Some might think this is an obvious yes you should show tenants the house before they decide if they want to rent it but there are a lot more factors that go into planning than you might think. For an example the first thing people think are “lets put a for rent sign so we get a lot of inquiries on the property” This is not always a good idea depending on the are the house is for rent because if its not in a particularly good area you run the risk of break ins and possibly teens hanging out there cause they know its vacant (believe me I’ve seen it all) Other factors are it could be time consuming if you are renting it yourself and have to go by every time someone wants to see it. If you are using a realtor it could be quit expensive having to pay them to show it, usually they will require the first months rent as payment. Here are some strategies I’ve used that have helped me save money and time.
Have an open house, this is a really good effective way to show a lot of people at one time and only having to designate one visit. I usually have this day in the ad when I post it for rent. You also avoid the phone calls of people asking when they can see and asking questions this way they save everything for when they come. If you didn’t want to do it yourself you can pay a friend or family member to save costs its much cheaper that way.
Secondly and this is very discretionary I will leave the key in a lock box on the door and give them the code to go look. Of course this wouldn’t be my first option but seeing I feel really good about the person I would first request a copy of their photo ID and would have absolutely nothing in the house that is worth any value to steal would I take this route. Ive personally done it before using these steps and have never had an issue. I found both these methods to be very effective in saving time and money while still not missing out on the opportunity to find a renter.
Written by Scott Esmail
Scott Esmail.com 