Rental listing - what to avoid

[Ryan Bird]

Trying to see if there are things I should avoid saying in rental listing. Can I say the “unit is close to Costco , short drive to university and walking distance to park etc”. Any best practices for rental listing to call out major things that are close by to boost the leads and also comply with housing guidelines.

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Ryan Bird:

Trying to see if there are things I should avoid saying in rental listing. Can I say the “unit is close to Costco , short drive to university and walking distance to park etc”. Any best practices for rental listing to call out major things that are close by to boost the leads and also comply with housing guidelines.

In today's politically correct climate, you should avoid saying anything that could be construed as discrimination. Imagine everyone looking at your marketing is an ultra-sensitive social justice warrior just looking for a excuse. For example, "walking distance" could be seen as discrimination against someone in a wheelchair, so you should say "four blocks to Mentock Park." It's gotten pretty ridiculous, but that's the world we live in.

I always recommend you include some qualifications to weed people out. Example:

"Tenant is responsible for all utilities. No Smokers. One animal under 25 pounds is negotiable for additional rent and/or deposit. All occupants over 18 years old must submit an application and pass our screening. Applicants must have a combined income of 3x the rent and credit scores of at least 600. If three or more unrelated apply together, each individual must earn 2x rent and a credit score of at least 650."

Many applicants will not read what you write. That's life. However, you can easily point them back to the ad and show that you're not discriminating against them personally; they just don't meet your criteria.