(Indianapolis) Most Important Factors In A Rental Property

[Brandon Low]

Hey all,

I'm from San Francisco and am new to the Indianapolis investment scene. In my search for rental properties, I found myself wondering what factors are the most important in a rental property. More specifically, what characteristics do tenants find most desirable about a rental property that will yield higher rents and lower vacancies?

Here are some factors that I think are important, but not sure how they would rank in comparison to each other:

-location

-crime rate

-# of bedrooms/# of bathrooms (are more bedrooms always more desirable?)

-square footage

-what else?

I am wondering more about the generic characteristics of rental properties (i.e. location or square footage) as opposed to the individual features of a specific property (i.e. new kitchen, hardwood floors, etc). 

I thought this would be a good topic for discussion and would love to see what all the local experts think.