How to Write a Rental Listing [With Rent Advertisement Examples]
On average, you compete with over 100 other rental properties when advertising your unit. Competition could be even higher depending on your neighborhood or if you’re listing during peak seasons. On average, a tenant will only spend three seconds looking at your listing before deciding to dig deeper or move on to the next one.
When making a decision that quickly, it all comes down to just three things for that tenant: a catchy headline, a short description, and photos. For that reason, we provide a formula you can follow in drafting your headline and the description to attract prospective tenants.
How to Write a Catchy Rental Listing Title
The headline is the most critical component. If the headline doesn’t show your prospective tenant what they’re immediately looking for, they may not read the rest of the listing, no matter how well it was written. Fortunately, the headline doesn’t need to be all that creative. It just needs to let the tenant know that they’ve found what they’re looking for and they should click to view the rest of the listing.
Let’s say a tenant is looking for a specific number of bedrooms, bathrooms, price range and location. Those are the things you’ll want to put in your headline. In addition, you can include one feature of the apartment that is unique or enticing.
Rental Listing Title Formula
Here’s a general rental listing title formula you can follow. Replace the parentheses with information for your rental property:
If you followed the formula, you should get something that looks like: $2,500 – 2 Bed / 2 Bath Condo in Old Town, Chicago With In-Unit Washer and Dryer.
How to Write a Short Rental Listing Description
Now that you’ve written your title, the next step is the rental listing description.
1. Start With the Best Feature
Differentiate yourself from the competition by telling potential tenants what makes your unit unique. Help them visualize themselves in your rental. This should be the one feature that stands out the most and will often be the nickname tenants use to remember your place. Choose from our list or create your own.
- Upscale and Urban
- Perfect for Entertaining
- Water Views
- City Skyline Views
- Backyard Haven
- Excellent Schools
- Prime Location
- Large Windows
- Tall Ceilings
For this example, let’s start with: “City Skyline Views.”
2. Choose Two Descriptors for the Apartment
- Charming
- Beautiful
- Cozy
- Warm
- Intimate
- Private
- Quiet
- Spacious
- Lots of Open Space
- Good for Entertaining
- Naturally Well-Lit
- Unique
- Traditional
- Modern
- Newly Updated
- Freshly Renovated
- Classic
- Tasteful
- Vintage
- Funky
We’ll go with “charming” and “naturally well-lit.” So now we have: “City Skyline Views: Charming, naturally well-lit…”
3. Give the Basics
Next, let the potential tenants know how many bedrooms and bathrooms your unit has. So far, we have: “City Skyline Views: Charming, naturally well-lit 3 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment.”
4. Mention the Neighborhood
- Hip Neighborhood
- Fun Neighborhood
- Professional Community
- Quiet Neighborhood
- Friendly Neighborhood
- Casual Community
- Vibrant Community
If your city has well-known neighborhoods, you should mention the specific neighborhood rather than using the descriptors above.
For our example, that means: “City Skyline Views: Charming, naturally well-lit 3 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment in Old Town neighborhood.”
Remember: When you’re talking about the neighborhood your rental is in or mentioning any property qualities, ensure you aren’t violating Fair Housing laws. It’s never okay to mention familial status, sex, disability, religion, color, race, or national origin in your listing.
5. Tell Them What’s Nearby
- Parks
- Train lines
- Bars
- Nightlife
- Coffee shops
- Universities
- Highways
- Shopping Markets
For us, our property is located close to one of the best train lines to get to work.
So now we have: “City Skyline Views: Charming, naturally well-lit 3 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment in Old Town neighborhood. Close to the red line, shops and nightlife on Wells Street, and walking distance to the Whole Foods.”
6. Give One Exciting Detail
Don’t use the same one that you used to open the ad. You want to give the tenant as many enticing tidbits as possible.
- Beautiful views
- Private backyard
- Gardens
- Pool
- New Renovations
- Fully furnished
- Walk-in closet
- Hardwood floors
- Balcony
- Freshly painted
- New appliances
- Granite countertops
Example: “City Skyline Views: Charming, naturally well-lit 3 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment in Old Town neighborhood. Close to the red line, shops and nightlife on Wells Street, and walking distance to the Whole Foods. Balcony for entertaining, hardwood flooring throughout.”
7. Provide More Information About the Rental Property
Finish up your ad by specifying a few things that will help your tenants decide if they should contact you at all, reducing your screening time. You should include the rent amount here, since most tenants have already filtered for properties within their budget.
- Pet-friendly or not
- Rent amount
- Security deposit amount
- Utilities included or not included
- Smoking Policy
- Application, credit and background check fee
- Contact Name and Number
Example: “City Skyline Views: Charming, naturally well-lit 3 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment in Old Town neighborhood. Close to the red line, shops and nightlife on Wells Street, and walking distance to the Whole Foods. Balcony for entertaining, hardwood flooring throughout. Pet-friendly. 1500/month, 1 month security deposit. Utilities not included. Call John at (333) 888-8888.”
Here’s another rental advertisement example:
Want help writing your listing description? Use the Avail rental listing feature to easily build your rental listing. Based on the provided information, our system will generate an engaging rental listing description for you. Your rental listing will also be published across the top dozen rental sites, making it easier to find qualified tenants for your rental.
