Top Tips For Getting Tip-Top Tenants in Edinburgh

Owning a rental property can be fraught with problems and the biggest one is finding and retaining good tenants who pay their rent on time and look after your place as if it was their own.

Thorough checks and references are a good start to make sure your tenants are reputable and reliable, but what can you do to ensure the very best tenants are the ones who sign on the dotted line?

At Clan Gordon we look after more than 500 rental properties in the Edinburgh area so we know a thing or two about finding tenants. Here are a few of our top tips for getting tip-top tenants:

Set A Fair Rent

Savvy tenants will shop around and know how much a rental property is worth, so pitching the rent too high could price you out of the market. Do your sums and compare your property to similar ones in the neighbourhood to make sure you set the rent at a competitive rate.

Kitchen and bathrooms matter to tenants

The best tenants demand the best properties so ensuring yours is in as-new condition makes it more likely that you’ll secure a quick deal. Cool kitchens and beautiful bathrooms are top of tenants’ wish lists so make sure yours are up to scratch and don’t underestimate the value of a fresh lick of paint throughout between tenancies.

Floors, carpets and furnishings should all be of a good quality and in neutral tones so tenants can imagine their own belongings in place. Bright or bold colours can polarise opinion so it’s much better to provide a blank canvas.

Add quality finishing touches to your rental property

Adding a few luxurious flourishes to a property can give it the edge with discerning tenants. Consider under floor heating, top spec fibre broadband or the latest video door entry security system to add the wow factor.

Make sure the property is ‘dressed’ for viewings too. This isn’t so easy if existing tenants are in situ but ask them to make sure washing up isn’t left on the draining board or beds are left unmade. Meeting prospective tenants in person is always worthwhile to get a feel for whether they’re what you’re looking for – first impressions count!

Invest In Your Property For Greatest Success

Regular investment in a rental property pays dividends and drawing up a schedule of planned works is a good way to ensure it doesn’t fall below the required standard.

Replacing worn-out carpets, doors and windows and regularly painting both the inside and outside of the property are important considerations if you want to continue to attract the best tenants. Good tenants will stay longer too if you make sure the upkeep of the property is maintained.

Advertise Widely

How can the best tenants find you if your property is only advertised with a limited number of agents? Advertising widely with all the leading online agencies ensures your property will be seen. Consider Rightmove, Zoopla, CityLets, OnTheMarket, PrimeLocation and Lettingweb.com for a good spread of advertisements.

Use A Reputable Letting Agent

The most effective way to make sure you always find the best tenants is to use a respected and experienced letting agent who specialises in lettings, knows the local market inside out and has a good word-of-mouth reputation.

At Clan Gordon, we’ve been letting properties in the Edinburgh area for more than 13 years and are rated the city’s top agent. All our staff are highly trained and experienced and we offer a friendly and efficient service to our clients – the reviews speak for themselves.

Our complete property management service means we do all the hard work so you don’t have to, from finding tenants to drawing up tenancy agreements and completing regular safety checks and inspections.

For more information schedule a call with your team of professionally-trained property management experts for a no-obligation