It is a townhome so the yard is very small and the backyard is all concrete so the landscaping point is not as applicable here. 

A message stating your qualifications for applicants will let them know whether they should apply or not too. 

With that said, we have seen an uptick this month of applications and our DOM has fallen 8 days in November.  

Because of the lease, an MTR operator will often pay first month's rent, security deposit, pet deposit, last month's rent, and even lease application fees.

Yet you're able to screen applications more effectively?

Perform the same task in each app to ensure a fair comparison.Load a property with pictures and details.Market that property.See what your marketing looks like from the public's perspective.Submit a fake application to see how easy the process is.Run a credit/screening report on yourself.Enter a maintenance request, assign a vendor, and attach a fake invoice.Enter charges to the tenant's ledger.Enter recurring charges and automatic late fees.Sign documents electronically.Run owner reports.After testing a few apps, one should clearly stand out.

nearly every single applicant will tell me their pet is either ESA or Service dog.  

Friends of friends look good, anxious to take possession asap, even tell me openly they will be on the street by dd/mm/yy.We have to treat them just like every other applicant, even though we didn't sign up to be a Social Service for the County. 

**any DIY recommendations would be appreciated if applicable!! 

Perform the same task in each app to ensure a fair comparison.Load a property with pictures and details.Market that property.See what your marketing looks like from the public's perspective.Submit a fake application to see how easy the process is.Run a credit/screening report on yourself.Enter a maintenance request, assign a vendor, and attach a fake invoice.Enter charges to the tenant's ledger.Enter recurring charges and automatic late fees.Sign documents electronically.Run owner reports.After testing a few apps, one should clearly stand out.