14 of the Top Websites Where You Can List Your Rental Property Online Right Away
January 29th, 2021 (updated)
Want to grow your property management company?
Recent situations like COVID-19 have taught us to become even more dependent on technology than ever before. Adding to that, the virus also caused a catastrophic downturn in the US economy, and we've learned to adjust. So when looking for where to advertise your rental property, our advice is to advertise online using popular websites where tenants search!
Whether you are an independent Landlord or a property manager who is just starting a management company, you should know that posting your rental property online is much easier and cheaper than advertising in the newspapers or other outdated methods. It's the best way to get exposure for your rental properties. It can all be done without you leaving your home.
And to make this process even easier, we’ve created a list that shows you not just where you can list your rental property for free, but the benefits of each rental listing website as well. This way, you decide which website best serves your needs. Therefore, your only concern should be finding the perfect tenant.
14 Best Sites To Post Your Property For-Rent:
#1 - On Your Own Website
If you are a property manager, the first place you need to consider posting your rental properties is on your website. Your company website is a local source that can showcase both your properties for rent, and also your company services. This website should be acting as a salesman for you 24/7 by showing off your rental properties, filling vacancies faster, and helping you get more leads and clients.
When you build a website for property management purposes it should look modern, have great photos of your properties, detailed property descriptions, and should be fast loading and mobile friendly. You also need to make sure your company website describes your services, shows what makes you different than other companies, and is optimized to get more exposure and site visitors. This will help you convert potential renters and make them more likely to want to inquire about your vacancies.
#2 - Local "Classifieds" Websites With "For-Rent" Sections
In your City or State, their might be some kind of popular classifieds website that is popular among locals for posting things "for sale", "for rent", or "in search of" (ISO).
Do a search on Google or Bing for something like "(your city) online classifieds" or "properties for rent (your city)" in order to see if there is a website specific to your area for this. If there is, check if there are rental property listings on it and list your property there!
This will be a great place to start, and you might just find some very popular websites among locals who are looking for their next rental property. It will give you a lot of needed local exposure to fill your vacancy faster by getting more eyeballs on your listing.
#3 - livelovely.com
This user-friendly site allows potential tenants to filter their search by things such as, price, location and there’s even an option for if the property allows dogs and/ or cats! It also provides images of inside and outside the rental property and there’s a ‘street view’ option so you can scope out the area in real time. Here, you can obtain information about the rooms, such as, if it’s an unfinished basement or a newly renovated kitchen as well as read about the landlord’s rental terms, pet policy and household amenities. The landlord’s email and contact number are also provided.
#4 - zillow.com
In keeping with safe social distancing after the pandemic, this site provides you the options to request 3D home tours and video consultations. It provides a detailed description of the property and lets you know how recently a property has been listed on their site. You can also see information about the property’s proximity to nearby schools and outdoor activities (such as parks and museums). Some properties even have a walk and transit rating (on the site it’s referred to as a walk score and a transit score). The ratings give potential tenants an idea about the type of errands or activities they could do without having to drive or ride to their destination.
#5 - realtor.com
Even though the user interface is a little more basic than some of the others, do not be fooled. It’s a great website to post your rental property online for free. This site provides information on the property’s square footage, community features such as, pool and playground, listing of nearby schools (helpful for parents!) and the median rental and listing price according to the neighborhood.
#6 - padmapper.com
Padmapper is a convenient platform for a potential tenant to find exactly the type of apartment they’re looking for. The site has apartment listings for both USA and Canada. There are filters for price, number of bedrooms and whether someone is looking for a short or long term rental.
Some rental properties have even been verified by the Padmapper team which provides potential tenants with more security in continuing the apartment search and rental process. Additionally, several properties have online video tours available via Facetime or Skype and/or self-guided 3D virtual tours.
You can also easily share properties via social share buttons to several social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin to name a few. And if a potential tenant is seriously interested, there’s also a ‘check availability’ button to send a message to the landlord about the property.
#7 - rent.com
This site provides information on available house and apartment rentals. A potential tenant can request a live studio tour via Facetime and Zoom. They also provide information on the number of rentals available, square footage of the rooms and details on their pet policy.
What’s special about this site is that for each rental they provide a listing of unique amenities – amenities you won’t typically get with a rental (for example, BBQ and picnic areas or billiard room). Other critical pieces of information they provide are leasing terms and office hours; as well as, property ratings and reviews.
#8 - rentable.co
If you’re a potential tenant and moving to a new or unfamiliar area, this is the site for you! Similar to some of the other websites, Abodo provides an interactive map, but there’s so much more. The site gives you information on the town or city you’re interested in finding an apartment in (for example, history, population, activities and more) and a perspective about life in that area.
It also tells you what time during the year is the best time to search for an apartment in that town or city, if rental prices have increased or decreased during your search month and an idea of rental prices in surrounding areas. It even points out where the apartment you’re interested in is located in relation to surrounding landmarks. Another cool feature on this site is that you can also filter by amenities. What else could you possibly need?
#9 - doorsteps.com
This site is definitely for the tenant who is on a budget. It provides a detailed monthly rent calculator where you input your salary and expenses and in turn it provides listings to suit your budget according to if you intend to spend 20%, 30% or 40% of your salary in rent. Once you’ve entered this information and begin your search, the site shows what percent of your salary would go towards rent for each rental property displayed.
The interactive map displays information of the proximity of rental properties to public transport, crime and lifestyle. For the lifestyle section, there are options such as, restaurants, arts and entertainment and nightlife.
#10 - mynewplace.com
Looking for a site that is straight to the point without all the frills? MyNewPlace might be just what you’re looking for. For each property rental there’s a product description with a subsection entitled, ‘why live here?’ where information is provided on the property along with specific pluses, such as, lots of parking. Listings also include a list of amenities and the property rental’s pet policy. The site’s interactive map provides the option to view specific streets in Google Maps, so potential tenants can check out the areas of interest without leaving their home.
#11 - apartmentsusa.com
This site features apartments for rent and properties for sale across the USA. The user-friendly homepage provides a map of the USA and potential tenants or buyers select the state that they’re interested in. The property descriptions provide information on proximity of apartments to entertainment and restaurants. It also provides images of the apartment and information on its features, pet policy and office hours.
You can even find out about the schools that are within five miles of the apartment. Additionally, the site allows you to obtain the apartment’s walk score rating – this way you can find out how long it would take you to get downtown by driving, biking, walking and public transport.
#12 - sublet.com
Don't let the name fool you, this site is not only for posting sublet properties. What’s unique about this site is that it includes property listings from all over the world. It allows potential tenants to filter by price, lease terms and it even displays the number of rental property listings by region. Also, if you’re thinking about whether you want to have a roommate or rent directly from the owner, there’s a filter option for that too! Their advanced filter includes selections such as, holiday or corporate rental, available parking and included utilities.
#13 - trulia.com
Trulia is helpful for someone who is in the market to either buy or rent property. For potential tenants, it indicates which apartments are pet friendly, allows you to create an account to save your favorite rental properties and there is also a ‘check availability’ button that makes it really easy to get in contact with the landlord or property manager.
Along with the property description, the local information gives potential tenants a lot of useful facts about the area. It includes details such as, map and street views, number and type of schools in the area, how people typically commute and a brief summary about the crime rate.
#14 - craigslist.org
Craigslist is a site that most of us are all too familiar with but we may not have considered it to post a rental property. Nevertheless, it does provide potential tenants with all the necessary information. It includes images, detailed description of the property rental, available date and how recent the advertisement was posted. Filters include price, housing type and parking options. There are also selections to filter for property rentals that are furnished and pet friendly.
Wrapping Up
In conclusion, finding the ideal tenant could prove to be difficult for landlords/ property managers. Selecting the perfect apartment could sometimes be stressful for tenants. However, many of these websites are user-friendly and include features to assist in creating the perfect landlord-tenant match and ultimately, make the process that much easier and helping you win as a property manager or Landlord.