If you’re the lucky owner of rental properties you may or may not know how to decorate it to attract tenants. If you are converting your single family home into a rental property, you have a number of challenges ahead of you. Many people who are making this step have lived in the home in question for some time. Maybe this is your first home, one that you saved to buy, and happily enjoyed for years. Moving on to open up your house and changing them into rental properties for rental income is a great financial move, but you have to think differently as a landlord then you do as a homeowner.

Easy Decorating Tips to Attract Tenants for your Rental Properties

One of the biggest differences in making this personal transition is the way in which you decorate your house. What might appeal to you for a house that you’d want to live in might not be the best choice for a rental property? Rental houses need to appeal to broad ranges of potential tenants. With that in mind, here are some of the best ways to decorate for rental properties.

Decorate in a Way Your Rental Properties Can Be Maintained:

You may be determined to be acting landlord of your property. However, many people set out with this goal in mind, only to learn that they aren’t cut out for the job. That’s why rental management companies like Cedar Management Group are in business. They get renters, clean and maintain your rental property, and collect rent every month. Choosing decorations that are easy to clean and maintain, even for a management company that doesn’t have a hand in their choosing, is a great way to organize your thoughts when picking furnishings and decorations for a rental home.

Choose Durable yet Versatile Rental Furniture

You’ll probably choose renters who will take good care of your property, but you still should decorate only with pieces that can take a beating. Resilient carpets will protect your hardwood floors from scratches and versatile materials like tweed and microfiber will protect against stains and wear and tear. Sturdy shutters will outlive flimsy blinds. Also, consider washable paint throughout your interiors so that stains can be removed with a damp cloth. Consider the same materials for your rental home that you would have with kids and pets to protect your interiors.

Consider Minimal Decorating Ideas

In the end, you shouldn’t decorate that much. You should think more about the color of the walls and the floors than about the items that will cover them. Leave this to the tenant. Choose instead to invest in a makeover of your home that will make it appealing to a broad range of people. This has more to do with countertops and toilet seats than area rugs and drapes. Leave some of the decoration ideas for your rental properties to the tenant. It’s cheaper for you and actually, makes your home more rentable.

Decorating your rental properties can be difficult at first. It’s easy to create elements that you personally enjoy, which don’t appeal to a lot of other people. It’s usually good to create a neutral but friendly space, one which prospective tenants can imagine imprinting upon with their own decorative sensibilities. Good luck with your new rental property!

For more ideas for your rental property look at our home staging archives.