Finding good tenants who will take care of your property and pay rent on time can be challenging, especially if you don't know where to start. According to the Zillow Group Consumer Housing Trends Report 2018, 70% of renters who moved within the last year moved from one rental to another, and many were already thinking about their next move. For landlords, that means that looking for tenants isn't a one-time task — it's an ongoing part of owning and managing a rental property. 

In order to find a tenant, you need to have a strategy in place before you start looking at renters. Use the steps below to plan out the best way to find a tenant and follow it every time you have a vacancy. 

1. Hire a property manager

An experienced property manager or rental agent knows how to find a renter fast. They have the local real estate knowledge to help set a competitive rental price, the marketing experience to help reduce the time your property sits vacant and training to recognize red flags when reviewing applicants. If you're willing to pay an additional fee, hiring a property manager or rental agent is one way to find tenants for your rental property.  

2. Advertise your property for rent

When you're figuring out where to find renters, first identify where renters are searching. According to the Zillow Group Report, 73% of renters use online resources to find a home — and only 11% report using print ads.

Where to advertise your rental property

You can find tenants online — and offline — using these advertising methods:

Zillow, HotPads and Trulia: Reach a large pool of renters with Zillow Rental Manager, and your listing will be seen on Zillow Group's network of rental sites.

StreetEasy: If you're marketing a rental in New York City, posting on StreetEasy can help you get your rental ad in front of a larger local audience. 

Social media: Share your rental ad on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to get more traction. Ask family and friends to share with their networks, too. 

Newspaper: Depending on where your rental is located, the newspaper may still be an effective way to advertise a vacancy — this can be especially true in small towns. Many newspapers also offer online classified advertising in addition to their print versions. 

Your website: If you manage multiple properties, you may already have a website for your rentals. Be sure to update it whenever you know you'll have an opening in the near future. It can be a great way to get a head start on finding new tenants. 

For-rent signs: This simple strategy can be a great method for attracting attention from passersby or people in the neighborhood who are looking for a rental. Be cautious if you’re posting signs before your current tenants have moved out, because it could lead to people knocking on their door or looking in their windows. 

Flyers: Flyers are another traditional method that can help you promote your property in a small town or within a neighborhood. Flyers can also be a great way to spread the word about a rental open house — 60% of renters say it’s important that they tour a rental home in person before signing a lease. 

Word of mouth: Spread the word! Telling your friends, neighbors, relatives and coworkers that you're looking for tenants can be a great way to fill your vacancy — and find a tenant someone you know can vouch for. 

What to include in your rental advertisement

Create a rental advertisement that caters to your specific rental market. For both online listings and print listings (when space allows), always include the following information in your rental ad:

• A unique rental property description
• High-quality photos of the rental property
• Number of bedrooms and bathrooms
• Rent price
• Date of availability
• Your contact information

One of the best ways to get tenants to apply for your rental property is to set a rent price that's competitive with similar rentals in the area. Your rental ad should also follow your state's landlord-tenant laws, federal fair housing laws and any other applicable laws.

3. Use a property management tool

A property management tool can help you keep track of day-to-day tasks and can make it easier to find tenants online. For example, if you use Zillow Rental Manager, you can create one ad for your rental that will be automatically posted on Zillow, Trulia and HotPads. Zillow Rental Manager also helps you respond to leads more quickly and manage applications — including tenant screenings — online. 

4. Host a rental open house

Your rental ads should encourage interested renters to connect with you. Make sure to respond promptly to any questions and follow up on requests to tour the property. According to the Zillow Group Report, 60% of renters find it important to tour a home before signing a lease — and 71% also said that after inquiring about a listing, they expect to hear back from the landlord or property manager within 24 hours. 

Consider hosting an open house or scheduling individual showings to meet prospective tenants in person. In-person tours give potential renters the opportunity to see the home for themselves, and they can give you an initial impression of whether the person will be a responsible tenant. Use these tips to help guide your showing:

• Know your property's unique selling points.
• Have an idea of what you're willing to negotiate — for example: pets, fees or move-in date.
• Understand fair housing laws so you know what criteria you can or cannot use to deny an applicant.
• Have specific, consistent criteria so you can streamline your tenant screening process.
• Be upfront about the required income-to-rent ratio, screening requirements and policies — and be prepared to answer questions about your requirements.

5. Ask each renter pre-screening questions

Prepare a list of questions to ask each renter. A good landlord-tenant relationship starts with the application process, so it's important to ask insightful, well-organized questions. Consider these tips:

• Avoid questions or suggestions that could be perceived as discriminatory.
• Ask all tenants the same questions and rank responses objectively and in the same way.
• Ask open-ended questions that don’t imply that a certain answer or response should be given. 
• Keep the conversation focused on the property and amenities.
• Give the potential tenant time to ask you questions.

6. Accept rental applications

It's important to treat all applicants equally. Invite all interested renters to complete a rental application. Zillow Rental Manager's application and screening tool simplifies the application process and includes background and credit screening. The tool is free for landlords, and each applicant only pays a $35 fee to use the tool for 30 days. When accepting applications:

• Put a time and date stamp on applications as you receive them — whether in person, by email or online.
• Use the same application, questions and requirements for everyone who applies to rent your property.
• Carefully check for obvious inconsistencies within each application.
• Create a spreadsheet of each application you receive so you can track the progress and compare qualifications.

If you have more than a few rental properties or many applicants, you may benefit from a lead tracking system like Zillow Rental Manager. It can help you stay organized and help you match prospective tenants to available properties — and you can communicate directly with applicants through Zillow Rental Manager. 

7. Check references

Consider contacting past landlords, employers and any other references submitted by the applicant for a complete picture of their financial and rental history. A script can help ensure you ask the right questions every time. 

How to address a previous landlord: An applicant can easily provide the contact info of a friend instead of an actual landlord. Carefully word your questions to verify that you're speaking to the person you think you are. For example, you might say:
'Hi, I'm a landlord doing reference checks on . How do you know them?'

How to address an employer: Many businesses have limitations on how much information they are able to disclose about their employees. Make sure your questions don't go beyond the scope of your role as a landlord. Yes or no questions increase the likelihood of getting a response. Try something like:
n' stated in his application that he earns $4,550 per month. Is this correct?'

8. Run tenant credit checks

When finding tenants for a rental property, one way to verify financial history is by running a credit check. Credit reports can be an important part of the screening process, serving as one factor to help you determine whether an applicant will be able to pay the rent every month. A credit report looks at:

• Specific types of payment history, including on-time payments, late payments and payment patterns 
• Residence history
• Prior bankruptcies and evictions
• Credit score

Keep in mind that a low credit score or a poor payment history doesn't necessarily mean the renter should be disqualified. There are many circumstances that can affect a potential renter's credit score. For example, an applicant may have a lower credit score because of an unexpected medical expense, because they're rebuilding their credit or because they are just starting to create a credit history.

Pro tip: Zillow's application and screening tool includes a full credit report from Experian and allows the applicant to comment on their credit report. Be sure to read the comments and consider asking relevant follow-up questions before you decide the applicant isn't a good fit for your rental. 

9. Request tenant background checks

Background checks are another way to screen tenants. Some cities and states have recently started prohibiting background checks on potential tenants, so be sure to check the laws for your area. Even if background checks are prohibited in your area, you may be permitted to check applicable sex offender registries. Again, talk with your applicant about any issues that arise during the background check to give them a chance to explain the circumstances. 

10. Decide which applicant is best qualified

Now that you know how to find tenants, you’re ready to choose a renter. Review all the qualified applications you've received, and be sure to:

• Avoid treating an applicant differently based on that applicant's inclusion in a protected class. 
• Avoid considering personal and/or non-financial qualities. 
• Avoid selecting renters with your gut.
• Comply with federal, state and local landlord-tenant laws. 

11. Sign new tenants to a lease

Having your new tenant sign a lease agreement is an important way to protect your property and make clear what is expected of your renter. Using a digital lease is an easy way to take care of this crucial step. When you meet with your renter for the lease signing, be sure to cover these key points:

• Review your property's rules and requirements to make sure your tenant understands them.
• Collect the security deposit and first month's rent (this usually happens at the lease signing appointment or at move-in, but local laws may dictate another process, so be sure to check with an attorney).
• Make sure both you and your tenant receive a signed copy of the lease.

Looking for more information on being your own landlord and renting out your property? Zillow Rental Manager provides the tools and resources to help you start capitalizing on your investment.