A huge part of finding success as a landlord is to find the best way to bring in the best tenants possible. When you’re trying to find great tenants, you’ll want to list your property in many different places so that you have many applicants to choose from.
Many landlords are interested in the idea of listing on Craigslist because it is commonly used by renters searching for a new place to live, but they aren’t sure how to use this free platform effectively.
While it isn’t difficult to make a listing, landlords that don’t yet know how to list a rental on Craigslist will find this guide to be an invaluable tool for making effective and punchy ads on a free and forgiving site. Soon, you’ll be able to find out if adding Craigslist listings to your advertising lineup is a good way to boost your business!
A Table Of Contents For How To List Apartment On Craigslist
How To List A Rental On Craigslist
The main goal of today’s guide is to help you learn how to list an apartment for rent on Craigslist. By the end of the guide, you’ll know how to work this type of advertising into your business routine so that you can see bigger profits.
Step 1: Find Your Area
First, go to Craigslist at www.craigslist.org. From the main screen, navigate to the area closest to where your property is located so that you advertise in the correct metropolitan area.
Step 2: Choose Your Post Type
Next, you’ll want to click “post to classifieds,” which should be located on the upper left-hand corner of the screen. From here, you’ll need to select your ad type. Choose “housing offered,” and then select the appropriate neighborhood to specify where the property is located.
Step 3: Review The Advertising Rules
At this point, you’ll see a link that says “Get the facts and avoid being persecuted under the
Fair Housing Law.” Click this link and read through the various guidance materials that Craigslist has linked here.
This information is important to ensure that you are not breaking any Fair Housing laws within your advertisement. These laws are very serious, and a violation could cost you more than $15,000.
Step 4: Complete The Advertisement
Once you’ve reviewed the housing guidance information, it’s time to fill out the information about your rental property. There are specific spaces for the following:
- Price
- Number of bedrooms
- Title of property
Once you’ve added this information and an email address, you will want to fill in the posting box. This box is where you can add all additional information about the rental. We recommend including the following:
- Number of bathrooms
- Square footage
- Special features (i.e., garage, pool)
- Relevant upgrades
- Relevant lease information
- Anything else that might entice a renter
Step 5: Add Images
Craigslist allows you to add some images to your rental listing by clicking “Add/Edit Images” underneath the description box that you just filled out. Choose appealing, bright images that will encourage renters to want to learn more about your property. Once you’ve added images, press “Continue” to review your ad.
Step 6: Review & Post
Look over your ad to ensure that everything looks correct. Then, agree to the terms of service. This will take you to a page where you need to create your Craigslist account. Follow the relevant information to make your account. Be sure to keep your information so that you can log in easily later.
5 Craiglist Listing Tips
Simply learning how to post is not enough; you also need to learn how to advertise an apartment for rent on Craigslist effectively! Just making the post won’t always be enough, so learning the best techniques is key.
#1: Post Again
Some landlords post their property and then forget about it. Unfortunately, your listing might not stay active on Craigslist for as long as you think it will. In major cities, posts often expire in seven days. Other areas keep postings active for 45 days. Regardless, you will want to ensure that you repost your property as needed.
#2: Use High-Quality Pictures
No matter where you advertise your properties, the quality of the photos matters. The better the photos, the more applicants you will bring in. Having a larger pool of applicants will help you to be more choosy and find the best tenants possible.
#3: Lead With Your Best Features
When you title your listing, include the most attractive points of your property in the title. This will lead tenants to be more attracted to your property. Add some descriptive words that will help show the character of your property as well.
#4: Make Bullet Lists
Don’t list out all of the information about your property in one long run-on paragraph. Instead, write an intro and then split the rest of the information out into bullet points so that it can be more easily consumed by potential tenants.
#5: Update Frequently
Update your ads frequently to represent the most recent information that you have. Renters will appreciate that you are an attentive landlord, and that will make them more likely to consider applying to rent out your listing.
Why You Should List Everywhere Possible!
When you list a house for rent in Craigslist, you might be tempted to leave it at that. While learning how to list on Craigslist is an important task for landlords, you also need to remember that you should never just make an advertisement in one place.
Advertising in as many areas as possible will help you to expand your tenant pool. With a larger pool in hand, you’ll be more able to screen those tenants and find the perfect fit for your property.
The key is that you need to find the right advertising platforms for your business and properties. Once you figure out the best three or four places for your listings, use those resources continuously to ensure your future success!