How to Create a Strong Tenant Listing By

How to Create a Strong Tenant Listing

Why Create a Tenant Listing?

There are many reasons to create a tenant listing – and to make it the best you can – but here are the top two advantages to posting a tenant listing:

1. Hosts can find your listing, sometimes even before you find their listing

Homeowners who list their property on SabbaticalHomes will also often conduct their own search looking for the perfect tenant. Sometimes they even search tenant listings before listing their home to see what people are looking for in a home. A host might find your tenant listing in their search results and offer you first dibs on the home (before they make the home listing Visible to the rest of the community).

2. Your SabbaticalHomes inquiry has more detail, saving you time

When contacting a host or homeowner, your inquiry on SabbaticalHomes includes the details of your tenant listing. A lot of essential information will be encapsulated in your tenant listing making your inquiries more efficient. This will save you time in the back and forth of seeing if you and the other member/their listing are a good fit.

Be Clear about your Wants and Needs in your Tenant Listing

To make it easy for members to find you, start by brainstorming about your ideal place to stay. Then, click Post Tenant Listing and use our easy step by step guide to create your tenant listing!  Here are some tips to make your tenant listing shine.

Location, Dates & Rates

When you start to create your listing, you will be able to check off your key requirements: location, neighborhood, the dates of your stay, your budget and more. Overall, the more specific details you can include, the easier your listing can be found in search results.

When creating your listing, be sure to use the Comments box to communicate areas where you have more information to share or are more flexible.

Arrangements & Property Information

In this section, you’ll provide as many details as you can about your ideal home and setting. You can select if you’d prefer to rent an entire home or a private space in a home. Many people are increasingly interested in home sharing to stretch their budget and to live like a local.

You will also select one or more preferred property types:

  • House
  • Apartment or Condo
  • Studio or Loft
  • Guest House

After that, you’ll have a chance to input the ideal property size, number of bedrooms and number of people you have in your travel group.

Lastly, peruse the list of Surroundings & Features and check off your “must have” items that fit with your ideal stay. Only the items you click on will display in your listing, so now’s the time to create your wish list! Is air-conditioning a must? Do you need high-speed internet? Do you need peace and quiet as you write or work in the home office?

Tenant Listing Details

You’ll use this section to describe you and/or your travel group. Be clear about your needs if traveling with children or pets, smoking preferences, etc. Make sure to check if you are interested in using a car and add any comments to include more information.

Considering House Sitting?

House sitting is always an option when creating a tenant listing on SabbaticalHomes. If you are interested in helping out with house sitting tasks during your stay, add that to your listing. Common ways to help out are taking care of houseplants, mail or pets.

Some homeowners will consider a slight decrease in rental rates if a guest is willing to help out with house sitting, but the majority of the time some rental payments are still required.

Tell the Story of your Tenant Listing

Tenant Listing Title

Write a concise and compelling title describing you, what you’re looking for in a home and your ideal location. Keep your title at 75 characters or less including spaces. We have this limit to make it easier for other members to read in search results and on listing displays.

Here are some examples of effective tenant listing titles:

Single male graduate student looking for a pet-friendly loft near NYU

Family of 4 looking for a home within walking distance to UCLA

Non-smoking Writer looking for a quiet place to write my next novel

Create a clear, focused Tenant Listing Description

The listing description is where your personality can shine through. Introduce yourself to prospective owners. Owners read these descriptions to get a sense of whether you will be the right fit.

So, tell your story.  You will want to find a balance between what is already in your profile and additional details you want to share.  Why are you traveling to this particular area? Many tenants use this space to describe any research or writing projects they’ll focus on during their stay. Will you be studying at the nearby University?  Are you a Fulbright scholar or finishing up your residency at the nearby hospital? Give a little glimpse of who you are and why someone should trust their home to you.

Select a Header Image

You’ll be able to personalize your listing with one of our header images. Choose one of several inspiring images of nature or something that represents travel or your field of study. You can always leave the default header image in if you’d prefer.

Get Started finding the right Home away from Home

Enjoy creating your tenant listing – this is the first step to your next adventure.  Many members become lifelong friends with other members they match with. Some even return year after year to stay in the same home.  So enjoy this opportunity to tell a little about yourself in hopes of finding the perfect match!

Make sure to check references of any members you are considering as a host.  We provide guidelines on questions to ask a potential landlord, checking references, agreeing to a lease or contract and making rental payments outside of our site.

Related: Learn More about Tenant Listings on SabbaticalHomes

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