Rentals.com Company Blog

Creating a Facebook page for your rental business can help you connect you with potential tenants and make sure they know about your property. Don’t worry if you’re new to social media: we’ve got some helpful tips to get you started! 
Facebook
More than ever, Facebook continues to evolve into a must-have tool in any business’ arsenal. [...]

The New Year is the favorite time of year to get busy on things we wished we’d done the last year-round. Why not make a few resolutions that are good for the environment, as well? Resolve to get the most mileage out of what you have and to recycle what you use up. You and [...]

If you live in a part of the country that is hard hit by winter weather and frigid temperatures, finding renters can feel impossible. But even though it seems like your community is frozen in place, people do still need to move, and we’ve got some ideas to utilize to help some of them become [...]

Are you ready to transition your rental home from the old year to the new? Read on for tips on gearing up for a holiday celebration and getting next year off to a clean, new start. 
Cold-weather preparations
As you prepare to host family and friends for the holidays, make sure that your rental home is up [...]

As a rental property owner or manager, it is vital that your residents be able to reach you quickly with maintenance needs or other urgent issues — but that doesn’t mean that your phone should ring off the hook! Read on for some ways to help you stay in touch and be reached by your [...]

Before you move in to your new rental, be sure you’ve done a thorough inspection of all aspects of it, noting the property’s condition and any damage. Below, we’ve got a list of what to look for and how to document it. 
Be an ace reporter
Just like any good journalist getting to the heart of a [...]

Have you considered adding college students to your renting pool? Every major city has young people in school who are in need of housing, and you could be missing out on this lucrative population. Find out what you need to do to protect your interests and see if renting to college students is right for [...]

Your rental home gives you plenty of space for holiday decorations, inside and out. We’ve got some easy and creative ways to help you ring in the holiday this year like never before. 
Wintry greens
One of the freshest ways to bring the winter season into your home is with real greenery. You can buy fresh garlands [...]

As an owner of a mortgaged rental property, how do you know when it might be a financially beneficial time to refinance? Read on for some options that might save you money and keep your rentals profitable for the future. 
Know your goals
Before you set out to get refinancing information, decide what it is you’re looking [...]

What you may feel you lack in space in your place can be made up for with some innovative and thoughtful decorating. Try these tips to add visual square footage to your rental home. 
Scale your furniture
Avoid large pieces of furniture in a small rental home, except as select focal points for a room. When you [...]

There is perhaps no easier way to make your tenants feel good about where they live than communicating with them regularly and meaningfully. It doesn’t take a lot of time and effort to send a word, and we’ve got some quick and easy ways to let them know you care.
Try social media
Depending on the general [...]

There is a method to getting help from your landlord when there are problems with your rental property. Following these steps can help you get the results you need. 
Check your landlord’s procedure
When a problem arises that you need your landlord’s help with, first check your lease to see if there is a specific procedure that [...]

With winter-time comes a host of cold-weather dangers for your property. A little preparation, though, can help you keep your property — and its grateful tenants — in good health. 
Time for a heating check-up
Before your tenants need to turn it on, have your property’s heating system checked for safety, as well as efficiency. It’s a [...]

You don’t have to make big changes to your rental home to make it feel like your own. Through the ancient art of feng shui, you can create the perfect space for you. 
What is it?
Feng shui (pronounced “fung schway”) is the ancient Chinese system of aesthetics that uses geography and astronomy to receive positive “ch’i” [...]

Pest infestations in your rentals can be prevented with a team effort between you and your tenants. Help make sure that you’re both doing your parts to keep happy and healthy homes — without any uninvited guests — by educating your tenants about pest control procedures and assisting them when they need it. 
Helpful education for [...]

Moving into a new rental home means getting to know how everything works, from the dishwasher and air conditioner to the garbage and recycling programs. Discover your community’s guidelines for waste pick-up as soon as you can, so you don’t get stuck with an overstock of bags and bins.
Sort it out
Though every municipality has its [...]

There is simply no way to control all of the variables that go into renting a property to a tenant. Neighbors, mechanical malfunctions, the weather, personality quirks — all may add an element of surprise to the renting experience, and sometimes that surprise can cause tempers to flare.
Occasionally dealing with an angry resident is part [...]

If an emergency were to occur at your rental home, would you know who to contact and how to reach them? Be sure that you have a handle on who to contact well before you need to reach these services in an emergency situation.
 Make a phone list
In case of emergency, you might not want to [...]

Just as you hope your new tenants will safeguard your property, you want to make sure they are safe in their new home. Be sure to remind them – in a helpful, professional manner — of basic home safety, as well as emergency procedures that apply to their home and the larger community.  
The fireplace
One [...]

The rental market is certainly changing as an increasing number of people look for rentals and an increasing number of homes formerly for sale become rental properties. How will the surplus ‘shadow market’ of homes and condos affect traditional apartment rentals, and how can you benefit as a property owner?
 What is the shadow market?
Though it [...]

While other industries may slow during the summer months, for real estate, there is no better time to reenergize marketing strategies. This year, don’t let the rental market’s busiest season pass you by without jump-starting the way you promote your properties. We’ve got some tips to help you get started.
Get organized
Sure, you’ve got more to [...]

Even in a rental home with adequate closet space, you may discover that you just have too many things to fit comfortably in your home — though you’re reluctant to part with any of those items. That’s where storage can come to the rescue. Whether you choose a portable unit or a traditional off-site rental, [...]

Whether you’re a pet owner moving in with a partner or roommate with pets or you’re adopting a new pet into your current household, blending an animal family is a delicate process. Read on for tips on how to help them all get along under the same roof.
Introduce them slowly
Animals need time to get used [...]

You may think that your landlord’s coverage or your renter’s policy will cover your losses in case of flood damage, but guess again! Regardless of whether your rental home is in an obviously flood-prone area, consider the benefits of carrying a renter’s flood-specific insurance policy.
Who needs it?
Whatever kind of regular renter’s insurance policy you have [...]

Track Your Leads to Gauge the Success of Your Renting Efforts
Sometimes renters come to you seemingly from out of thin air. But every person who comes to you found their way through a specific point of contact, and it’s up to you to discover what it was in order to know where you might look [...]

It’s a task we all love to put off, but cleaning your oven can help it run better and keep you from cringing when you open the door. There’s no way around a little elbow grease, but below are some fairly easy methods to get that awful baked-on gunk out of your oven and out [...]

Security deposits are one of the least understood aspects of a lease agreement by both tenants and landlords. Because the rules for security deposits can differ widely by state, be sure you understand the proper way to handle them in your area. Here are some of the questions to ask to make sure you handle [...]

When Summer comes, so does an increase in renting activity, as families start looking for homes before school begins again and vacationers secure their holiday accommodations. In keeping with the bright, colorful season, here are some things that you can do to add warm-weather panache to your property.
 Color for the yard
A property’s curb appeal is [...]

With summer months comes the task of keeping your house cool — without going broke! Here are some easy-to-remember ideas to bring down the cost of surviving summer in your rental home.
Keep the air moving
Of course, the biggest adjustment you can make to reduce your cooling bill is to raise the thermostat. For greater savings, [...]