Tenant finding: tips for success

Finding tenants is not difficult unless you're working in a 'hard to rent' area. However, finding the right tenant can present a challenge. Advertising through local newspapers can generate lots of enquiries but it's normally expensive and it's not always effective.

So, what do you need to know about finding tenants successfully?

• Look at other landlords' adverts to help make your rent competitive, making sure you consider the size and quality of your rental property and location
• find out which daily newspaper editions are popular with potential tenants
• make sure you put the top two or three best property features in the first part of your advert
• put time aside to respond to phone calls once the advert's published. Try not to use an answer machine as some callers will not want to leave a voice-mail message
• make sure you have some pens, note paper and a calendar or diary to book property viewing appointments. Also draw up a list of appropriate questions and go through these with each person. And check you've written down caller names and contact numbers correctly.

Finding tenants online: privately or agency

You may wish to advertise rental property online. You can go through an agency or you can advertise property privately. Either way, it's worth your while using 'to let' boards. It's a great way to put the message out as you can never overlook the power of word of mouth. People who see the board may tell their friends, relatives and colleagues about it.

If you want to save money by advertising privately online, look at websites using search phrases like 'private renting', 'private letting' or 'rent direct from owner'.