Empty properties don’t make money, so it’s essential for landlords or property managers to advertise and fill vacancies as soon as possible. Now rental listing sites get the most attention possible to bring in people who want to rent. But which sites are the best at finding good tenants and keeping them? Read on to learn about the best sites for listing rentals.
How to Choose the Best Sites for Listing Rentals
A rental property owner could have a beautiful, affordable, and well-kept home for rent, but if no one knows about it, it could sit empty for months or even longer. Choosing rental listing sites that get little traffic can also mean this will not get filled quickly. Here are some important things for property owners when choosing the best website to list their rental.
Cost to List
Many listing sites are free to use, but some may charge a small monthly fee for each additional unit. Even though a small fee might seem reasonable, it can add up the longer a listing is on the market. On the other hand, just because a site costs money doesn’t mean it’s better. If a site costs money, property owners should consider whether it has special features that free sites don’t have that make the cost worth it.
Listing Categories
Many of the best websites for renting out property will have a lot of tags and categories to help customers find their property. Standard categories include the number of bedrooms, the number of bathrooms, and the monthly rental cost. Different categories that can help people who want to rent are amenities, lifestyle, price, and square footage. The more details and features a property owner can give, the better. Built-in categories are better than an owner listing all of a property’s features in the description. This saves time and effort for both parties. If a property owner allows pets but doesn’t (or can’t) say so on the listing, a renter looking for a pet-friendly place probably will only pay attention to the listing if it’s perfect in every other way.
Some owners may think that adding too much information to an ad is a hassle or will limit the number of people who can apply. But when an owner is in a hurry to fill a vacancy, it helps to give as much information as possible and be as open as possible. This will help property owners find the best people to rent their homes. Also, read Best Indoor Security Cameras.
Application and Screening Tools
Some of the best rental websites also have tools that make it easy for renters to apply and for owners to check out applicants. Online, applicants can schedule a tour, fill out an application to rent, and pay any application fees in one place. Background and credit checks are also built into many sites, so the owner doesn’t have to go through a third party to do these critical steps.
Some sites have more than just credit checks; they also have credit reports. In addition to a credit score, credit reports have more detailed information about an applicant’s open accounts, debts, and late payments. Sites may also tell owners about an applicant’s past evictions or let them ask for references.
A landlord needs to find out as much as possible about a possible tenant. A thorough screening makes sure, at the very least, that an applicant can pay the rent on time and can afford it. But the owner is giving their property to a person who is almost a stranger, and they want to ensure that their property is in good hands.
Additional Tools
Many websites let you list a property for rent and accept applications. But the best website for rentals may have extra tools that make the work of an owner or property manager easier. Some of these things are getting rent payments, requests for repairs, and new leases or renewals. When rental listing sites have these extra tools, it’s easier for the owner or manager of the property and the tenant to communicate on one platform from the time the listing is made until the tenant moves out.
Ease of Use
When looking for the best website for renting, a property owner should think about how easy it is to use for both the owner and the renter. On the back end, an owner wants to be able to add and manage listings easily. On the front end, however, fewer rentercould be morel want to use it if the site isn’t moreappealing or easy to use. Also, owners who want to keep track of their listings from their phones should check to see if the rental listing site has an app that will help them run their rental business more efficiently.
Best Rental Listing Websites
1) Apartments.com
Why it made a list: Apartments.com brings in a wide range of qualified renters from different backgrounds using new tools and appealing marketing.
Apartments.com has been around since 1992, and since then, it has grown into a platform that both property owners and renters can trust. Renters have to pay $24.99 to use Apartments.com. For that fee, they can apply for ten apartments in 30 days. Their pay-to-apply system makes it more likely that serious candidates will apply, which means that property owners will get better applicants. It’s free for owners to list their properties on the site, and they can put them in many different categories, such as lifestyle and price. Property owners can also use the platform to check out applicants, sign leases, and get the rent. Apartments.com also shares its listings with five partner sites to get even more people to visit and see them.
Apartments.com has a mobile app, but users say it’s more complicated than the website. Even with this minor problem, this platform does a great job of putting suitable applicants in front of property owners and quickly filling vacancies.
Specs
- Cost to list: Free
- Listing Categories: Price, baths, beds, amenities, square footage
- Screening tools: Credit and also background check.
- Additional tools: Rent collection, Lease signing, tour schedule,
- Mobile app: iOS and Android
Pros
- Free listings on five partner sites that are shared.
- A wide range of tags for property listings’ amenities
- Pay-to-apply systems make it more likely that serious applicants will apply.
- Listing rentals are free.
Cons
- The app is more challenging to use than the website RUNNER-UP.
2) Zillow
Why it made a list: Zillow is the most famous real estate site in the U.S., and its easy-to-use tools make the process smooth for both owners and renters.
Zillow was started in 2004 and has become one of the best-known real estate websites. Zillow is a popular website that helps people buy, sell, and rent homes. Zillow makes managing tenants easy for people who want to rent out their property without the help of a property manager.
Zillow has partnerships with Trulia and HotPads, so listings on Zillow are automatically sent to those other sites. Zillow is where a property owner can do everything related to tenants, such as advertising the listing to potential tenants and getting payments from current ones. One problem with the site is that it only offers one free listing. The landlord has to pay $9.99 per week for each additional listing. This means that Zillow can cost owners more if they have multiple properties or listings on the site for a long time. Aside from this, it’s a good site that keeps improving and changing how people rent. Also, read Best Memory Foam Mattresses.
Specs
- Cost to list: $9.99 weekly for every additional listing (First time Only)
- Listing Categories: Price, baths, home type, beds, square footage,
- Screening tools: Credit and also background check
- Additional tools: Owner portal, Rent collection, pricing suggestions,
- Mobile app: iOS and Android
Pros
- There are a lot of people visiting the site and a lot of property listings.
- Free listings on Trulia and HotPads, which are our partner sites.
- Price suggestions help renters set prices.
Cons
- There is only one free listing. For each additional listing, the landlord must pay $9.99 per week.
3) Zumper
Why it made a list: Zumper is changing how the rental business works by making service faster and more organized from beginning to end.
Everything moves faster because of the internet, and Zumper’s Instant feature ensures that real estate keeps up. Instarent lets landlords fill empty apartments within 24 hours, and the service is available in 10 major cities. Zumper lets you search for standard leases and short-term rentals, so both owners and renters have more options when they list and look for places.
Zumper only gets 15 million visitors per month, less than some of the more important sites. But its unique features and easy-to-use interface make it easy for property owners to rent out any space.
Specs
- Cost to list: Free until ten units
- Listing Categories: Price, Rooms, Amenities, property type, Neighborhood
- Screening tools: Credit report, Eviction history background check,
- Additional tools: Rent collection, Lease signing, viewings, Instarent
- Mobile app: iOS and Android
Pros
- With the Instant feature, landlords can fill empty apartments within 24 hours (available in 10 cities)
- Landlords can mark their properties by neighborhood so that people can find them more easily.
- Listings on Facebook Marketplace can be shared for free.
Cons
- Only 15 million people visit the site each month.
4) Avail
Why it made a list: Avail makes it easier for property owners to run their businesses smartly.
Unlike many of its competitors, Avail is mostly for landlords and not so much for renters. This rental listing company knows how busy landlords are and makes it easy for those who still want to do everything themselves. It gives screening tools like credit reports and background checks and further determines if a possible tenant is on a list of criminals. The application fee already covers these reports, so landlords won’t have to pay extra. Avail also sends listings to 10 partner sites, making it easy for property owners to share them on social media. Online, Avail has a lot of tools for landlords to keep track of maintenance requests and look at the prices of rentals in the area.
The number of listings on Avail’s site is small, so owners must count on the number of visitors to the syndicated listings. But since Avail is a site for landlords, it has many tools that other sites need.
Specs
- Cost to list: Free
- Listing Categories: Baths, Move-in date, Beds, parking, Pets
- Screening tools: Background check, Credit report, eviction history
- Additional tools: Lease signing Applications, Rent collection
- Mobile app: No
Pros
- Free listings on ten other sites that are linked to yours
- The platform has a lot of tools to make property management more effortless.
- Listings that are easy to share on social media
Cons
- There are only so many things for sale.
5) Airbnb
Why it made a list: Airbnb is the modern way to take a vacation, and it lets people who need short-term housing find many different places to stay.
If you don’t want to sign long-term leases with tenants, consider consideringn Airbnb host. Airbnb is for people who are traveling and need a place to stay but don’t want to stay in a hotel. Airbnb gives guests a comfortable stay in a natural home or apartment, and it may be possible for several travelers to stay in the same place for their whole trip. Airbnb makes it safe for property owners by checking profiles and listings to ensure they are real. Homeowners can also get insurance to protect their homes and other valuables. Screening, making payments, and talking happen on the app or website, so everything is in one place.
Not all cities or homeowner associations let people rent their homes on Airbnb, so this site may not be a good choice for all owners. But in places where it’s legal, Airbnb can be a great way to avoid being a full-time landlord. Also, read Best Water Storage Containers.
Specs
- Cost to list: Free
- Listing Categories: Price, Type of place, Accessibility, house rules, amenities, facilities
- Screening tools: ID verification
- Additional tools: Smart pricing, host protection insurance
- Mobile app: iOS and Android
Pros
- Because booking dates are flexible, this is an excellent choice for short-term or vacation rentals.
- More than 5 million listings bring a lot of people to the site.
- House rules can be made by the owner and used to screen guests.
Cons
- Not all cities or homeowner associations let people list their homes on Airbnb.
6) Craigslist
Why it made a list: Craigslist is one of the most popular places to buy, sell, and trade goods. It also helps property owners and renters find each other quickly through traditional classified ads.
People can buy and sell all kinds of things on Craigslist, including real estate. It gets more than 20 billion views monthly, so it’s a great way to get people interested in a rental property. Craigslist chooses a location for a user based on where they are when they visit the site. This makes it easy for renters to see what properties are available in their area. The site is easy to use and simple to get around on.
Craigslist is a great place to post an ad for a property, but it doesn’t have any built-in screening or vetting features. This means that unqualified applicants can get through. To get around this problem, property owners will have to do their best to write trustworthy listings and keep renters safe during the process. Property owners will have to look through all the applications to find good tenants and get rid of the ones that look suspicious. But because Craigslist gets so much traffic, it might be worth it for a business owner to put their ads on the site.
Specs
- Cost to list: Free
- Listing Categories: Price, baths, beds, square footage,
- Screening tools: —
- Additional tools: —
- Mobile app: iOS and Android
Pros
- There are a lot of people visiting the site and a lot of property listings.
- The site is simple and easy to use.
Cons
- It takes a lot of work to sort through and check out applicants when there are many.
- Listings are accessible for con artists to take over.
- Hard to get in touch with customer service
Our Verdict
After looking at many of the best online rental listing sites, we decided that Apartments.com was the best, with Zillow coming in a close second. We also liked that Apartments.com has a lot of different categories to choose from and shares its listings with five partner sites. Apartments.com also charges applicants a fee, which means it could get more severe and qualified people to apply. Zillow also has excellent features, like a dashboard for managing tenants and a tool for suggesting prices.
