Property sitting vacant in NJ

[Ravi Pamarthi]

I recently purchased a 2-bedroom, 2.5-bath condo/townhouse in New Jersey in November 2025. We have completed several upgrades, including replacing all carpets with luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring throughout the unit, and adding ceiling lights and a fan in the living room. 

Despite these improvements, the property has remained vacant, and we have not received applications from qualified prospects. If not rented soon, the unit will continue to remain vacant into January 2026. The rent has been priced $100–$200 below current market rates to attract interest.

The property is being self-managed, and we have advertised it on Zillow, Apartments.com, Rent.com, and local Facebook Marketplace groups.

Qualifying Requirements:

• Minimum 650+ credit score

• Income of at least 3× the monthly rent

• No Pets
  

• No Smoking
  

• First Month Rent and 1.5 Month Deposit
  

• Background and credit screening conducted through RentPrep

I would appreciate any suggestions or strategies on how to rent the property more quickly while still maintaining responsible tenant screening. Any advice would be very helpful. 

[Kenneth Garrett]

This time of year is typically slower and rents are lower a bit compared to spring and early summer time.  You can add rentometer to your list of sources.  Again, those are advertised rents, not actual lease rents.  You want to use multiple sources to get a feel for rents.

I hold open houses for my rentals.  Just like an open house when you’re selling.  I try to get attention and create competition.  If I can get multiple people to come at the same time it creates competition.  You still need to screen people correctly.

I also started with a no pet policy, but realized many tenants are pet owners.  There was an article by Forbes a couple months ago stating that 72% of renters own pets.  That’s a bit hit to your tenant pool.  Create a pet fee and or deposit to cover pet damage.