Help renting vacant unit

[Fareed Fityan]

I have a vacant unit of a duplex I'm trying to rent out (I'm house hacking). I advertised all over different websites almost 2 weeks ago and haven't had any bites (no showings). It's a 3bed 1bath in east Oakland, CA. I'd like to know if there are any incentives I can add before lowering the price. Does 1 month free usually work?

[Brian Garlington]

Yipes! Your rental is overpriced............period. The reality is that in East Oakland (I own a duplex in East Oakland) it doesnt matter if you have stainless steel appliances, marble counters, hardwood floors and the house is painted Silver and Black to pay Homage to the Oakland Raiders.....you won't get that amount in East Oakland on a 3/1 half of a duplex from a conventional lender. You might......I say might....get $2800 but a lot of folks won't go for it here. Closer to Downtown Oakland and Piedmont Montclair....all day long but not here.   

All is not lost. Try advertising on GoSection8. That's what i did. The conventional potential tenants (and there were not that many) all wanted "some sort of deal" or they were trying to overcrowd the duplex for with waay too many people at the price I was asking for rent. I advertised (For free) on GoSection8 and it got filled pretty quick with a tenant I screened. Plent of info here on BP about how to screen for tenants.    Why Section8? Guaranteed money, free inspection each year from the Housing Authority, tenants take care of the property ....for the most part pretty darn well because they don't want to lose their voucher.

@Fareed Fityan