Renting long-term to families

The long-term rental market is booming here on the Costa del Sol, with demand outpacing supply. If you’re looking to rent out your property long-term, the family market is a very good one to target.

This is because they tend to stay for a predictable amount of time, as they are bound by school years, and if they are happy and comfortable, they can be tenants for the whole of their kids’ school careers. Although it’s true that having kids around can cause some wear and tear on the property in terms of marks on the walls and furniture, our experience is that because they want a nice home for their family, they tend to generally be careful with the property and often make improvements which will appeal to future family renters.

They also have an excellent network, so when they choose to leave, they often recommend the tenant after them if they are happy with the property and your treatment of them. This minimises the time your property is empty, and makes it easy for you to get your next rental, as the people already know and like the property.

Your property will particularly appeal to families if –

1. You are near a good school
2. The property has good public transport links
3. The property has access to a secure pool
4. The property has a garden
5. The kitchen, living and dining space is generous and open plan

Steps you can take to attract family tenants

1. Get and install a stairgate
2. Make one of the bedrooms child friendly, by putting in bunkbeds or a desk
3. If there is space which could be used as a playroom, illustrate this by putting in some toys and a play mat for example
4. Brighten up the kitchen with a lick of paint or some new doors, as this is probably the biggest selling room in a family home

If you want to find out more about renting long-term, or would like advice on appealing to a particular market please contact us. We have a dedicated long-term rental website HomeRentalontheWeb, a lot of clients looking for long-term rentals and over a decade of experience managing long-term tenants. We can handle everything for you from inventory, to contracts, inspections and rent collection to ensure your tenants are happy and your property is being well looked after. Please contact us for more information.