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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

example of an Avail rental listing with catchy 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: 

[RENT PRICE] – [#] Bed / [#] Bath [APARTMENT, HOUSE, TOWNHOUSE, CONDO] in [NEIGHBORHOOD] With Great [FEATURES].

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: 

Example of a rental listing description on Realtor.com

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.

The Rental Listing Photos

example of rental listing photos

In addition to having a great title and description, it’s important to take high-quality photos. You can easily do this with either your smartphone or a professional camera. For the best photos, here are some general tips to follow.

  • Always include several photos: With so many online listings, if you don’t include photos, tenants are going to skip to the next listing immediately. In fact, many sites allow tenants to filter out listings without photos, so include them.
  • Include photos of all the major rooms: There should be a photo for each bedroom, bathroom and living space. There should be at least one picture of the kitchen, but more is better. If there are special features, like the skyline views, washer/dryers or outdoor space, have photos of those as well.
  • Show your property in its best light: Turn on the lights and open curtains for natural lighting.
  • Take professional photos: This doesn’t mean you have to be a professional or hire a professional. Just make sure that your photographing set up is clean and orderly. Try to take pictures from an angle that gives your photos their best appearance.
  • Consider adding a virtual tour: Some tenants may want more than photos, so it can be helpful to add a virtual tour to your listing, 

What to Avoid in Your Rental Listing

Besides any wording or descriptors that violate Fair Housing laws, it’s also best practice to avoid the following in your rental listing:

  • All caps
  • Excessive exclamation points
  • Vague language

The above will likely be a red flag for tenants, who will move on to the next listing.

Market Your Rental With Avail 

The best way to find great tenants is by having an engaging rental listing title and description, with quality photos. This can make it easier for tenants to decide if your rental is right for them and meets their criteria. You can also ensure your listing populates for the right filtering to increase your chances of getting prospective tenant leads.

If you’re unsure on how to get the perfect listing, Avail will automatically generate a rental listing title and description based on the provided information. Once you’re ready to publish your listing, it will go live across a dozen of the top rental sites with one click.

Create an Avail account today to create a rental listing, screen prospective tenants, and more.