How to get tenants for a hidden property

Landlords dream of finding tenants for their property fast. This can be tricky for a property that has been set up in a hard-to-find place.
Hakim Lubega, a landlord in Nansana, had to deal with the hardship of looking for tenants for his property in Nsangi on Masaka road. “It took me a year and six months to get my first tenant,” he says adding: “I persevered because I knew I had built my rentals with all that a tenant would require.”
Monica Nalule, a real estate developer and broker tips on how to solve this problem.

Advertise
Although most landlords tend to ignore advertising because of cost, it is unavoidable when it comes to secluded property.
“Since the property is hidden from the eyes of the public, it is ideal for the landlord to advertise it,” Nalule says. “Sometimes people may not seek out the property because they don’t know whether it is for rent. Advertising is key in any business and the real estate business is no different,” she adds.

Be connected
Nalule says the real estate market has diversified and it is has actually helped both landlords and tenants.
“A landlord who is well connected can have their property occupied in no time no matter where it is located,” she says.
Nalule adds that having close relationships with people in the real estate market such as brokers and property managers can help get your property rented since they know the dynamics of the trade.
“Most people tend to lock all these out and hope to do all the work themselves, which is not possible.”

Competitive pricing
Tobias Aine, a broker with Marie Brokers in Kawempe, says while a lot of property owners are reluctant to reduce rent prices, this can help to attract prospective tenants.
“If you are struggling to find good tenants, try making rent prices as friendly as possible. This would then attract someone who would have thought of saving for lets say, transport,” he says.
Aine adds that landlords should always aim to have the best tenants since a bad tenant can cost you far more than rent reduction.

Self contained
Aine says even the architectural design of the property tells whether it will or won’t be occupied.
“You cannot have a secluded property that is not self-contained. People will for example fear to get out late in the night to ease themselves if there is no inside toilet,” he says.

Security
Fredrick Otim, a security personnel with Pinnacle Security, says in most cases, secluded properties are prone to theft, robbery and all kinds of insecurity.
He adds that landlords can install a smart motion lighting system in areas that are known to be dark, such as corners of the home, sheds, separate garages, wooded areas and in any other location that does not receive enough light when it gets dark.

Have a niche
The real estate market is too competitive and having a niche can help. “Focus on a single entity for example hotels, resorts, rentals, shops, tourist motels, lodges, so that people can identify you easily,” Nalule advises.

Other factors
Herbert Nkukke, a property dealer, says consider other factors such as working on the road network to the property, handling the drainage systems and the entire cleanliness of the area can attract people to a secluded property.

Adverts
Social media Post your property on your social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter and ask your friends and followers to ‘re-post’, ‘tweet’ or ‘share’.
Ask tenantMost outgoing tenants are happy to help their landlords find a tenant replacement – mostly because they are eager to get their deposits back in full. Some tenants are even happy to carry out viewing for you.

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