Are you the happy owner of an unoccupied apartment? No matter how you acquired the property, whether through a planned business plan, an inheritance, or a change in life plans, it’s always worth renting it out to avoid costs, housing association fees, or the negligence of not being occupied. And while purchasing an apartment may seem like the most complicated process, you’re now facing the biggest challenge. If you’re wondering how to safely rent an apartment, this article is for you.
The apartment rental process has been divided into five stages to make this article more transparent and understandable. Careful planning of each stage will allow you to rent your apartment faster.
1. Select your target group
Tenants can be categorized based on their characteristics. It’s worth considering what kind of tenants we expect in our rental apartment, so we can prepare an offer that best suits them. The most popular types are:
- Studenci – Wynajem mieszkania tej grupie docelowej zwykle jest szybkie oraz dochodowe. Szczególnie opłacalne jest podzielenie mieszkania na pokoje ok. 8-10m2 i wynajmowanie je osobno. Jeśli jest taka możliwość warto przenieść kuchnię do szerokiego korytarza, a kuchnię zaaranżować na dodatkowy pokój. W takich mini-akademikach niezbędne jest dorobienie kolejnego WC. Jednak należy wziąć pod uwagę, że wynajmowanie studentom może wiązać się z wakacyjnymi pustostanami oraz imprezowym stylem życia.
- Rodziny z dziećmi i zwierzętami – Wynajem rodzinie często bywa opłacalne ponieważ na mieszkania przystosowane do rodzin z dziećmi jest duży popyt przy jednocześnie małej podaży. Innymi słowa jest to wciąż nisza na polskim rynku. Jeśli kiedykolwiek próbowałeś wynając mieszkanie mając zwierzaka i dziecko, pewnie wiesz o czym mowa. Z czego może to wynikać? Często ta grupa docelowa jest odradzana potencjalnym wynajmującym z uwagi na możliwość większych zniszczeń mieszkania przez dzieci oraz zwierzęta oraz obawę o terminowość opłat. Jednak wykupując ubezpieczenie OC Najemcy oraz stosując umowę najmu okazjonalnego (temu zagadnieniu jest poświęcony inny artykuł) możemy ograniczyć te obawy do minimum.
- Klienci korporacyjni/biznesmeni – Ta grupa docelowa wiąże się z bardzo dobrymi zyskami wobec tego jest najchętniej wybieraną grupą docelową, jednak wymaga bardzo dobrej jakości wykończenia i designu wnętrz oraz szeregu udogodnień dla Najemcy. Sam budynek, w którym znajduje sie mieszkanie powinien być nowoczesny i zadbany. W mieszkaniu istotne są również nietypowe udogodnienia takie jak klimatyzacja, miejsce w garażu czy efektowny wystój.
- Single – tego typu Najemcą wystarczają małe kawalerki, więc jeśli masz nieduże mieszkanie, to pewnie będzie najczęściej kontaktująca się grupa.
If you already know who you want to rent your apartment to…
2. Adapt the apartments to the target group
If you want to rent your property quickly and at a good price, it’s essential to tailor the property to the specific target group you’ve chosen. Apartment renovations may be necessary. List all the furnishings in the apartment and consider what’s missing. If you want to rent to students, divide the apartment into rooms and furnish each with a single bed, desk, and wardrobe. If you’ve chosen business owners, you’ll need to adapt your apartment to their high standards. Everyday essentials—an iron, vacuum cleaner, plates, pots, and cutlery—will also be valuable. To stand out in the market, consider what you can do better than your competitors. Each target group has different needs, so it’s crucial to choose a single one, taking into account the location, building appearance, surrounding area , demand , and your own tenant preferences . There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all rental product.
3. Prepare apartments for rent
To rent your apartment faster and make it more attractive to tenants, it’s worth investing in a professional, thorough cleaning. Air ozonation and/or the use of essential oils may also be beneficial. Dust, stains on upholstery, neglected induction cooktops, dirty windows, or limescale on fixtures quickly catch the eye and discourage potential tenants from renting. The first impression will remain etched in the tenant’s memory, and they will be guided by it when choosing their apartment.
Once the apartment has passed the white glove test, it’s time for… home staging , or interior makeover. A few pillows, candles, a picture on the wall, and getting rid of all personal belongings—like photos and personal albums—are just the basics. It’s worth entrusting this matter to a professional makeover artist, as a rental apartment should be decorated in a minimalist way that harmonizes with its surroundings.
All that’s left to do is take professional, clear photos of the property – if you’re not a photographer, it’s still worth leaving this to a professional, as even the most well-appointed apartment will look bad in dark and poorly framed photos. A well-appointed apartment and photos are an investment that will surely pay off quickly.
4. Tenant verification and contract selection
How to choose a tenant? There are many ways to minimize the risk of choosing an unreliable tenant. Some rely on intuition, others ask for references from previous landlords, and others ask about their job location. The best approach is to combine several different approaches and choose the best candidate.
A contract is a document that is perfect for bad times, so it is important that it is refined and well-chosen.
5. Make decisions
The five steps above outline the most important aspects to consider to maximize income and minimize risk. However, this is only half the journey… The owner still faces further stages, such as submitting the lease to the office, choosing a taxation method, settling the tenant’s utilities, settling accounts with the housing cooperative, being available in case of problems or breakdowns, and many other, often unpredictable, scenarios that life throws at them. Therefore, the final step is to decide whether to rent the apartment independently or with the help of a property manager who will handle everything based on their experience.
Renting an apartment is a complicated process, so if you don’t have the experience or ability to handle it yourself, you should consider entrusting your apartment to a professional property manager.