Helpful Tips For Property Managers During Peak Rental Season

The beginning of the year is typically peak rental season and therefore a busy time for property managers. You will be managing vacating tenants, searching for potential tenants and inducting new tenants in much larger numbers. To avoid feeling stressed out during this time, it’s essential that you focus on staying organised and practice working smarter. Here are a few practical tips for handling the peak rental season like a pro:

Use digital files

If you have piles of paperwork crowding your desk, now is the time to digitize them. This will prevent your files from getting lost. Digital file management systems also make it easier for you to organise and locate files. For example, many property managers create a digital file for each of their properties and attach rental applications, lease agreements, and other documentation to the property file as the items are received. You can work much more efficiently when all the relevant information is stored in one place.

Enhance your rental listings

With a higher number of rental properties available on the market, your listings need to stand out from the rest. Include high-quality photos and even virtual tours to make your listing more attractive and convince potential tenants to schedule a viewing with you. Don’t forget to check the accuracy of your listing details, update any information about furnishings, utilities, amenities and more. Since most renters scan through the listings quickly, they often overlook the rental criteria. You can avoid this by adding a screenshot of your rental criteria as the second photo, so they will not miss it.

Use a pre-screening survey

Nothing drains you out more than a problematic tenant. You can save a lot of time and energy by using a pre-screening survey to weed out non-qualified rental applicants. Add a Google Form survey to your rental listing as the first step of the tenant application. This way you won’t need to waste time on phone calls and emails with people who don’t meet your criteria.

Apply an effective marketing strategy

During peak rental season, owners will expect you to find the ideal tenants in a short timeframe. To do this, you’ll need to be thoughtful and proactive with your marketing. Much of the work is done through organic marketing efforts, such as hosting open houses, attending community events and using social media platforms. To increase your reach, you can also invest in paid marketing, this includes placing ads in strategic places. Consider how to be seen by your target audience, whether it’s through retargeting ads online or posters at the local gym, coffee shop or restaurant.

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