Are there ways to attract specific type of tenant?

Question

I am under contract for a SFH with an in-law suite in NE Ohio. The property is situated very close to the highway, so it's a great spot for anyone commuting to the Pittsburgh area. My PM is obsessed with the idea of attracting a commuting professional. Outside of furnishing the rental, are there ways to attract particular types of tenants or tenants with specific jobs? They're not like students or nurses; they don't all congregate in the same place on a regular basis. We can't put "Seeking commuting professional" in our ads. Besides violating fair housing laws, it's just weird. Any thoughts to share? TIA!

Bjorn Ahlblad · Answer

@Nicole HeasleyI had the HR department of a large hospital post my ad on an internal bulletin board-got 2 units filled; a doctor and a nurse. You could do the same with a large employer nearby? All the best!

Steve Vaughan · Answer

Commuters tire of commuting and move.  'Professionals' whine and nitpick.  I've done well avoiding the exact profile you seek.

How?  I don't do facechat, bookgram or instaspace.  My units are almost done for showings but not quite.

Give me a flexible and tolerant, seasoned and stable non-smoker that works nearby any day of the week.

Your PM will make a lot on all the unnecessary service calls these professionals will be calling about while there, then the frequent turnover when not.

Account Closed · Answer

First, why are you paying a property manager, if you're having to figure out advertising.  I say, first, fire your PM.

Next, it's perfectly legal to advertise that you want a particular type of tenant as long as you don't violate the protected classes.

So, as long as you don't care what color or religion, etc., a professional commuter is, it's legal to say you want to rent to one.

Remember, you just can't discriminate against people on the protected class list.  It's perfectly legal and it's actually your job to discriminate against anyone else you don't want to rent to, which normally includes people who don't appear able to pay the rent or get along with their neighbors.

But, there is no law against you saying you only want a cetain type of tenant, as long as it doesn't exclude someone on the protected class list.

Account Closed · Answer

@Nicole Heasley

“Perfect for a quick commute to ____”

“Heading towards ______ (part of town)? You’re only seconds from the ______ xpressway”

“Tired of living like a college kid? This place is perfect for the young professional”

“Sick of neighbours who party too much? This place is primed for a quiet evening of Netflix and chill”

David M. · Answer

@Nicole Heasley

Let me put it another way...  why is your PM obsessed with a commuting professional?  Honestly, who really cares?  Personally I just want a nice tenant who pays their rent I full and on time and who respects my property.

While “class” of tenant maybe be telling, it’s not the end all.  A lawyer has to date been my worse tenant.  Actually went to court and had him evicted, and he trashed the place.  Had to gut a good portion of it.

In your case, ease of commuting sounds like a plus for any sort of tenant.  Obviously, the nature of the income will be in question when it comes time to accept offer...

Sorry I’m not answering your question you way you intended.  I hope this helps.

Account Closed · Answer

Account Closed I hope my post didn't come off as condescending, I meant it to help avoid any problems.  Fair housing laws are federal laws so they apply everywhere, however if your reference was in regards to how ridiculous the laws are in CA, I agree 100%.  If you use the word kid, child or children in an advertisement or when speaking with someone interested in renting, it's almost always a Fair Housing violation since age is a protected class.  I tell our property managers to always refer to everyone as people and avoid using those terms, even though it sounds ridiculous (or use the term little people).  And by using the term "young professional", it's inherently a Fair Housing violation since young implies discrimination against old.  It's ridiculous that we're spending time talking about stuff like this, but unfortunately it's reality and it doesn't take much effort to avoid it.

Account Closed · Answer

I don't see any issues with it.  Maybe on #5, you could re-word within the parenthesis to (all ages), but it's probably fine as-is.

On an unrelated note, I prefer not to pose those questions to someone that wants to come see the apartment.  While you may help screen people that shouldn't come see the place, you will certainly lose some people that are good candidates and perhaps would have liked the apartment.  While you could list your requirements w/out questions, I still think that's information overload.  Below is the "sales cylce" for renting an apartment.  Very specific goals for each step of the process and if you skip a step, it does more harm than good.

1. Advertisement - ONLY goal of advertisement is to get a response - email, call, text

2. Response- ONLY goal when someone responds is to schedule a viewing

3. Viewing - ONLY goal of a viewing is to get an application

4. Application - ONLY goal of an application is to get a lease signed (assuming they're approved)

5. Signed Lease - ONLY goal once lease is signed is to get enough money (deposit or full amount) to schedule move-in

6. Move In - Even after someone has signed a lease and given a deposit, you still want to stay on it until all the money is received and tenant has keys.

If you record all these stats while leasing, I could easily tell where the problems are if a unit isn't renting.  Not enough responses = priced too high (assuming your marketing is dialed in).  10 showings w/out an application = something is wrong with the unit (cosmetically: not clean, didn't replace blinds, etc = clean it up more) OR (functionally: unit has issue that comparable units in the neighborhood don't have - street noise, weird layout, etc = lower price to combat issue).

We typically spend 30 seconds on a rent survey, then post the advertisement at the high end of the rent range while it's still occupied to gauge how many responses we're getting.  Then we lower price each week until we're getting 2+ responses per day minimum.  The market always speaks and she's the ultimate decision-maker.  Only time we spend more time is when we're leasing a unit for the first time.

Jonathan R McLaughlin · Answer

"Easy commute to XYZ"  "great access to Route whatever" "be downtown in X minutes"

Michael Noto · Answer

Just stress in the ad how convenient it is to commute from the house to Pittsburgh. "Located near the highway and a convenient drive to downtown Pittsburgh". I don't know anything about Pittsburgh or the house, but there are ways to stress that in the ad without violating any fair housing laws.

Theresa Harris · Answer

While your PM may be obsessed with getting a commuter, what you want is a good tenant that pays rent on time and takes care of the place.  Where you advertize can influence who you get as a tenant, you can say it has easy access to highways and other things that suggest it is good for commuters (if that is who you want).

Are there ways to attract specific type of tenant?

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