With average rental occupancy rates declining across the country, many landlords are competing with other rental property owners to fill their vacancies quickly.  As a landlord myself, I've always used one little known secret to fill my units quickly and with quality tenants - Home Staging!

When many people think about home staging, they usually think about the typical homeowner who wants to sell their property.  However, savvy landlords are now turning to home staging to make their rental units stand out to prospective tenants.  The concept is similar to when builders use model homes to make prospective buyers fall in love.

For my landlord staging clients I usually recommend some light staging in the key areas of the unit to make it easy for the prospective tenant to visualize themselves living in the property.  Most tenants have a lot of furniture and personal belongings and their number one consideration is going to be whether their things will fit and will they be comfortable.  Home staging makes the decision easier for a prospective tenant as it highlights exactly how everything will fit AND it makes the unit feel like a home.

I recommend light staging in the kitchen (especially if it is a small kitchen), bathroom, and livingroom, if you have a few armchairs and a coffee table to spare.  In the kitchen, a glass bowl with fresh apples or oranges looks very pleasant and adds a wonderful scent to the room.  Also, consider adding an attractive kitchen towel, a tea kettle on the stove, and make sure that the refrigerator is clean and smells good (leave an open box of Arm & Hammer baking soda inside).  A few bottles of water is a nice touch too.  In the bathroom, all that is necessary is a neutral color shower curtain, fluffy bath towels, a vase with flowers and a candle.  Don't forget to have toilet tissue on hand for those who will invariably want to use the bathroom.

In the livingroom, a couple of arm chairs to form a sitting area, a coffee table, and a floor lamp, could provide just enough of an impression of home.  Add a mirror or artwork to the wall to truly make the space come alive, as well as a floor or table plant.

I hope you found these tips helpful and will consider using home staging the next time you need to fill a vacancy quickly!

To Your Success,

J.A.S.