Find the Best Website to List a Rental Property: Complete Guide

When it comes to finding the best website to list a rental property, not all platforms are created equal.

The right rental listing site for your property depends on a variety of factors, including the type of property (single-family home, a multi-unit apartment complex, or something in between), its location, your budget, and the kind of tenant you want to attract. Considering these factors—type of property, geographical reach, and marketing goals—can simplify the selection process.

In this guide, we’ll categorize the top rental listing sites to help you find the right match for your specific needs. This way, you can focus on what really matters—filling your vacancies quickly with the right tenants.

Best Rental Listing Sites Based on Need

To make the process of choosing the right rental listing site easier, it’s important to categorize these platforms based on the specific needs of your property and business goals.

Whether you're looking to reach a broad audience quickly, target specific geographic areas, or find the most cost-effective solution, there’s a platform that fits your criteria.

Single-Family Home Listings

Best Sites: Zillow Rental Manager, Realtor.com, and Facebook Marketplace

Why: These platforms are ideal for single-family homes because they offer broad reach and are user-friendly, making it easy to create attractive listings. They also provide built-in tenant screening tools, helping you find the right tenant quickly.

Multi-Unit Property Listings

Best Sites: Apartments.com, Rent.com, and Zumper

Why: Multi-unit properties often require platforms that can handle multiple listings simultaneously and offer detailed search filters to attract the right tenants. These sites are built to handle the complexity of multi-unit management, with features like bulk listing uploads and integration with property management software.

Compared to other rental listing sites, these platforms provide superior tools and functionalities tailored for multi-unit properties.

Specific Geographic Areas

Best Sites: Trulia, HotPads, and Walk Score, and Dwellsy

Why: If location is a critical factor for your property, these platforms allow potential tenants to search based on specific neighborhoods, transit options, and proximity to local amenities. Dwellsy stands out for its focus on accurate listings with verified locations, making it a strong contender for properties where geographic precision is essential.

DoorLoop allows you to list your properties on Dwellsy directly, ensuring you reach a location-conscious audience with ease.

Attracting High-Quality Tenants

Best Sites: Apartments.com, and Rentometer

Why: These sites offer advanced tenant screening options and premium listing features that attract serious renters. They can be particularly useful if your goal is to find tenants with strong credit and rental histories.

Budget-Conscious Listings

Best Sites: Facebook Marketplace, and RentalSource

Why: If keeping costs down is a priority, these platforms offer free or low-cost listing options while still reaching a large audience. However, be aware of the trade-offs, such as limited screening tools or a higher incidence of less serious inquiries.

Best Sites for Listing Rentals: Real-Life Scenarios

Choosing the right rental listing site depends on your specific situation. To help with this, let's look at some real-life scenarios that illustrate how different listing sites can impact the rental process.

Budget-Conscious Property in a Suburban Area

Scenario: You’re listing a budget-friendly property in a suburban neighborhood and want to minimize costs while still reaching a wide audience.

Rental Listing Site Suggestions:

• Facebook Marketplace offers a free listing option with the added benefit of tapping into a broad and active user base. However, you might need to be prepared for a more hands-on approach to manage inquiries and filter out potential tenants.
• Rentler is another free option that provides a straightforward platform for listing properties. Rentler also includes features like online rental applications and tenant screening.

Outcome: Both Facebook Marketplace and Rentler offer cost-effective solutions for listing your budget-friendly property. Facebook Marketplace allows you to reach a large and diverse audience quickly, though it may require more manual effort to manage inquiries. Rentler, on the other hand, provides free listings along with useful features like online applications and tenant screening, which can streamline the process and reduce your workload.

By using these platforms in tandem, you can maximize your property’s exposure while keeping costs to a minimum, ensuring a balanced approach to finding the right prospective tenants.

Multi-Unit Property in Chicago

Scenario: You’re managing a multi-unit building in Chicago and need to fill vacancies quickly while keeping management tasks organized.

Platform Comparison:

• Apartments.com is specifically designed for multi-unit properties, offering features like bulk listing uploads and advanced filtering options that help you target the right tenants efficiently. It’s a great choice if you’re looking to streamline the listing process across multiple units.
• Zumper provides another strong option, particularly for urban properties. With features like two-way matching, which pairs tenant preferences with property attributes, Zumper helps ensure you’re attracting tenants who are more likely to be a good fit. The platform’s syndication to other listing sites also broadens your reach, while its streamlined communication tools reduce the back-and-forth typically involved in managing inquiries.

Outcome: Apartments.com and Zumper both offer robust features for managing multiple listings, but Zumper’s additional matching and communication tools can save time and enhance the quality of your tenant interactions, making it a strong alternative for busy property managers. Additionally, Zumper facilitates online rent collection, simplifying cash flow management for landlords.

Luxury Apartment in New York

Scenario: You’re managing a high-end apartment in Manhattan and want to attract a professional tenant who values quality and location.

Platform Comparison:

• Zillow Rental Manager offers a broad audience and detailed search filters, allowing you to highlight the luxury amenities and prime location of the property. Its large user base and advanced tools can help you reach serious renters who are specifically looking for upscale properties.
• Realtor.com allows you to tag your listing by neighborhood, ensuring that potential tenants can easily find properties in the most desirable areas. Additionally, you can emphasize premium features such as high-end finishes, concierge services, and exclusive amenities. Realtor.com’s association with the trusted Realtor brand also adds credibility, making your listing more appealing to discerning renters.

Outcome: Both Zillow and Realtor.com are well-suited for marketing luxury apartments. Zillow offers a vast audience with advanced search capabilities, while Realtor.com provides a trusted platform that allows you to highlight neighborhood-specific and premium features.

Using these platforms in conjunction with property management software can further streamline the process, ensuring you attract and secure the ideal tenant quickly, while also managing ongoing rental processes like rent payments efficiently.

Enhancing Your Rental Listings to Attract Quality Tenants

While choosing the right platform is crucial, how you present your rental properties on these listing sites can significantly impact the speed and quality of tenant inquiries.

Here are some best practices to ensure your listings stand out and attract the right tenants:

High-Quality Photos and Virtual Tours

Why It Matters: First impressions are everything, especially in online listings. High-quality photos can make your property more appealing and generate more interest. If possible, include a virtual tour to give potential tenants a comprehensive view of the space.

Tip: Invest in professional photography or, at the very least, ensure your photos are well-lit and highlight the best features of the property. A virtual tour can also help to attract out-of-town tenants who may not be able to visit in person.

DoorLoop’s software allows you to organize and display these visuals effectively across multiple listing sites, ensuring your property makes a strong first impression.

To do this, select Rentals from the main menu, then click on Properties. In the list of properties that appear, click on the residential property you want to list.

Now navigate to the Overview tab and click View Settings.

From the Settings tab, click General Information.

In the Edit Property window, click Photos on the left-rail menu.

Detailed and Accurate Listing Descriptions

Why It Matters: A well-crafted description provides essential information and helps potential tenants envision themselves living in the space. Be sure to highlight key amenities, unique features, and any recent upgrades.

Tip: Use descriptive language that appeals to your target tenant. For example, if you’re listing a luxury apartment, emphasize features like high-end appliances, spacious layouts, or breathtaking views.

DoorLoop’s software allows you to create detailed and accurate property descriptions that are automatically syndicated to multiple listing sites like Zillow, Dwellsy, and RentalSource. This ensures that all your listings are consistent and professionally presented, saving you time and effort.

In the Edit Property window, select Amenities from the left-hand menu. Check the boxes next to the amenities that the property offers.

In the General Information section, this is where you can add the key details for your unit—Market Rent, Size, Beds, and Baths—along with a detailed description.

With DoorLoop, you can easily list your property across multiple sites like Zillow, Dwellsy, and RentalSource, all from one place. This feature saves you time and ensuresyour property is consistently presented across all platforms, maximizing your reach and attracting the right tenants.

Keeping Listings Updated and Responding to Market Changes

Even after your listings are live, the work isn’t done. To stay competitive and attract the best tenants, it's important to keep your listings fresh and responsive to the market.

The rental market is dynamic, with prices, demand, and tenant preferences changing often. Keeping your listings updated ensures they stay relevant and helps you adjust quickly to market conditions, maximizing your chances of filling vacancies.

Tip: Regularly review your listings for accuracy and appeal. Update photos, descriptions, and pricing as needed to reflect any changes in the property or the market. Consider seasonality and market trends—what worked in the summer might need tweaking in the winter.

How to Stay Ahead:

• Monitor Market Trends: Keep an eye on local rental rates, demand for certain amenities, and tenant expectations. Use this information to adjust your listings accordingly.
• Respond to Feedback: If potential tenants consistently ask about features that aren’t highlighted in your listings, consider updating your descriptions or photos to address these interests.
• Seasonal Adjustments: Depending on the time of year, certain features may become more or less attractive. For example, emphasize outdoor spaces in the spring and summer, and highlight cozy indoor amenities in the fall and winter

Best Rental Listing Sites for 2024

Below is a list of the top rental websites for 2024, each offering unique benefits to help you attract the right tenants quickly and efficiently.

1. Zillow Rental Manager

• Best For: Comprehensive Property Management
• Key Features: Free listings, tenant screening tools, integrated communication, and lease agreements
• Why It Stands Out: Zillow Rental Manager offers a suite of tools that cater to both landlords and tenants, with syndication to Trulia and Zillow for maximum exposure

2. Apartments.com

• Best For: Multi-Unit Properties
• Key Features: Detailed property listings, premium listing options, 35 million annual renters
• Why It Stands Out: Apartments.com attracts a large audience and provides detailed property highlights, making it ideal for multi-unit properties and those in competitive markets

3. Realtor.com®

• Best For: Broad Reach and Visibility
• Key Features: Free listings, integration with Avail for tenant screening
• Why It Stands Out: Realtor.com® is a trusted platform with extensive reach, making it ideal for landlords looking to maximize exposure

4. Rent.com

• Best For: Broad Syndication
• Key Features: Simultaneous posting to multiple rental sites, online rental applications
• Why It Stands Out: Rent.com’s ability to post across multiple sites at once makes it a powerful tool for landlords wanting to reach a wide audience without the hassle of managing multiple listings

5. Trulia

• Best For: Community Insights
• Key Features: Local amenities, school rankings, crime statistics, and public transit information
• Why It Stands Out: Trulia’s focus on community insights makes it a great option for landlords who want to highlight the strengths of their property’s location

6. Facebook Marketplace

• Best For: Budget-Conscious Listings
• Key Features: Free listings, ability to post in Facebook groups, up to 50 photos per listing
• Why It Stands Out: Facebook Marketplace’s vast audience and no-cost listing option make it an attractive choice for budget-conscious landlords

7. Zumper

• Best For: Cost-Effective Listings
• Key Features: Free listings (up to 10 properties), two-way matching system, syndication with PadMapper
• Why It Stands Out: Zumper’s free listing option and effective matching system make it a strong choice for landlords in metropolitan areas

8. Dwellsy

• Best For: Fee-Free Listings
• Key Features: No listing fees, search results tailored to renter preferences
• Why It Stands Out: Dwellsy’s truly free listing service and user-focused search results make it a standout platform for landlords looking to avoid fees

9. RentalSource

• Best For: Free, Simple Listings
• Key Features: Free listings, broad syndication, easy-to-use interface
• Why It Stands Out: RentalSource allows landlords to list residential properties for free while ensuring broad visibility through syndication to other sites

10. Rentometer

• Best For: Setting Competitive Prices
• Key Features: Rent comparisons, historical rent trends, QuickView™ rent estimates
• Why It Stands Out: Rentometer helps landlords make data-driven pricing decisions by offering detailed rent comparisons and historical data

Each listing site we've explored offers unique strengths tailored to different property types and goals. From Zillow Rental Manager’s comprehensive property management tools to Rentometer’s detailed rent comparisons, there is a site for every need.