5 Tips for Staging Multi-Family Rentals

Most people think that staging a property is only important if you are selling it. You can sell a staged home 87% faster with a higher asking price. Did you know the same logic applies to rentals as well? Staging multifamily housing can get them quickly signed off and off the market in no time. 

Staging multifamily rentals attract potential tenants and persuade them to rent. Your property goes from looking “lived-in” to an attractive place. Tenants are more focused on the tidiness and condition of your property rather than decorative items. Simply cleaning and decluttering the property could help your tenants visualize it as their future home. 

Adding a few pieces of furniture, art, and decorative items could enhance the visual aesthetics of your multifamily housing. Staging can draw the focus of your renters to the highlights of your property rather than its drawbacks.

Many families prefer rented apartments due to their amenities and low maintenance. With ExactEstate, you can create multifamily property management software tailored to your needs.

If you are seeking tenants, here are our top 5 tips for staging for multifamily rentals:

1. Determine your rental audience.

Depending on the location of your property, you may attract different people. It is important to know who your target rental audience is. For instance, certain communities attract young professionals, some attract students, while others attract families. 

Staging your multifamily housing according to the lifestyle preference of your target audience can get them more interested in your property. 

Should you be staging the entire property? That's not completely necessary. Depending on your rental audience, you could focus on certain key rooms of the property. Say your rental audience is families. In that case, you should focus on staging the living room, the kitchen and the master bedroom. You need not worry about guest bedrooms or bathrooms. The idea is to focus on the rooms that are more likely to influence a renter’s decisions, rather than all. 

Different people have different tastes. Some like colorful homes, while others like neutral ones. Keeping the furniture, walls, and decor of the staged unit can help you appeal to a large number of renters. Neutral does not have to be boring. You may use neutral tones that show off a bit of color to make your unit look more lively.

Staging makes your multifamily housing unit look a lot more appealing. It also means that you attract high-quality tenants. Of course, tenant screening is important before you rent out your property to avoid costly evictions or property damage.

2. Clean and declutter

A clean and well-maintained house has a higher chance of securing a responsible tenant. Multifamily housing, such as apartments and condominiums, is also at a higher risk of exposure to diseases. That is why cleaning and disinfecting your multifamily housing is extremely important. 

Cleanliness indicates that you have taken good care of the property. When you are cleaning the facility, go all out. Clean everything from the corners of the ceiling to the baseboards and everything else. 

Decluttering the house is also equally important. When you put your multifamily housing on the market, you want to make it look as spacious as possible. Clutter eats away space, and space is what sells. Getting rid of the clutter can make your house look a lot bigger and more desirable. 

While decluttering, it is also important to get rid of unnecessary decor items, except for a few pieces that make your place look minimalistic and subtle. It is also important to depersonalize so that renters can envision themselves in your home. Consider removing family photographs, fridge magnets, and other keepsakes that may make the place seem like someone else lives there.

Besides making your house look cramped, clutter also distracts renters from its high points. The more spacious and attractive your house looks, the more likely you are to find good tenants.

3. Highlight the appealing features of the unit.

When staging your multi-family rentals, ensure that you highlight your home's best features. This could be a spacious living room, stylish bathrooms, walk-in closets, and more. If the view from the window is great, you may also consider highlighting it too. When you make a good first impression, you will have more tenants interested in your property. 

The front entrance is the first thing any tenant sees, so you need to ensure that it makes a strong first impression. Do you have seasonal decor hanging from the front entrance? If so, consider removing it. Add a doormat and a couple of potted plants to make the unit seem more homely. 

Plants are an easy way to highlight any part of the home. A few healthy plants and flowers can draw attention to any part of the house, making it seem nicer and livelier. For example, placing a vase of bright flowers on the kitchen table can liven up the space. 

Similarly, a few potted plants or succulents could make your living room look more aesthetically pleasing. If you do not have the time to maintain fresh flowers and plants, you can use fake plants to set the same atmosphere. 

Indoor plants are known to boost your mood and reduce stress. They may be very helpful in giving a feel-good feeling to the tenants who come to see the unit.

4. Rearrange the furniture 

The furniture that you use in the rooms should be the right size. If the furniture is too big, it may make the room look smaller. Your room may look cold if the furniture is too small. You may consider renting furniture to stage your multi-family housing unit. However, ensure that the furniture does not look cheap but looks neat and inviting. Add a few pillows for contrast and a pop of color.

Rearrange the furniture in the rooms to create as much open and walkable space as possible. This will help potential tenants not only navigate the room but also envision their own furniture in it. Get rid of unnecessary furniture, focusing on damaged pieces and those that do not match the room's decor.

If you are buying furniture and decor for staging, ensure you buy pieces that can be used across multiple rental properties. It is preferable to buy items with neutral designs so that they match the vibe of any unit.

5. Ensure the unit is in top shape.

Before you begin the staging process, ensure the unit is in top shape. Repair and patch any scratches, nicks, or holes that may indicate to potential renters that the property was neglected. Be sure to go from room to room, taking care of any scruff marks on the walls. If the paint has chipped, you may want to touch those areas up before staging the unit.

This is to make the place look nice and show potential tenants that you maintain the property well.

Conclusion

You do not need to spend much money staging your multifamily rentals. All you need is a little bit of creativity and some smart decisions. When you have done everything to show your unit in the best light possible, you can sit back and wait for the right tenants to stop by. Property Management Software can be incredibly helpful in maintaining multifamily housing units. Talk to us today for a free demo to see how we can help you.