posted May 07, 2018, by Joe Marano

You may think that staging isn't necessary for a rental property, but it is. Spending a little effort laying out the apartment can attract potential tenants while allowing your rental to stand out from your competition. Even though they're not buying, tenants still want to see the effort that's been made to maintain your property and show that it's a clean and comfortable rental that they can envision living in. To maximize your occupancy, here are five must-see tips to stage your rental property to make it more appealing to potential tenants.

Accent Selling Features

To attract the best renters, you need to really show off the property and highlight its most appealing characteristics. You can do this by drawing people's attention to the best features of the unit. For instance, if you have a stunning fireplace, you should set up the furniture to really highlight this area. If you have a large master bedroom, you can create an area for reading or a cozy office space to showcase its size.

Design An Experience

If you're staging an unfurnished apartment, it can be hard to entice renters with just a blank empty space. By hiring a professional decorator or staging company, you can get access to furniture that can help create a visual experience for the renter. We also recommend styling according to the type of renter you wish to attract. Whether it's a student, professional, or retiree you seek, your aim should be to match their personal lifestyle.

Add Small Design Touches

Tenants should also be able to imagine themselves living in the rental. You can achieve this by adding some small design touches like a few books on a nightstand and a vase with some flowers on a table to give the place some life. Just remember to keep it simple with a few key pieces that will make people feel more at home.

Create A Stunning Entranceway

Aim to impress by cleaning up the walkway, adding potted plants, tidying the surrounding yard and putting down a new welcome mat. If the door and entry area need a paint job, we recommend touching these up as well. The first impression and last impression of your rental property are what matter most.

Keep It Bright

Before the tours start, make sure to open up all the blinds to let in as much light as possible. It's one way to show off all the best features inside and make the rental feel more inviting. And if your place has a lack of natural light, keep it as bright as possible by turning all the lights up as high as they go and using lamps to brighten dark areas.

When you take the time to stage your rental property, you can enjoy the benefits of an increased rental rate, and prevent it from sitting vacant for too long. Try out these tips to stage your rental property to make it stand out from your competition.