How To Write An Irresistible Rental Listing Description (With Examples)

The listing description is often overlooked by most potential tenants until after they’ve looked at the listing photos and like what they see.

If they make it that far, then they are interested in the property and want to know more information. This is where you want to sell the lifestyle that the tenant will have once they are living in your property, NOT just the basic statistics of the property.

To write an irresistible listing description, focus on the local attractions and property amenities that highlight a specific lifestyle that potential tenants might desire. Then list out the details of the property including the rent price, lease terms, and pet policies to minimize frequently asked questions.

With those main points in mind, I’ll cover everything you need to know to craft a listing description that will have potential tenant inquiries flooding your inbox below. 

Let’s dive in!

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1. Take Photos Of The Home
2. Brainstorm A List Of The Property Amenities & Local Attractions
3. Craft A 5-6 Paragraph Description Using Creative/Descriptive Words
4. Add The Remaining Rental Statistics At The End Of The Listing
5. Final Thoughts
6. Related Content

1. Take Photos Of The Home

Before I even attempt to write a listing description, I always start with the photos. Once you’ve taken quality photos, it’s much easier to look through them and write about the features that you see and want to stand out.

It helps me make sure I don’t forget anything. Plus I can see the property through the viewpoint that the potential tenants will see it for the first time.

The listing photos for a rental property are the most important part of the listing. Oftentimes, many potential applicants don’t even read the listing description. They just simply skim through the photos and decide right then and there whether they are interested or not.

The problem is that vacant units cost a lot of money – between cleaning, repairs, and no rent coming in – so the last thing most landlords want to do is shell out $200-$300 more for professional photography.

Luckily, with a few small pointers, you can take high-quality real estate photos with your smartphone by checking out my other article.

Once you have the photos, be sure to review them as you tackle the remaining steps in this article. Seeing the property as you write is the best way to craft an irresistible listing description.

2. Brainstorm A List Of The Property Amenities & Local Attractions

At this point, I just start listing details on a piece of paper to organize my thoughts. The elements that I like to add to my initial brainstorming list include the following:

• Recently updated features (fresh paint, new flooring, new appliances, updated bathroom, etc)
• Descriptive features of the property that makes it stand out from others (tons of closet storage space, large patio, spacious kitchen, lots of windows to let in natural light, etc)
• How the property is cooled and heated (central A/C and furnace or wall unit A/C and baseboard heaters)
• The laundry set up (washer and dryer hookup, washer and dryer supplied, no laundry on the facilities, etc)
• Any additional storage areas (basement, garage, etc)
• The parking situation (covered carport, garage space, uncovered off-street parking spot, street parking only, etc)
• Proximity to the major highways, restaurants, desired schools, large employers/hospitals, and any other attractions nearby make this a great location to live
• Property type (single-family, duplex, quad, apartment complex, etc)
• Rent price
• Security deposit amount
• Lease term (12 months)
• Application fee (if you have one)
• Utilities paid by resident
• Utilities paid by the owner
• Lawncare responsibility (owner or resident)
• Pet Policy (Are pets allowed? What is the extra fee for pets?)
• Smoking Policy (Is smoking allowed?)
• Qualification standards (What qualifications do they have to have to get an application approved? Income, background/credit check, evictions on record, etc)

As you make this initial list, focus on the amenities on the property and the desirable attractions around it rather than the statistics (the property type, rent price, lease term, etc) of the property. Tenants move to new homes or new locations based on the attractions they will be near, so help them out by spelling them out.

Then at the end of the listing, after you’ve sold all of the “emotional/exciting” parts of the property, you can list out the statistics of the property to answer any of their more technical questions.

Example: Listing Description Brainstorm List

Here is an example of a brainstorming list I wrote before I wrote the description on our latest vacancy:

• Description:
  • Duplex – 2 bed, 1 bath
  • Keyless entry
  • Lots of natural light
  • Spacious kitchen
  • Extra closet space
  • Central Heating and Air conditioning
  • In-unit washer/dryer hookups (washer and dryer not included)
  • Covered off-street parking (1 parking space under the carport in front of the home)
  • Front Porch
  • Small yard
  • Minutes from [major interstate], [nearby high school or college or large employer in the area], and many restaurants/food places including Domino’s, McDonald’s, and Walmart
  • Security deposit and first month’s rent are required before move-in.
  • Rent payment is through Apartments.com only so a checking account, debit card, credit card, or prepaid card will be required.
• Property Type: Duplex
• Monthly Rent: $975
• Security Deposit: $975
• Application Fee: Each person over 18 must apply through Apartments com or Zillow and pay their application fee
• Lease Term: 12 months
• Utilities Paid By Resident: All (Electricity, Gas, Internet/Cable, Water/Sewer, Garbage)
• Utilities Paid By Owner: None
• Lawn Care Responsibility: Lawn mowing is provided. All other lawn care maintenance is the resident’s responsibility.
• *Pet Policy: Pets allowed – an additional $50 added to the monthly rent (max: 2 pets or an additional $25 added per pet above 2). Pets must be covered by your renter’s insurance.
• Smoking Policy: Non-Smoking
• Qualification Standards:
  • Income must be 3x the rent and from a verifiable source
  • Must have positive references from all landlords within the previous 5 years
  • No evictions or unpaid judgments on record
  • A minimum credit score of 600 with no collections
  • No felonies within the last 8 years
  • Non-smoking
  • Occupancy is limited to 2 people per bedroom

3. Craft A 5-6 Paragraph Description Using Creative/Descriptive Words

Now that you’ve got your brainstormed list filled out, you almost have the entire listing created. Take the description of the property and local amenities and create a 5-6 paragraph description.

Some popular creative real estate listing descriptive words or phrases to use are:

• Spacious – Spacious kitchen with plenty of storage space, spacious living room
• Lots of natural light – Bright living room with large windows/sliding glass door that let in lots of natural light
• Cozy/quaint– Cozy carpeting to match any decorating style, a quaint living room for the whole family to enjoy
• Sleek/modern – Sleek vinyl flooring throughout, modern kitchen appliances that you will fall in love cooking on
• Comfortable – Central air conditioning and heating keep this home at a comfortable temperature all year long
• Convenient – washer and dryer hookups in a dedicated laundry room for a convenient laundry setup, conveniently located near many restaurants and food places
• Character/charm – charming built-ins throughout the home provide additional storage space and character
• Quiet/peaceful/relaxing – beautiful property on a quiet cul-de-sac, dead-end road with trees on one side provides a peaceful and relaxing place to come home to
• Private– large, private back patio to kick your feet up and relax after a long day of work
• Bonus room – use the extra space in the private basement/formal dining room as a bonus room

As I write a listing description, I try to use several of these creative words/phrases to describe each room throughout the property. Remember, you are trying to sell a lifestyle, NOT a rental, so use as many visuals as you can in order to target the type of tenant that you want.

While we cannot discriminate based on the Fair Housing Laws (and we certainly don’t want to), we can include words in our listings that might attract a specific type of tenant naturally. For example, if you want a:

• College student – describe how close the home is to campus and other college hangout spots, how nice the environment is for studying and decompressing after a long day of classes, etc
• Family – describe the great schools nearby, all of the cozy spots in the home to make memories with your family, proximity to the local park, etc
• Working professional – describe the proximity to the local large employer, how great the back patio is for relaxing after a long day at work, etc
• Military member – describe the proximity to the military base and other military hangout spots, how there’s privacy from being in the barracks on base, etc

You also can list your property on specific listing sites to help you increase the likelihood of the type of tenant you want without breaking any Fair Housing Laws. Check out my other article explaining the best places to list based on the type of tenant you want to attract.

While you can certainly get a family from a listing that was targeted at college students, you are decreasing the likelihood that that will happen because families typically have different values than college students do.

Most of our rentals are targeting working professionals/smaller families because we have 2 bed, 1 bath units. So we write descriptions to attract them. We also add a small paragraph at the end describing how we collect the move-in funds and rent, so potential renters know what to expect.

Example 1: Listing Description Paragraph

Turn this spacious 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom duplex unit into your new home! This non-smoking home has plenty of closet room and additional storage space for you and your whole family.  

In the kitchen, you will find plenty of cabinet storage and sleek vinyl flooring. In the bathroom, there is a single sink vanity with a medicine cabinet hanging above plus additional shelving for storage next to the vanity. 

The bedrooms and family room have cozy carpeting to match any decorating style. Large windows let in a lot of natural light in the family room and kitchen. Central air conditioning keeps this unit cool in the summer months. 

In your home, you will find a dedicated laundry room with washer and dryer hookups for a convenient laundry setup and room for extra storage.

Covered off-street parking under a carport is available for this unit. It is conveniently located just minutes away from [major highways] with many restaurants/food places nearby such as Domino’s, McDonald’s, and Walmart to name a few. This unit is also in close proximity to [local high school]. There is a porch and a small yard for you to enjoy your time outside.

The security deposit and first month’s rent are required before move-in. Rent payment is through apartments com only so a checking account, debit card, or credit card will be required.

Example 2: Listing Description Paragraph

Turn this recently remodeled 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom corner lot quad unit into your new home! This non-smoking home has recent updates throughout the entire home. 

Throughout the home, you will find beautiful vinyl flooring that flows through the living room, hallway, and bathroom. Electronic exterior locks make coming and going from your home a breeze.

The bedrooms have cozy carpeting to match any decorating style. A large bay window and sliding patio door let in a lot of natural light in the family room and kitchen. 

A brand new air conditioning wall unit in the family room keeps this home cool in the summer months. The wall unit also provides heat and brand new baseboard heaters have been installed in every room.

In the kitchen, you will find washer and dryer hookups for a convenient laundry setup. A small patio located right off the kitchen is a relaxing spot to sit outside after you come home.

Off-street parking is available for this unit (2 driveway parking spots, other vehicles have street parking). Conveniently located just minutes away from [major highways] with many restaurants/food places nearby such as Pizza Hut, Texas Roadhouse, Rooster’s, and Kroger to name a few.

The security deposit and first month’s rent are required before move-in. Rent payment is through apartments.com only so a checking account, debit card, or credit card will be required.

I have a bundle of editable templates, email drafts, and checklists you can purchase that will help you with every aspect of self-managing your rental homes. Check out The DIY Rental Manager Template Bundle here. [COMING SOON]

4. Add The Remaining Rental Statistics At The End Of The Listing

After a potential applicant has reviewed your professional-looking photos, hopefully, you’ve piqued their interest enough to read the details of the property. Then they read the elegantly written paragraph section of the listing that gets them all in their feels, daydreaming about living at your rental property.

Now is the time to add in the basic statistics/rental facts that give them the remaining details they need to fill out an application or move on. These items include the rent price, lease term, pet and smoking policies, and more.

I like to write this part out as a short and sweet list so they can easily skim through the details and get all of their questions answered. Adding this section in the listing also dramatically reduces the number of questions you get about your property, which in turn, saves you time and gets rid of most of the tire kickers that don’t actually want to move yet.

You should already have this section mostly figured out by the brainstorming list you created earlier. Now, all we have to do is display it in an easy-to-read way and add how they can apply or get additional information.

Example: Listing Description Statistics

Property Type: Quad

Monthly Rent: $850*

Security Deposit: $850

Application Fee: Each person over 18 must apply through Apartments com or Zillow com and pay their application fee to send us background and credit checks

Lease Term: 12 months

Utilities Paid By Resident: Electricity, Internet/Cable

Utilities Paid By Owner: Water/Sewer, Garbage

Lawn Care Responsibility: Lawn mowing is provided. All other lawn care maintenance is the resident’s responsibility.

*Pet Policy: Pets allowed – an additional $50 added to the monthly rent (max: 2 pets or an additional $25 added per pet above 2). Dogs must be covered by your renter’s insurance. 

Smoking Policy: No smoking

Qualification Standards:

• Must have current photo identification and a valid social security number.
• Monthly household income must exceed 3 times the rent. All income must be from a verifiable source. Unverifiable income will not be considered.
• Must receive positive references from all previous landlords for the previous 5 years.
• No evictions or unpaid judgments from previous landlords.
• Must exhibit a responsible financial life. Credit score must be a minimum of 600 and no collections of any amount.
• A background check will be conducted on all applicants over 18. Background must exhibit a pattern of responsibility with no felonies from the previous 8 years.
• Must be a non-smoker.
• Occupancy is limited to 2 people per bedroom.

For more information, please send an email with your first name, last name, cell phone number, and email address. An application must be submitted prior to a showing being scheduled. Please email or message us if you have any questions about our screening process.

Final Thoughts

That’s it! By now, you have the listing photos ready to go and the listing description is written to attract some great tenants. Now, all that’s left to do is publish your listing!

You’ll also be able to use this listing description to create a Property Packet that you will pass out at showings and the email that you will send to anyone who inquires further about your available rental.

We’ve found that by taking time to write out detailed listing descriptions, we get a lot more engagement on our listing than other properties do, and we hardly get any repeated questions from the people who do reach out. This ultimately helps us find better tenants and saves us from a lot of time sending messages back and forth.

I hope you find this article useful and that it helps you attract tenants that would love to live in your rental home!

Catch you in my next post!

Related Content

Check out my recommended tools, templates, and resources to free up your time from constantly working on and worrying about your rental properties. My husband and I use these tools to self-manage 18 rental units (and counting) for only 5-10 hours a month.

Keep in mind that most of these items are either free or reasonably priced for the amount of value that they provide. My goal on this page is to recommend tools, templates, and resources that we use daily and wish we had known about at the beginning of our landlord journey. Since implementing them, they’ve saved us countless hours and tons of headaches.

Finding good tenants for a rental property is arguably one of the most essential tasks that a self-managing landlord must accomplish. You’re searching for a high-quality tenant that will pay on time, take care of the property, and be easy to communicate with all while trying to get the most amount of rent and filling the vacant unit as quickly as possible.

That’s no small feat! So, how can you find good tenants for your rental property?

By Christine

Christine is a blogger and real estate investor/property manager who self-manages 18 rental units (and counting) alongside her husband, Adam. Although she successfully automates the management of her rentals and pockets the property management fee now, her path to success was not easy.

Go here to read her story, “From An Overwhelmed First-Time Landlord To A Pro Investor Self-Managing 18 Rentals On Less Than 10 Hours Per Month“.

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