Start with the opening photo
It is the only thing 90% of people will ever see of your unit. A dark, portrait photo taken in the evening scrolls past without stopping anyone.
Take the main photo in daylight, in landscape, from the most open angle of the brightest room. Tidy up first. That one photo decides how many showings you get.
Write a title that locates, not one that boasts
"Gorgeous renovated 4½" says nothing useful. "Bright 4½, Plateau, 3 min from Mont-Royal metro" says everything a good candidate is looking for: size, neighbourhood, transit.
Always lead with the neighbourhood and transit. That is what filters in the right candidates and filters out the tire-kickers.
Anchor the price in the real market
Do not guess. Look at three or four comparable units available right now in the same area, with the same number of rooms, and position yourself honestly.
A unit priced $100 over market does not get $100 more: it mostly gets silence, then a price drop that could have been avoided.
Decide your screening criteria before the first showing
Write down in advance what you will ask each candidate and how you will decide. The same criteria, applied the same way to everyone.
It is faster, more defensible, and it is what the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms requires: a refusal can never rest on a discriminatory ground. For the lease and your obligations, refer to the Tribunal administratif du logement.
Prepare your availability, not just your listing
A unit rents at the speed you reply. Before you publish, decide who answers messages, how fast, and which showing windows you offer — ideally evenings and weekends.
The best listing in the world is useless if nobody can see the place for three days.
The checklist before you hit "publish"
- Opening photo in daylight, landscape, room tidied
- At least 8 photos, including kitchen, bathroom and every bedroom
- Title: neighbourhood + transit + number of rooms
- Honest description: what is included (heating, hot water, parking)
- Price compared to 3 real listings in the area
- Exact availability date
- Screening criteria written in advance
- Showing windows on evenings and weekends
- A reply rule: who answers, and how fast
Nothing on this list costs a dollar of rent. Together, these nine points are the difference between a listing that sits for three weeks and one that rents in a few days.
