How to Rent Out Your House in Denver

How to Rent Out Your House in Denver

Renting out your house can be financially rewarding if you do it right. The potential monthly income you generate can help spruce up your bottom line and maximize your profits. 

That said, renting out a property may become more trouble than it’s worth. This is especially true if you’re just starting. Here are 5 crucial skills that can help you successfully rent out your Denver home: 

Know Your Responsibilities

Renting out a property requires a responsible landlord. You need to know and understand what exactly you’ll be getting into. You’ll need to stay on top of repairs and maintenance, collect rent payments, and abide by relevant laws, among other things. Failure to honor these duties can hurt your bottom line.

For instance, if you fail to stay on top of repairs and maintenance, the unit may become uninhabitable. As a consequence, the tenant may cancel the lease or even do the repairs themselves and deduct the cost from the rent. Aside from the financial impact, such actions may also severely impact your property’s long-term value. 

If you are too busy or have a sizeable investment portfolio to look after, consider hiring a professional to manage the property on your behalf. They’ll be able to promptly respond to maintenance requests and ensure that tenants are satisfied.

judges gavel on top of a clipboard

Get Your Property Rent-Ready

Getting your property rent-ready means ensuring that the space is visually appealing and safe for occupation by tenants. You can read your house by doing the following:

  • Thoroughly cleaning it
  • Making necessary repairs
  • Upgrading worn-out features
  • Enhancing lighting around the property
  • Changing the locks
  • Sprucing up the curb appeal
  • Repainting the walls

Although these improvements will cost you some money, the overall return on investment can be significant. What’s more, finding a quality tenant may become easier and you may just be able to charge more rent if you invest in the right property upgrades. 

List Your Home for Rent

Craft a rental ad and syndicate it as widely as possible. Begin by listing the most desirable features the property has. For instance, hardwood flooring, outdoor space for relaxation, washer and dryer, and proximity to public transport. 

Besides listing such features, make sure that the property description section also contains other crucial details such as the property type, square footage, rent amount, location, and contact information. 

Remember to take high-quality images of your house. Use clear, well-lit images of every room. You may also go a notch higher and offer a virtual tour for better engagement. 

person conducting a property tour to two prospective tenants

Next, list the advert on as many relevant platforms as possible. You can use online resources such as rental listing sites or social media. Other things you could do to spread the word further include:

  • Using For Rent signs
  • Local newspapers
  • Neighborhood bulletin boards
  • University Housing Offices
  • Real Estate Offices
  • Community magazines
  • Word-of-mouth marketing

The goal here is to ensure maximum exposure to prospective tenants. Resultantly, this can ensure you attract a large prospective tenant pool, thereby increasing your chances of landing the ideal occupant. 

Screen Prospective Tenants Vigorously

Don’t take any chances when it comes to tenants. As a savvy landlord, you want to be as diligent in your search as possible. If you post your well-crafting rental ad, you’ll start receiving inquiries from interested applicants looking to rent your Denver property. The inquiries can come in the form of emails, texts, or phone calls depending on what you left as your contact information. 

During this initial contact, try to learn as much as you can about the tenant. For instance, how much they earn, whether they have a pet, their credit rating, and when they would be looking to move out. This can save you valuable time by eliminating applicants who aren’t serious. 

After the pre-screening process is over, move on to the next step – the property showing. This will help the prospective tenants know whether or not the property meets their needs. 

prospective tenant filling out a rental application

Next, have the remaining batch of interested tenants fill out a rental application form. This will require them to provide their personal and financial information. Finally, conduct a vigorous screening process. This usually includes checking every prospective tenant’s credit, background, rental history, and employment details. 

Know the Basics of the Colorado Landlord-Tenant Laws

A lease can be established in either of three ways, through a written- or verbal agreement, or after the exchange of a rent payment. If any of these occur, it’d then mean that you and the tenant have entered into a legally binding agreement. Consequently, you must abide by certain rules and regulations. These include the following:

  • Maintain the property as per Colorado’s safety, health, and building codes. 
  • Carry out an eviction following the state’s eviction process. 
  • Follow the security deposit rules when requiring tenants to pay a security deposit. 
  • Follow lease termination rules when ending a rental agreement. 
  • Treat tenants fairly as per the Colorado fair housing laws

Bottom Line  

The reasons for renting out a house can be many and varied. You can use a rental property as an opportunity to bolster your cash flow, build equity, and diversify your investment portfolio. And these 5 tips should help you achieve your goals! 

If you have a question or would like to speak with an experienced property manager, please reach out to TJC Real Estate and Management. We can provide you with bespoke property management solutions for your Greater Denver area property. Contact us now!