As a landlord, DIY is likely your middle name. Not only when it comes to renovations – fixing a sink here and splashing paint on a scuffed wall there – but in how you manage your property overall.
With estate agents charging as much as £200 to write your rental listings, more landlords are putting on their marketing hats to handle it themselves.
Writing a rental listing is fairly straightforward, but there are some big yeses and absolute no-no’s to bear in mind. Your listing is what sells your property to tenants, so you need to get it right – without ending up with a legal battle on your hands.
In this article, we’ll explain step-by-step how to write your own rental listing.
How to write a sellable rental listing for your property
Every good rental listing has eight small sections; a strong title, a high-level property description, a list of amenities, a location summary, a room-by-room walkthrough, an overview of the rental terms, high-quality photos, and a call to action.
Learn how to write each section with examples you can tweak for your listing.
1. Start with an eye-catching title
The format of your title depends on two things; where you are advertising your property and who you are advertising it to.
For example, if you’re advertising a rental on Facebook, you’ll need a short, sharp description that highlights everything important in one sentence. This helps tenants find what they’re looking for immediately. It also helps your listing appear in search results. Like the following:
Example (Facebook): 2-Bed London Flat to Rent With Garage & Garden
On property portals, like Zoopla and RightMove, you’ll want to make the heading slightly more descriptive. On portals, people only read the description once they like the photos, so it’s more of a sales pitch than a to-the-point description.
Example (portal): Charming Ground Floor 2-Bed London Flat With Close Transport Links, Private Garage & Pet-Friendly Renting Policies
To make your title particularly eye-catching, consider adding descriptive words at the start that create urgency and desire among potential renters.
Like writing ‘vacant’, ‘immediate move-in’, ‘in-demand’, ‘rare’, ‘new build’, ‘pet-friendly’, ‘kid-friendly’, ‘modern’, ‘vintage’, or ‘energy-efficient’ at the start.
2. Highlight key features in the first paragraph
In the first paragraph, highlight the key features the property has to offer. Keep it between 2-4 sentences and focus on the real selling points.
For example:
This modern two-bed flat in central London comes with stunning views of the city skyline and a modern open-plan living space. Tenants enjoy ample storage and a stunning outdoor area, with two large storage closets, loft access, and a private garden.
Remember, if the property is listed slightly above market value for the area, renters will want to know why immediately. Highlight the key features that make the rental stand out in the first paragraph to avoid giving the impression that it’s overpriced.
3. List all available amenities
Next, write a list of all the available amenities. Try to keep this fairly short, as no tenant wants to read more than 20 bullet points about everything that’s included in the rental property.
Try to think about what tenants really want to know, like whether there’s storage, outdoor space, special building access, parking facilities, on-site amenities, a concierge desk, quiet streets, security features, modernised living areas, etc.
For example, your list could appear like the following:
Tenants have access to:
- Private rear garden
- Loft access for additional storage
- Two large storage cupboards
- Modern kitchen and bathroom
- First-come, first-served underground parking spaces with security
- Dishwasher and washer-dryer
- 24/7 concierge desk
Keeping your inventories or a furniture catalogue for each property you manage uploaded in a renting management software (which is free for landlords with one property) makes it easier to write a rental property listing that’s attractive to tenants.
4. Location overview
It’s all about the location for most tenants, so this is your most important section. Writing between 2-4 punchy sentences about the location can easily persuade a tenant to book a viewing.
For example:
With Waterloo train station and multiple bus stops only a five-minute walk away, this sought-after two-bed flat is ideal for working professionals looking to minimise long city commutes. Iconic city landmarks including Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and the London Eye are all within walking distance. With local cafés, gyms, supermarkets, restaurants, and takeaway services right on your doorstep, everything you need is only moments away.
Remember, you want to sell the property and make it sound attractive without bending the truth. If the property is only slightly near a bus station, make it sound positive in the description, but don’t say it’s a five-minute walk if it isn’t.
For example:
This property is conveniently located a short walk from public transport, offering direct links into central London. A buzzing local high street, with upmarket restaurants, gyms, and cafés, are all within walking distance.
5. Room-by-room walkthrough
It’s optional, but many letting agents offer potential tenants a written walkthrough of the property to really sell its features. To keep the interest of readers, write only 1-3 sentences about each room.
For example:
Hallway – Enter the property through a communal hallway with keyfob access and marble floors. The tenant’s hallway is bright and airy, with wood floors and a frosted window that lets in natural light. A cloakroom with shoe storage is conveniently located near the door.
Open-plan kitchen/lounge – Find a modern open-plan living area directly in front of you. Large floor-to-ceiling windows allow ample natural light into the lounge, with enough floorspace for a sofa, working-from-home desk, and dining room table. A newly fitted kitchen with built-in appliances and a tiled splashback is both spacious and functional.
6. Be clear about rent and terms
Near the end of the property listing, you want to be clear about the terms of the rental and any “house rules” or building requirements from the leaseholder.
For example, you can include things like the following:
- If the property is furnished or unfurnished
- A list of white goods included
- No smoking rules
- Length of tenancy and renewal policies
- Energy efficiency rating (EPC)
- Deposit amount
- Specific house rules, such as “guests aren’t allowed to stay over for more than four weeks” or “no loud music after 12am”
Be careful not to discriminate in this section, as doing so can be against the law and a breach of the renter’s rights bill.
For example, landlords can’t issue blanket bans against renting to people on benefits, pregnant women, people with kids, or renters with pets. They also can’t discriminate by only renting to people of a certain sex, race, or religion.
Keeping a record of your rental terms and important documents in a renting management software, like Rentila, can make it easier to find the information you need when writing a rental listing.
7. Finish with a strong call to action
Conclude your listing with a strong call to action. In other words, say something to encourage a potential tenant to call you, book a viewing, or put down a deposit.
Here are some examples:
- A viewing comes highly recommended to see the full benefits of this property! Book a viewing today using our instant-book form.
- Rentals in this location are in high demand! Call us today to secure your interest.
- Ready to move in? Schedule a viewing today or call our team to make it yours!
- This stunning property won’t stay on the market for long. Act now and book a viewing today!
- Could this be your new home? Book a viewing today to find out!
8. Add professional, high-quality photos
Remember, your description is important, but nowhere near as important as the photos of your property. No one is going to rent a property without any photos. Poor-quality images are just as bad, with up to 70% of renters saying bad or minimal photos of a rental puts them off booking a viewing.
A good rental listing has at least one picture of every room, plus an image of the front of the property and any outdoor space. As a minimum, you should photograph:
- Bathroom
- Bedroom(s)
- Kitchen
- Living/dining area
- Front view of the property
- View of any garden/outdoor area
- Driveway, car park, or parking space
- Garage exterior (if not shown in the front view of the property
Taking multiple photos of key rooms can also be beneficial. For example, two photos of the master bedroom shows the renter what the whole room looks like, and several photos of the kitchen/living area captures a complete view of the space.
Look at previous listings to get an idea of how estate agents tend to angle the photos, particularly in smaller rooms.
It’s best to include as much of the room as possible in the photo, but don’t worry about photographing everything in the room. Leave some space for curiosity to encourage renters to book a viewing.
FAQs
What should I avoid writing in a rental property listing?
Writing a rental listing comes with a degree of responsibility. Landlords can’t discriminate against certain people or groups in their listings, so some phrases must be avoided. Many property portals will reject a listing that contains discriminatory text.
For example, writing ‘no DSS tenants’ (tenants claiming benefits) or ‘no kids’ can be discriminatory. So can specifying a certain gender, race, sex, or sexual orientation who can or can’t rent the property. For example, saying ‘women only’ or ‘men only’ in a listing.
An estate agent ensures a listing is in line with the law, but if you’re writing it yourself, you need to be in the loop. The Renters Rights Bill is a good resource to avoid unintentionally breaking the law in your listing.
What do property portals require in a listing?
Popular UK property portals, like Zoopla and RightMove, have their own requirements for rental listings. Reading their requirements can help inspire your own listing text.
For example, Zoopla requires all unavoidable costs to be listed, including:
- Rental rate
- Deposit amount
- Length of tenancy (year/month)
- Council tax band
Most portals also recommend including around nine images, an accurate floor plan, and a description of the property that’s between 100-300 words.
They also recommend including a description that highlights the following:
- Selling points of the property
- What amenities are included
- What’s nearby
Things to remember: Writing your own rental property listing
Writing your own property listing saves money and allows you to take control over how your rental is advertised. But it’s important to get it right. A bad listing won’t deter tenants as much as bad photos will, but it can leave them unenthused.
Provided you include details on the key areas (selling points, amenities, renting terms, and local attractions) and check the text isn’t discriminatory in any way, it’ll likely do the job just fine.
Using a renting management software can make it easier to write a rental listing for multiple properties by ensuring your inventories and important terms are kept in a centralised database.
Letting Property management rental listing.
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