Rentals.com Company Blog

Fortunately, with the coming of Valentine’s Day and slightly longer days of sunlight early spring cannot be too far off.  In most parts of the country, the use of a fireplace for the remainder of the season may only include another month or two before spring flowers start popping up everywhere.  Regardless of the time [...]

We all know a picture is worth a thousand words. When it comes to making your rental the one that pops from the listings, the accompanying photos can do wonders to help your property stands out. Be sure to get your rental listing photos right and you’ll give your rental property a great chance of [...]

The Super Bowl, which will be played Feb. 7, is one of the biggest events of the year in sports, advertising and the media. Unfortunately, most of us won’t be able to make the trip to Miami, so regardless of whether you are a football fanatic or have no idea which teams are playing, the [...]

There are lots of ways to stay warm in your rental home when the temperatures drop and still keep your heating bills from skyrocketing. Just follow our handy tips below to stay snug inside during the frosty season.
Bundle up
It might sound obvious, but putting on more clothes will make you feel warmer. You’d be amazed [...]

Looking for ways to make your home more appealing to renters? There are a number of simple fixes you can do to your property that will make prospective tenants sit up and take notice.
Fresh paint
Inside and out, a fresh coat of paint can give your rental house a new lease on life. Choose neutral colors [...]

In most areas of the country, the beginning of the New Year brings with it an influx of new renters to the market. Year after year, our Internet Listing Service confirms the surge of rental activity from significant increases in traffic to our websites. Most of this results from renters who have postponed [...]

If you’ve saved up all your vacation time for a long distance Christmas trip or are spending an extended amount of time with far-away family for the holidays, your empty house – with its heat and electricity use – may greet you with a hefty bill when you return. Here, Rentals.com offers tips on saving [...]

When the temperatures drop, making sure that your rental home is ready for the winter should be top of mind. Before you make any changes to your rental home, make sure to talk with your landlord and get their permission. Some of the items on this list will require your landlord’s involvement, so begin a [...]

Most property managers are keenly aware of the importance of having a “For Rent” sign in the front of a house or apartment for rent. The reality is that many rental properties are located on streets with little traffic, which adversely affects the benefits of a yard sign. An effective and inexpensive method [...]

One of the first things most prospective tenants notice is how clean the rental home is, so don’t leave that first impression to chance. A clean rental home implies good maintenance and reliability on the part of the landlord and the tenants who’ve come before, setting a precedent to respect the property. Here are some [...]

Looking for a rental can be a mind-boggling affair. What was that place like again? Where was it? Did I like it? A harried search is a waste of your time, so follow these tips to organize your hunt for the perfect rental.
Be prepared
An organized search begins with knowing what you want. Have a wish [...]

Recently, rental scams have become increasingly intelligent and convincing, and if successful, they can cost you hundreds of dollars in lost deposits, fees and first and last months’ rent. To protect yourself against these schemes and ensure you get the highest quality rental for your money, use these tips while searching for your next rental [...]

This time of year, many parts of the country typically experience a slowdown in residential leasing. With the holidays fast approaching many renters postpone their moves until January. This practice frequently results in longer vacancies when they occur at this time of year. When drafting new leases during this slower part of [...]

A security deposit, even a small one, creates a bond between landlord and tenant, creating an extra financial incentive for the tenant to be responsible for the property they are renting. But the ins and outs of how to handle a tenant’s security deposit can be confusing. Read on for the dos, the don’ts and [...]

The separation of home maintenance responsibilities between the landlord and tenant varies based on lease agreements and local laws. However, generally speaking, yard maintenance – the cleaning and upkeep of grass, shrubs, trees, flowers and gardens – falls to the renter. So what chores should you be doing to keep the outside of your rental [...]

Packing for a move is a universally dreaded chore. There’s no real reason for packing to be so terrible, though. Preparation is the key to successful and unstressed packing, so read on for tips on how to do it right.
Gather supplies
Packing for your move will require plenty of supplies, so begin gathering as soon [...]

When inspecting a property to purchase or to manage for rental purposes, always pay particular attention to the configuration of the laundry hook-ups. The following are items to check:
– Make sure that the dryer is properly vented to the outside.
– If the actual washer is provided, it is important that the supply hoses are [...]

Your property description will be a very important promotional piece for your rental. Sure, a picture’s worth a thousand words, but your prospective tenant is going to want the details. Follow the tips below to write a description that will get your property lots of attention.
Why do you like it?
Remember that whatever appealed to you [...]

With children, you have nine months to prepare for their entrance into the world and many more before they begin roaming around your home on their own. Pets do not come with the same grace period.
Whether a puppy, kitten, adult dog or cat, your new pet will immediately be interested in every crevice and container [...]

You’ve got the keys to your rental house and the moving truck will soon arrive, but where on earth will everything go? Arranging the furniture in your new rental home is exciting and, at times, overwhelming. Here are some furniture arranging tips to get you going.
Start with the basics
Consider each room in your house [...]

Even though you don’t always have your choice of appliances in a rental home, there are a lot of simple things you can all do to save money on utilities. You don’t have to be an engineer to shrink your utility bills. Try these tactics to save money on your utilities.
A word of warning
Whenever [...]

There’s a lot to keep track of when you’re leaving your home, and when the clock is ticking, you won’t have a chance to go back and take care of missed tasks without a lot of inconvenience and/or expense. Make it easy on yourself with this handy moving checklist. Print this out, check it [...]

Whether you decide to hire a mover or do it yourself will come down to some very basic questions. Read on to see which option is right for you.
Time
How much time you have can be a deciding factor. If you are in a hurry, it might be more practical to hire someone to help you [...]

The single most important interior amenity in an apartment is a washer and dryer or washer/dryer hookups. Data pulled from searches on ApartmentGuide.com over the last six months and other third party sources have consistently resulted in the same conclusion. With this knowledge an owner of a rental property with no laundry [...]

Renting out a home can offer some significant tax breaks for homeowners. Here are some tips on how to take advantage of your rental home’s potential tax benefits.
Appraisal
In order to calculate taxes properly, you’ll need to know how much your home worth. A professional appraisal holds the most weight, but written estimates from several [...]

Before you begin your search for a rental home, you’ll want to have all of your application information ready to go. Check below for what to bring with you, so that your perfect rental home doesn’t go to someone who was better prepared.
Identification
First, you will need to show some ID to apply for your rental [...]

When looking for a home as a renter you’ll want to make sure that your new residence is all that it can be, inside and out. Follow these tips when visiting rental homes to make sure that you find the right one for you.
Make a wish list
Write down the features you want and need in [...]

Finding the right rental home can feel like a big job, but there are ways to simplify your hunt. Knowing what you’re looking for will cut down on unnecessary visits to homes that just don’t fit the bill from the outset. Read on for tips on how to streamline your search.
Know what you need
There are [...]

When you’ve looked at enough rental homes, it’s sometimes hard to remember what you’ve seen, let alone which one is right for you. Below, we’ve outlined a simple method of how to compare the various contenders.
Take notes
It’s hard to compare what you’ve seen if you haven’t faithfully recorded the details of each house. As you [...]