your rental property online and offline
The seven best ways to find tenants for your rental property are:
- Online rental listing platforms
- Social media
- Craigslist
- “For Rent” signs
- Word-of-mouth
- Flyers and brochures
- And community bulletin boards
Let’s dive into each strategy one by one.
1. Leverage online rental listing platforms
The easiest way to advertise your rental property is with online rental listing platforms like:
But there are thousands of competing listings on these sites. To stand out, you need to make your property listing compelling.
To help, we’ll discuss my formula for a great rental listing in a later section.
For now, I recommend posting your property online as a first port-of-call. But there are plenty of other strategies to use, so let’s keep going.
2. Use social media
Social media is great for advertising rental properties. But you need to be strategic.
Think about where your ideal tenant hangs out online, and post your property there.
Regardless of demographics, Facebook renters’ groups are a great way to reach good tenants.
This is because they are so location-specific. You can find appropriate groups by searching:
- [City Name] Housing
- [County Name] Housing
- [City Name] Rentals
- [College Name] Housing
As a student housing investor, I’ve found Facebook groups very effective.
In fact, I typically receive responses from around 10 potential tenants within 48 hours of posting.
You can also try rental subreddits, Instagram, Threads, X, and TikTok.
3. Use Craigslist
You can create a free listing for your rental property on Craigslist and reach a massive audience.
But that exposure has drawbacks. Not every person who inquires will be the best choice, so you need to screen carefully.
To have the best success with Craigslist, be specific with the location and make your listing as professional as possible.
4. Use traditional “For Rent” signs
“For Rent” signs may seem old-fashioned, but they are very effective.
Many new renters drive through neighborhoods to get a feel for a city, and your “For Rent” sign in the yard can catch their eye.
It’s also a low-cost, simple option that takes no time to set up.
Make sure to print your phone number in large font on the sign so it’s easy to see from across the street. The best place to put the sign is on the lawn in front of the property or in the window. However, check with the homeowners association (if applicable) to see if “for rent” signs are permitted.
5. Network through word-of-mouth
Letting your friends, family, and colleagues know you have a place to rent is a great marketing strategy if you’re local.
However, there are ways to increase your success rate with word-of-mouth marketing.
Here are some examples:
- Host community events
- Offer referral incentives
- Network in local groups
- And join housing organizations
Building more relationships in the local community can make finding high-quality tenants much easier.
6. Distribute flyers and brochures
Creating attractive flyers with high-quality photos of your property is a powerful way of marketing to potential tenants.
A good flyer includes:
- Property description
- Monthly rent
- Contact number
- And availability
Distribute your flyers to local businesses willing to display them to the public. High-traffic areas like community centers, college campuses, and any open houses you host are also good options.
7. Tap into local community bulletin boards
If local stores, malls, or community centers have bulletin boards, this is an excellent place to advertise your rental property.
Use programs like Canva to create an eye-catching flyer, including photos of the property, availability, and your number.
Tip: Use colorful and clear fonts to make your post attractive.
Even doing one or two of these marketing strategies will help you find tenants for your rental property. But how do you choose one? Read on to find out.
6 steps to find and screen great tenants for your rental property
Finding and screening tenants for your rental property just means knowing what to do and then doing it. With that in mind, here are the steps you’ll want to take.
1. Write a listing
No matter what marketing strategy you use, you’ll need a great listing to attract potential tenants.
Here is the formula for one:
- High-quality photos: Your listing photos should be landscape, high-resolution, and well-lit. If you struggle to take photos, hire a professional photographer.
- Detailed descriptions: Write an engaging description that paints a picture of the property’s best qualities (we’ll talk about how to do that in a later section).
- Neighborhood highlights: Describe the best parts of the neighborhood that would appeal to your target tenant.
But here’s a common mistake I see newbie rental property owners make: The listing is way too wordy.
You want your post to be informative but not boring. After all, tenants are usually scanning dozens of rental property listings a day, so you want yours to be easy to digest.
Then, you can start marketing your property.
2. Market your property
Marketing your property is crucial to your success with it.
My advice is to choose around 2-3 strategies from the section about finding tenants online and offline and be consistent.
If there’s a high rental demand in the neighborhood and your rental rate is competitive for the area, it won’t take long to get inquiries.
And because of the volume, I recommend sending a pre-screening questionnaire before you invite applicants to viewings.
It can include questions about:
- Reason for moving
- Length of tenancy
- Professional background
- Smoker status
- And pets
Then, you can invite the best applicants to view the property. More on that next.
3. Hold viewings
You can hold property viewings virtually or in person.
A traditional viewing goes like this:
- Set a time and date
- Meet the tenant outside the property
- Give them a tour, including the entrance, garbage disposal, parking, and other facilities
- Be open to answering any questions they have
- Allow them to take photos or videos of the property
- Encourage them to get back to you quickly with a formal offer if they would like to proceed
If the applicant is late without notice or unprofessional in person, then you’ve just learned they’re not the right person to rent to.
It is usually easier to get to know people in person, but sometimes virtual viewings are more convenient.
So, arrange a call time and run the viewing from a reliable video conferencing app like Facetime, WhatsApp, or Zoom.
Tip: Have your phone on a tripod to make it easier to hold and tour around the property.
Next, it’s time to screen the applicants who apply.
4. Screen and choose applicants
To screen applicants, you need to do a full background check.
Some online platforms or property management services can handle this for you, but it’s pretty simple to do by yourself, too.
Here’s what information you should ask for:
- Proof of income: Ask your tenant for pay stubs and their employment contract to prove their employment and salary. Tax returns can also be useful, especially for self-employed people. If you’re renting to students, you can ask for their parents’ income or to review their student loans to see if they can pay on time.
- Credit history: You can run a comprehensive credit check on applicants using one of the three major bureaus: TransUnion, Experian, or Equifax. The credit report will show any prior evictions, collections, and bankruptcies, plus their debt-to-income ratio.
- Landlord references: Previous landlords can give you extra details a credit report can’t cover. Ideally, request the landlord’s contact information so you can get a direct reference.
- Criminal background: If you want to run a criminal history check, you need signed consent from the applicant. Some states have regulations around landlords using criminal history as a deciding factor.
For more, I talk about my screening process in this video:
5. Sign a lease
A leasing agreement is a contract between you and the tenant.
It outlines the responsibilities and rights of both parties, so it’s crucial to get this right.
Your lease should include:
- Your full name and contact information
- The tenant’s full name and contact information
- Length of tenancy
- The price of the rent, how to pay, and a late payment policy
- Security deposit policy and non-refundable fees
- Repair and maintenance processes
- Your right to enter the property with notice
- House rules, including pet and smoking policies
And to make sure your lease is airtight, I recommend having a lawyer look over it.
6. Build strong relationships
Finally, to avoid problems, it’s important to have a good relationship with your tenants. For me, this starts the moment a tenant moves in.
You need to set clear expectations from the beginning while making it a welcoming and seamless experience.
To go the extra mile, you could create a welcome pack that includes:
- Key pickup and move-in instructions
- How to set up utilities
- Numbers for repair professionals you trust
- Rent payment guide
- Garbage collection information
- How to report maintenance issues
- And a rental insurance reminder
After that, being a good landlord is about being communicative and proactive.
Address issues quickly and use services or apps to systemize your property management work as much as possible.
For example, you can use TenantCloud to automate rent payments.
How to attract good tenants
Screening tenants is always important. However, attracting high-quality tenants can make the process faster and simpler.
To attract good tenants, focus on:
- Marketing: being on target with your marketing makes sure your listing is seen by the right people
- Offer: think about what amenities and terms would appeal to your ideal tenant
- Pricing: price your rent at an affordable and attractive rate for your dream tenant while still covering your expenses and growing your profits
- Communication: be polite, friendly, and professional in all of your communication to encourage similar responses and long-term relationships
If you perfect this formula, you’ll get way more inquiries from tenants you’ll WANT to rent to.
Next steps
And that’s how to find tenants for your rental property!
Ultimately, high-quality tenants save so much time, money, and energy in the long run.
But this is just one part of running a successful rental property business.
If you want to thrive in real estate, you also have to think about:
- Choosing the right property
- Negotiating your mortgage
- Managing your cash flow
- And more
To achieve financial freedom and quit my 9-5, I had to master these things. Now, I teach others like you to do the same.
Want my help becoming a successful real estate investor? Find out more here.
