Renting out an apartment is one of the ways to generate income for property owners. It seems that renting out housing is very simple - just post an ad and choose a tenant from among those who want to rent an apartment. But there are actually a lot of things to consider. They relate to the method of finding a tenant, preparing the premises, holding shows, discussing the nuances of rent, drawing up a contract.

How to rent an apartment - is it worth contacting a realtor
Features of renting an apartment through a realtor
Contacting a realtor in most cases helps to rent out an apartment faster. A realtor can:

give recommendations on the preparation of the apartment for delivery;
take a picture of the apartment to place photos in the ad;
make an announcement and place it on the sites;
communicate with potential tenants by phone;
find a tenant who will meet the requirements of the owner of the apartment;
to show the apartment;
draw up a lease agreement, taking into account the characteristics of housing and the wishes of the landlord.
But when contacting a realtor, it is worth considering such moments:

you will have to pay for the services of a specialist. The cost of services may be different and depend on the experience of the realtor, the city in which the apartment is located, the list of services that the specialist will provide;
not always the realtor will provide the full range of services described above. It is possible that some of the stages will have to be passed independently;
the realtor who is found by the owner of the apartment may be an inexperienced specialist or irresponsible about his work. Because of this, the delivery of the apartment may be delayed or the realtor will make some mistakes, for example, will not indicate important information in the contract.

Features of renting an apartment on your own
This method is less expensive in terms of finances, but more expensive in terms of time. Homeowners who decide to go through all the stages on their own, it is better to learn more about how to rent an apartment - from the stage of its preparation to the conclusion of a contract with a tenant, given the mistakes that landlords often make.

The procedure for renting out an apartment
Preparation of the apartment for rent
Preparation of the apartment includes several stages. You need to do the following:

take out personal belongings. This will make room as much as possible for the tenants' belongings - few people will like that in any of the cabinets there are clothes or shoes of the owners, that the balcony is littered with someone's things. But sometimes things can't be deduced. In this case, they can be put in one of the rooms of the apartment. But when making an ad, they immediately reflect the fact that one of the rooms cannot be used by the tenant;
make cosmetic repairs, if necessary. It is not necessary to spend large sums or develop a large-scale work plan - this is done at the discretion of the owner, taking into account the financial capabilities, the condition of the apartment and the planned cost of rent. For example, you can update the stripped wallpaper, replace leaking pipes, whitewash the ceiling with streaks;
remove excess furniture and bring the one that is missing. As a rule, apartments in which the minimum necessary furniture is rented faster. The list of furniture usually depends on how many rooms in the apartment. For example, for a three-room apartment in the kitchen, a set, a table and a few chairs are enough. In the living room you can put a sofa, chest of drawers, coffee table and armchair. The bedroom has enough double bed, bedside tables and wardrobe. But the amount of furniture may vary based on the contingent for which the owner intends to rent out the apartment;
ensure the presence of household appliances. This does not always work, but the presence of the most necessary equipment helps to quickly find a tenant. The apartment should have a stove and a refrigerator, preferably the presence of a microwave oven, washing machine, router, electric kettle, TV. An additional advantage is the presence in the air conditioner. But, as a rule, this is of decisive importance for the southern regions of Russia, where the climate is hotter;
prepare documents. Many tenants before entering into a contract ask to provide documents for the apartment. Thus, they can make sure that the apartment is rented to them not by a fraudster, but by a person who actually owns real estate. If the apartment will be rented not by the owner himself, but by his authorized representative, it is necessary to issue a power of attorney that gives such powers;
by the time of direct lease, it is desirable to pay all current expenses for housing and communal services. First, so the tenant will not worry that the owner of the apartment will lead part of his debts to him. Secondly, it will clearly determine the meter readings from which payment for the consumed electricity, gas and other resources will become the responsibility of the tenant.

Photo preparation
Before making an ad, you need to take photos of the apartment. It is worth considering such moments:

before taking pictures, you need to clean the apartment and choose the right time. Photos are best taken during daylight hours. If necessary, turn on the lighting if natural light is not enough;
you need to try to get into the frame most of each of the rooms - so it will be easier for a potential tenant to imagine the apartment and the mutual arrangement of doors, furniture, windows,
you need to photograph not only the apartment itself, but also the vestibule, entrance, yard, house;
photos are better to make panoramic or horizontal. The exception is balconies, corridors and separate bathrooms. For them, it is better to take vertical photos;
when preparing photos, you should not get carried away with photo editors - so you can distort the real color of the walls in the apartment, ceiling or furniture. This can lead to the fact that a potential tenant refuses to view the apartment after seeing that the apartment in reality looks different from the photos.
When publishing an ad, you should not upload too many photos - 10 of the most successful and informative frames will be enough.

Publish your ad
On different sites, the principle of design of the ad may differ. But more and more sites for the convenience of users contain hints, mandatory fields with a description of the information that you need to specify in them. This helps not to miss important information and reflect exactly what is useful for the tenant to learn about the apartment.

The ad usually includes the following information:

the name of the street and the number of the house where the apartment is located;
the number of storeys of the house and the floor on which the apartment is located;
indication of information that only a room in the apartment is rented, if the owner does not rent the entire apartment;
number of rooms;
type of rooms – separate, adjacent;
the area of the apartment is residential and common. Additionally, you can specify the area of the kitchen;
a list of household appliances that are in the apartment;
furniture that is in the premises;
the presence or absence of double-glazed windows, air conditioning;
type of sanitary unit — combined or common;
features of the location of the house with an apartment. You can specify information about the nearby polyclinic, shopping center, supermarket, stop, park, metro station;
target audience, if necessary. For example, you can specify that the apartment is suitable for female students or is intended for one person. Such information helps to avoid calls from people who are not suitable for the owner as a tenant. But it is worth thinking carefully before setting limits - you can miss a part of the audience that will not be mentioned in the ad, but would suit the tenant;
requirements for tenants. For example, that you can not smoke in the apartment. Or the fact that the apartment is not rented to people with pets;
the period for which the apartment is rented, if necessary;
information about the cost of rent and whether the price is final or bargaining is available.

Communication with potential tenants
When communicating by phone, it is better to immediately ask questions of interest, so as not to waste time meeting and showing the apartment to people who, for certain reasons, are not suitable. For example, you can specify:

who will live in the apartment;
what is the composition of the tenant's family, if the family will live with him;
where the tenant works;
whether the tenant has animals.
Showing the apartment
If the potential tenant in all respects suits the landlord, they appoint a meeting in the apartment to show it. If you plan to schedule several shows in a row, you should not assign them one after another. It is better to leave a period of time, for example, 30 minutes. The show may be delayed, the tenant may be late. Because of this, the other person may refuse to wait for the viewing.

Before the show, it is worth cleaning the apartment. It is not necessary to do a general cleaning, but it is better to wipe the floors and wipe the dust. It is worth taking the title documents for the apartment to the show - in case the tenant asks to show them.

When showing an apartment, you should adhere to the following rules:

be friendly. The tenant pays attention not only to the apartment, but also to the homeowner himself. If you are too suspicious, nervous, talk disrespectfully, the chances of renting an apartment will be less;
think in advance about what you should pay attention to in the apartment, in what order to show the rooms. On the merits of the apartment, you can make a list so as not to forget about them. For example, newly inserted double-glazed windows, underfloor heating, good neighbors;
it is worth talking about the advantages of the area, taking into account who is going to rent an apartment. For example, to say about a nearby school for a tenant with a school-age child. Or the availability of a parking space for a tenant who has a car;
don't be too intrusive. For example, if the tenant wants to walk around the apartment on his own, you do not need to insist on walking along a pre-planned route.
If at the viewing a potential landlord shows interest in the apartment, it is better to immediately discuss important points that will be spelled out in the contract. For example, how will the issue of late payment be resolved, what to do in case of early termination of the contract.