Our rental sat vacant for months… here’s what finally worked

[Berlice Bassas]

I’ve been dealing with one of our rentals sitting vacant for months and it honestly surprised me how much small things affected interest.

I ended up adjusting pricing, updating photos, and changing how we described the property—and finally started getting more traction.

It made me realize how overwhelming this stuff can be, especially if you only have 1–2 properties and don’t want a full property manager.

If anyone is stuck with a vacancy or unsure what to tweak, I’m happy to take a look and share what I’ve learned from our experience.

[Richard F.]

It is also very much dependent upon the time of year, and varies somewhat by locale and number of bedrooms.

No one in their right mind chooses to move a full family during school year...they try to plan moves during the summer break. The Holiday Season, from Mid-October through Mid February is the slowest, although there can be some student moves during holiday break. Otherwise, people just have other priorities for their time and money at this time of year.

Absolutely there is a certain amount of moves due to job and Military transfers; Professional Singles and Couples are more flexible with making or combining moves into Studio, 1 or 2 bedroom units.

Beyond that, it is more about people that are forced to move, for any one of a number of reasons, from displacement by fire or flood, divorce, lost or reduced income, unhappy with current conditions or location, and of course under eviction, among other reasons.

Keep those issues in mind, and try to maintain a good relationship with Tenants by ensuring their unit is properly and promptly cared for when issues arise, and try to adjust the timing of your renewals for the prime months, while also offering flexibility if you have reason to believe they are considering a move (as long as they have paid on time and been Good Tenants) if it benefits you to adjust their move date. I always inform Tenants at signing, and again at each renewal, that I offer that flexibility as long as Unit is cleaned properly and all rubbish removed, rent will be pro-rated to their last day of occupancy based on return of keys, and rent is paid as usual, with unused pro-rated amount refunded, along with Security Deposit based on inspection upon vacating.

General Interest picks up mid to late March, and increases through May, then starts slowing again in early August, tapering off through September. 

Refine your screening criteria so you are not actually eliminating quality Tenants for your pricing tier, and make sure the unit is fresh, clean, safe, secure, and fully functional. Also make sure your photos are composed for marketing, not just random shots with former Tenant's personal items in view, or construction/repair materials or tools lying about. Pics should be of RTR (Ready to Rent), including street views of the property as well as views looking out from primary windows of the yard, scenic views, or other features.