Tips to reduce rental void periods in winter.

Spread your marketing - It is true that around 80% of tenants will find their property online; however, the remaining 20% find properties typically through To-Let boards and newspaper advertising.

To-Let boards are ideal for capturing a local audience. We have noted that the majority of enquiries we register are from tenants that are already living in the area. Local property classifieds are often read by tenants new to an area or wanting to avoid paying high street application fees.

Offer Incentives - A great way to entice tenants to apply for your property is to offer tangible incentives – here are a few ideas:

a. Offer one month rent at half price, or better still – for free. This is a real incentive for Tenants, especially over Christmas where disposable income is limited. (You may decide to increase the rent slightly over the rest of the 11 months to help offset the initial discount)

b. No Application Fee – High street agents can charge up to £300 for a joint tenancy. Whether you are advertising online or in the local papers, lettingaproperty.com highly recommend including the benefit of - No Tenant Application Fees.

c. Bonus Items – Every tenant would appreciate a free bonus item like say, 6 months of FREE cable / sky TV (£18pm cost) or 6 months of FREE broadband.

Keep your advertising fresh - A new property is more likely to be let in the first 2 weeks of being advertised. If your property has been on the market for longer than this, it is always recommended to change the advert display. Take new photos of the property, re-write the description, and include room measurements if you have good sized bedrooms.

And finally – the price - If you want to reduce those void periods you will need to look closely at your rental price.

For more advice on how to market you property in winter, call 0844 567 0578 or visit www.lettingaproperty.com.