The property needs to be described completely and accurately in a way that encourages people to read the advert and not move onto the next property when searching listings. The following gives the information needed for the advert and how to present it attractively.

• This is usually the first thing that potential tenants want to know so it should be displayed prominently and state clearly if it is a weekly or monthly amount. If anything, such as council tax is including in the rent then this should also be detailed.

• Ensure that if the property is not available immediately this is displayed clearly with a date when it is. Also, if short term lets are offered this should also be displayed. .

• Unfurnished properties can come with appliances such as refrigerators so this should be clearly displayed in the advert. If the property is unfurnished but furniture can be provided if needed, then this should be stated. This is helpful for both the landlord who does not need to provide furniture if it is not needed and the tenant who won’t be put off if looking for furnished accommodation. .

• Any stipulations for tenants should be stated in the advert but obviously not in relation to gender, race, religion etc.
• The most common stipulation is “No pets”. Another is “No DSS claimants” although some advertising platforms prevent this statement.
• The above may save time by not having unsuitable people apply but can also remove a large number of people from your potential market. It may be worthwhile being a bit flexible to open the property up to a larger part of the market. There can be undesirable tenants on benefits but that can also apply to those in work as well. Likewise, there are both small and large pets such as rabbits so maybe you should make a decision based on what you actually know rather than limit your market from the start. .

• Good clear photographs are a very important part of the advert. With between 6 and 12 being a good number to include. They need to be appealing to encourage a potential tenant to pick your property out from amongst all the others listed.
• It is probably worth getting the photographs taken professionally to create as a good an advert as possible and the photographs can be used again and again so it is only a one-off payment.
• When presenting the property for photography it goes without saying that it should be clean and tidy with beds made, toilet lids down etc. It may be worth putting flowers in the picture along with cushions on the sofa to create an “atmosphere” to imagine what it’s like if the property was occupied.
• There should be a main photograph that is displayed on the main search page. This should be your best photograph and its best if it’s an internal shot that gives the “lifestyle” of the property.

• A floor plan is helpful as apart of the advert as it gives a good idea of how all the photographs fit together. This is a one-off cost again and it can act as a good encouragement for renters to contact you. There are many apps available to help you draw a floor plan if you don’t want to pay for a professional one.

Stick to the facts and give a clear description people can understand. Include the following:
• The type of property – flat, house etc.
• Terraced/detached etc.
• If I’s a flat – which floor it is on.
• Number of bedrooms – singles or doubles.
• Number of bathrooms – en-suite or not. If there is a shower, bath or both.
• The number of reception rooms with descriptions.
• Type of furnishings included.
• If there is a garden or driveway etc available.
You should include any positive information such as recent decoration/nice location/near a school. Conversely, it’s worth listing any negative points such as near a pub (although this maybe good news for some!) to save taking viewings from people who are not happy about such things.

• Not all prospective tenants will be familiar with the area so it’s worth giving a description of local amenities/travel links/nightlife/schools/shopping depending on your target market.

• The advert should contain the numerical rating from the certificate and the guidance notes state that you should include a copy of the A to G graph from the certificate where space permits. As you have 21 days to get the results of the EPC once it’s commissioned you can add this to the advert once received if you need to advertise urgently.