Owners who rent out apartments know from their own experience how difficult it can be to do this on their own. You need to submit the right advertisement, communicate on the phone with potential tenants, show the apartment and do much more. I have been renting apartments for over 10 years. I rented to a completely different crowd: from couples with children to the Chinese and Vietnamese. Many of my former tenants want to come back to me, I continue to communicate with some: I get their hair cut, consult with them, call them to do repairs.

I am often asked questions:

• How to find good tenants?
• How not to get confused in the procedure for renting an apartment?
• What needs to be provided?

I suggest using step-by-step instructions.

Step one. Researching the market

Before renting out an apartment, you need to research the rental housing market and do at least a minimal analysis of competitors.

When studying the main websites for real estate rental, pay attention to prices, photographs of apartments, advertisement text, what furniture and household appliances are in the apartment.

The rental price is affected not only by the quality of repairs. The cost is determined by the location, quality and condition of the house itself, transport accessibility and a number of other factors. It is advisable to compare the level of housing prices with the location of the apartment in your city/district and the presence of furniture and household appliances in it. Also, you most likely know what type of apartment your apartment is: economy class, business class or luxury.

Taken together, the research you conduct will help determine not only the rental price of the apartment, but will also paint a portrait of potential tenants.

Step two. We are preparing the apartment for rent

How to prepare an apartment for new tenants?

If we talk about an economy-class apartment, the main thing is to make it presentable, but not to overdo it with renovations, because your costs may not pay off for a long time.

The first thing to do is take out all the trash. Next, check the plumbing and electrical fixtures to protect both yourself and your tenant from potential problems. Have you changed your wallpaper for a long time? The linoleum is no good, and are there stains on the ceiling from old leaks? Change it!

Even with minor cosmetic repairs, your apartment will take on a more well-groomed and tidy appearance, which is the most the best way will affect the search for tenants.

Be sure to wash, iron and polish everything you can until it shines - let it shine and sparkle!

Furnish your apartment with the essentials and don’t forget about household appliances: refrigerator, washing machine, TV. But remember, if you rent out a budget apartment and install expensive household appliances in it, then the rent will not increase much. But if the tenants break your super electronics, then you will suffer significant losses. However, in any case, you should not fill the apartment to capacity. There are often cases when tenants do not need any furniture or household appliances - they move in with everything of their own.

If there are any of your personal belongings left in the apartment, then it is better to take them. Pay off all your existing utility debts, turn off your landline phone or at least your 8 dial.

If we are talking about a higher-class apartment, then it is advisable to put it in complete order. This way you will increase its status and be able to find suitable tenants.

Step three. Taking a photo of the apartment

Choosing an apartment begins with photographs, so this step is extremely important. The kind of pictures you accompany your advertisement for renting an apartment largely determines how quickly you will find tenants. It is necessary to very competently show the advantages of the apartment for rent. I don’t insist on professional photos, for which you have to pay money. But if you want, you can take great pictures yourself.

Before taking photos, take a look around the apartment again, create comfort. Make yourself want to rent your apartment! It is better to take photographs in sunny weather. Don't skimp, take a lot of pictures, good and different. Don't forget about the bathroom with toilet, kitchen and hallway. The more quality and beautiful photos you add to your ad, the easier it will be for residents to make a decision and rent your apartment!

Step four. Making an ad

Our goal is to write a great ad for renting an apartment. Almost a masterpiece. To do this, we indicate all the advantages in the ad. And more details. Be sure to write if you did any repairs. Balcony, separate or combined bathroom, kitchen area - all this must be reflected in the ad. In order not to reinvent the wheel, select the five best, in your opinion, advertisements posted on the site. Take from them what suits your apartment and add Additional information about the furniture, appliances and excellent neighbors in the apartment.

If you are not ready to rent out your apartment to tenants with children, animals, smokers, or prefer tenants of a certain nationality - all this must also be indicated in the advertisement.

Your ad should ideally follow the AIDA formula (attention, interest, desire, action). It should be such that tenants not only want to rent your apartment, but want to urgently grab the phone and call you, fearing that the apartment will be taken away from under their noses.

When you compose your ad, be sure to check the text for grammatical errors and typos.

Step five. We place an ad on the website

I advise you to place your ad on top sites. They are all heard. If in doubt, ask your friends or colleagues what databases they use when looking for an apartment or renting out their own. There is no need to place an ad on dozens of sites. Usually placement on several rating resources is enough.

We usually do not pay money for posting an ad. But, as practice shows, given the current state of the housing rental market, it is worth posting paid advertisements. In this case, the rate of renting out an apartment increases significantly.

Yes, and don’t forget about the photo! The best. And more.

Step six. We communicate by phone

And now you have waited for the first calls. Speak calmly and confidently. Not only answer the questions yourself, but also clarify information about potential tenants. Perhaps you are not satisfied with something about the tenants already during the telephone conversation, so why then waste time inspecting the apartment? Be sure to inquire about the composition and number of residents. Don't be afraid to ask about what's listed in the ad. If you do not want to allow tenants with a dog, then it would be a good idea to check again if there are any pets.

If you and the potential tenants are happy with everything, arrange to view the apartment.

In my experience, it is better to schedule meetings at approximately the same time with a difference of 10–20 minutes for several tenants at once. Not everyone comes to the meeting. Can you imagine how frustrating it can be when you waste time, arrive, and no one shows up? So don't be shy: it's a market. I assure you, residents negotiate in the same way for one day with several apartment owners at once and choose what suits them.

Step seven. Showing the apartment

It is advisable to arrive a little earlier than potential tenants. Ventilate the apartment, open the curtains or turn on the light, add pleasant music - create a feeling of warmth and comfort.

If you like the tenants, make them fall in love with your apartment. Don't follow them around silently, only answering questions. Talk, show, tell short stories related to the apartment, give arguments in your favor. Try to please yourself. In other words, be a good salesman of yourself!

If tenants trust you, they will be much more likely to rent your apartment.

If visitors are not ready to make a decision right away, do not mutter something inarticulate under your breath: from my own experience I know that many of those who leave later return.

Step eight. We sign the agreement

Our ideal tenants have been found! Well, or not ideal, but quite suitable for us. It's a matter of contract. Prepare it in advance in duplicate. There are a lot of forms of contracts. Which one to choose is up to you. Just don’t forget to include in the contract the necessary items, the amount of the security deposit, take readings of all meters and take a photo of the tenant’s passport.

Conclusion

The apartment is rented. Open a bottle of champagne. You may find some of these points unnecessary. But I assure you, I have been doing all this exactly for many years (except perhaps for repairs) and I can say that following the instructions step by step does not take much time, but on the contrary, it structures the work and facilitates the process of renting out the apartment.

I will be glad if this helps you too.

The dream of many is to own several residential premises, rent them out and live happily ever after. Outwardly, it might look attractive, but in reality, renting is a huge headache for the landlord. We need to constantly solve a bunch of problems: tax, finding bona fide tenants, repairs, etc. Let’s try to figure out this difficult issue.

A step-by-step plan on how to rent out an apartment correctly

If you have a free apartment, it can be turned into a good additional income. Of course, you will encounter many difficulties, but they will mainly be at the initial stage.

Step one

The first stage is the preparatory stage; all that is required of you here is to research the market.

• Before posting an ad online or contacting an agency, you need to study what offers are already available, what landlords indicate in the ad, and review the offers of potential competitors.
• Explore well-known ad sites. Study their structure, text presentation, and what prices exist. It is worth paying attention to what the price tag depends on (area, availability of furniture, repairs, etc.).
• It is worth paying attention to the fact that the rental price will depend not only on the beautiful renovation. The cost is also influenced by such factors as: the area (the closer to the center, the more expensive it is), the presence of various infrastructure nearby ( entertainment centers, shops, kindergartens, etc.), transport accessibility, neighbors, condition of the apartment, area and many others.
• After conducting this research, you can already roughly estimate the cost of your premises.

Step two

The essence of this stage is preparing the apartment for rent. In any case, you will have to do at least minor cosmetic repairs to give the apartment a presentable look.

• Initially, you need to get rid of all the junk in the apartment, which is clearly not useful to future tenants. Different bedside tables in the style of the “Soviet Union” obviously will not give the apartment an attractive look. It is advisable to make the interior as modern as possible; “grandmother’s options” are not quoted today.
• The apartment must be equipped with all necessary small appliances and furniture. Of course, some landlords also offer unfurnished options, but such premises are unlikely to be in great demand, and their rent is much lower.
• Before renting out an apartment, you need to pay all existing (if any) debts for utility bills and remove personal belongings.
• Be sure to check the condition of the wiring, plumbing, household appliances, etc. If any emergency situation related to the malfunction of one or another device that was already in the apartment, you will have to deal with the consequences. It will be especially unpleasant if the tenant’s expensive equipment is damaged due to faulty wiring, the cost of which you will have to reimburse.

Before renting out an apartment, it is advisable to insure it (whether you are planning to rent legally or not), this way you will protect yourself from possible risks and costs in the future. When insuring property, you need to take into account any possible troubles: fire, flood, explosion, etc. If the rental is formalized, insurance is a mandatory item, but in this case the insurance premium will be slightly higher.

Which apartment will be in demand?

Of course, not every room will be of interest to potential residents. In order for an apartment to be in great demand and begin to generate income, it must meet certain requirements:

1. One of the main factors is the location of the apartment. Naturally, premises located closer to the center are in great demand and have a much higher cost. The location factor includes not only the city area, but also the general location of the living space. This includes the following points: sunny side, floor, corner apartment or not, etc.
2. Of course, tenants pay attention to beautiful and modern renovations. Even if the apartment is very clean and tidy, a room with European-quality renovation will be in much greater demand, and the rent in this case will be much higher.
3. Mobilization. Apartments with furniture and household appliances are more interesting to potential tenants. At a minimum, the apartment should have: a refrigerator, a gas stove, a TV, a sofa, a bed, a table, etc.

Step three

The next stage is already related to submitting an advertisement, but so far indirect. The task at this stage is to photograph the apartment correctly.

• A potential tenant will pay attention primarily to photographs of the premises. Therefore, they must be made with high quality, using a good camera.
• When photographing your premises, you need to show all its most advantageous aspects. Often, professional photographers are hired for this task, but you can handle this task yourself.
• Before you start taking photos, you need to take a close look at your apartment. Look from what angle this or that room will look more advantageous.
• Before the photo shoot, you must do a wet cleaning. Dust and dirt will be very noticeable in the photo, which will greatly spoil the view.
• It is advisable to make the photo look cozy; you can add a couple of accessories that will make the atmosphere more “homey”. Soft toys, pillows, flowers, etc. will help you cope with this task. If you feel sorry for leaving these things, you don’t have to leave them, but just capture them in a photo. After all, a potential tenant will not pay attention to these little things when inspecting the apartment live, but in the photo they create a nice, warm “picture”.
• It is better to conduct a photo session during daylight hours and preferably on a sunny day. In daylight, natural light, the room will seem more comfortable than in the artificial light of a chandelier.
• You need to take a lot of pictures, people are attracted by the abundance of pictures. The more high-quality photos you take, the higher your chances of renting out your premises.

Step four

This is one of the most important stages - writing an ad. It should have as much information as possible, but at the same time not be overloaded and difficult to understand.

• The ad must contain a description of the apartment, availability of a balcony, renovation, area, infrastructure, etc.
• It is necessary to indicate the features of the layout and the apartment itself (glazed balcony or not, combined or separate bathroom, sunny side or not, corner apartment, etc.).
• The text of the advertisement may also contain requirements for potential tenants, for example, someone rents out housing only to married couples, or exclusively to students. Each landlord has individual requirements, but you shouldn’t go to extremes and make inflated demands, especially if your apartment is in economy class.
• Before posting an ad on the site, you must check the text for errors, both spelling and punctuation, as well as speech and grammar. Be sure to read the text before sending to remove unnecessary repetitions and typos.

Step five

There will be no difficulties at this stage, because the main task here is to place an ad.

• You should choose the most popular sites with advertisements; this is easy to do; they are all well known. You should not place ads on little-known sites; people rarely visit them, but scammers often operate.
• You can advertise in the newspaper; this is one of the most reliable ways to protect yourself from scammers. But newspaper ads have disadvantages: you can't place photos, and often the size of the text in the column is limited.

Step six

Once the ad starts working, you will receive a lot of calls from potential clients. The very first telephone conversation is very important; the landlord must inspire confidence and clearly answer all the interlocutor’s questions.

• During the conversation you need to be polite, but do not try to impose your apartment on the client. It is enough to say a few words of praise and answer questions.
• When you first communicate with a potential tenant, you need to find out whether he agrees to your terms and meets the requirements (i.e., if you are looking for a non-smoking tenant, you must clarify this detail during the very first conversation so as not to waste time).
• If, based on the results of the telephone conversation, both of you are satisfied with everything, you need to arrange a meeting. If you have several tenants, it is advisable to schedule time for everyone on the same day with a difference of 20 minutes. This is done so as not to have to go to the apartment every time, and sometimes people don’t come to the meeting at all, so why bother yourself once again. There is nothing wrong with this; people looking for an apartment also consider several options.

Step seven

This stage is one of the most important – showing the apartment. At this moment you need to be as confident as possible in order to inspire confidence in the client.

• Before showing the apartment, you need to arrive before the tenant in order to have time to clean up and make it beautiful. And it’s just not nice to be late; the impression of you will be formed from the very first seconds.
• You need to show every room, including the kitchen, bathroom, etc. Be sure to tell how long ago the renovation was done, how nice the neighbors are, etc.
• When showing the premises, the landlord should also take a closer look at his future tenant. It is necessary to clarify once again with whom he is going to live, whether there are bad habits, small children, etc. (if this is fundamentally important, of course).
• If the client has doubts, do not put pressure on him. If you don’t like your premises, no amount of persuasion will help, but if a person is seriously interested, he will definitely return to you.
• Clients are not always familiar with the area in which the apartment is located; it is necessary to tell them what shops, infrastructure, etc. are nearby.
• It is not necessary to wait for every question; tell us about all the features of the apartment yourself (is there hot water, do you leave a washing machine, is there Internet and cable TV, etc.). But don’t be too intrusive in your story and don’t embellish the reality.

Step eight

This stage is purely formal - drawing up an agreement. The document must indicate the requirements for the tenant, failure to comply with which may result in the contract being terminated.

• The agreement must be drawn up in two copies: one remains with the landlord, and the second with the tenant.
• The document, in addition to the requirements for residents and the condition of the apartment, must indicate the amount of the monthly rent and the approximate length of stay of the residents, which can be specified specifically. Be sure to specify the conditions under which a tenant can be evicted from your home.
• Before drawing up an agreement, you need to record meter readings and photograph the passport of the future tenant in order to avoid unpleasant situations, or to avoid becoming a victim of a fraudster.

Mandatory clauses of the contract

1. The full names of both parties entering into the agreement, the passport details of the tenant and the landlord must be indicated.
2. Size rent, the terms within which the tenant is obliged to pay the rent. Additionally, the conditions for changing the cost should be indicated (if this clause is not present, the tenant does not have the right to increase the monthly payment);
3. How often can a tenant check the apartment? If you want to occasionally visit the tenants without warning, include a clause in the contract that allows you to do this. Without this instruction, the landlord can visit the tenants only after warning, but in this case he will not be able to protect himself from some of the risks described below.
4. The contract must indicate who pays for utilities. If the landlord agrees to bear these expenses (which is extremely rare), he also states this in the document.
5. If the owner of the apartment wants to impose any restrictions on the use of the apartment, he must indicate this in the contract.
6. The document should indicate a list of persons who will live in the apartment. The tenant must notify the landlord that additional people will live in the apartment and agree with him on the possibility of their accommodation. If necessary, additional persons can be included in the agreement.
7. Naturally, there must be conditions for terminating the contract; here you can indicate under what circumstances the tenant can be evicted.
8. Other conditions at the request of the apartment owner.

Sometimes clients are very meticulous people and may require some documents from you to ensure the purity of the transaction, here are the documents you should have with you in such a case:

1. passport (a copy is possible);
2. certificate of ownership of housing;
3. receipts that confirm the absence of debts for utilities.

This is a package of mandatory documents, the client can demand anything, but it is worth paying attention, if the requests of the future tenant seem quite strange to you, you should think about whether you need such a tenant.

Step nine

This is the most pleasant moment for the owner and the most unpleasant for the tenant - prepayment. Everything is simple here: the amount is discussed in advance, so no difficulties should arise. It is advisable to record all financial transactions and sign both parties to avoid misunderstandings in the future. Keep a special notebook for these purposes, where you will write the amount and sign that you received it, and the tenant will sign for giving it to you. Don't forget to indicate the number. Having such a notebook, you and your tenant will be sure that no questions regarding the financial part will arise; every time you can look at the records and check the availability of payment.

Main risks for the lessor

If you are going to rent out your apartment, be prepared for the fact that certain difficulties and unpleasant situations may arise. The landlord must always be mentally and physically prepared for all sorts of unpleasant situations.

Damage to property

Of course, the tenant will treat your property differently from his own. Be prepared that after each tenant you will have to do cosmetic repairs, especially if these are people with small children and animals. It is imperative to include a clause in the contract, by signing which the tenant undertakes to restore all property damaged by him.

Sublease

Recently, a very common type of fraud, especially in big cities. The scheme of this type of fraud is extremely simple: they rent an apartment from you, and then rent it out to other tenants, increasing the cost several times. Very often, rented apartments are rented out to guest workers using this scheme, since they live in groups of several people and a huge amount can be taken from them. It is very easy to uncover such a deception: most often, neighbors report that there are a lot of tenants in your apartment and they are behaving noisily. You can also sometimes visit tenants without warning.

Huge number of residents

This problem is similar to the previous one, but in this situation the tenant allows guests in free of charge. Some landlords are not embarrassed by the residence of numerous friends and lovers, especially if they do not cause much inconvenience (which is extremely rare). Sometimes tenants set up brothels or drug dens; be careful, because in such a situation the owner of the apartment will be held accountable to the law, even if he had no idea what was happening in it. You can also control this situation with the help of neighbors or personal visits.

Illegal actions of tenants

Sometimes there are cases when tenants steal, set fire, or sell property from the apartment. It is to prevent such situations that you need to photograph the passport of the person you are going to let into your home. This problem needs to be solved with the help of the police, since this is already a criminal offense. If a person refuses to show his passport, think a thousand times whether you should trust him and for what purposes he needs your apartment.

You can avoid such unpleasant situations by renting out your apartment officially, but in this case you will lose a little in income, but you will completely protect yourself from fraud. You just need to choose a real estate agency with a good reputation (look at the recommendations of famous realtors, reviews on the Internet, etc.), and the company’s employees will help you find responsible tenants, conduct an inventory of the property, draw up and execute an agreement, etc.

Fines

In law Russian Federation Income from apartment rentals is subject to taxes. If you want to rent out an apartment unofficially, you risk running into a huge fine. In addition, a person who avoids filing a tax return risks being imprisoned for six months (if the amount of unpaid taxes is more than one hundred thousand rubles).

Tax system

If you want to do everything according to the law and formalize the lease, you will be required to pay taxes on your income. For individuals There is a standard procedure for paying personal income tax. An individual entrepreneur can choose from several offers:

• General taxation regime. In this case, the lessor is obliged to pay 13% of his income and collect certificates confirming that the calculations were carried out correctly.
• Simplified taxation system. Here the tax contribution is calculated based on income, but on average it is about 6% of total income.
• Patent taxation system. In this case, there is no specific interest rate. There is no need to pay taxes at all, but you will need to buy a patent, which is quite expensive. The cost of a patent is different in each region. Additionally, with such a system it is necessary to make contributions to tax funds.

Trying to reduce the percentage of tax deductions, some tenants specify in the contract a rental amount lower than the real one, but this method is illegal. The agency will tell the owner in more detail about all possible taxation systems, and they will definitely help you choose the most profitable option.

Daily apartment rental

You can rent out an apartment not only for long term, but also daily and even hourly. This type of business is much riskier. The most the best option For daily rental is a one-room apartment, since utility bills will be much lower, it is much easier to make modern renovations in a one-room apartment, as a result of which the rent can be made much higher.

The ideal location for an apartment for daily rent is an area near the station or city center. Why these particular areas? Because mainly business travelers are interested in such apartments.

Pros of daily rental

• If necessary, you can always use the apartment (if at that moment there are no residents there);
• Good income. Such apartments are in great demand, especially during the holidays (but in this case there is a risk of property damage, do not forget to take all the precautions described above);
• With this type of lease, registration of an individual entrepreneur is not required;
• If the apartment is initially in good condition, this is a good source of income from scratch, requiring only advertising and a little preparation of the premises.

Disadvantages of daily rental

• Neighbors' complaints. Sometimes tenants are very loud, but this problem can be easily solved by choosing clients responsibly. Some neighbors are concerned about the constant flow of strangers.
• Some clients do not behave entirely responsibly and can damage your property. To protect yourself from these types of problems and the financial costs associated with them, always take a photograph of each client's passport.

At daily rental apartments there is a certain list of expenses, it includes such items as:

1. Tax contributions (if you are going to register as an individual entrepreneur);
2. Advertising materials (you can use free sites with advertisements, but this method is less effective, since advertisements are posted on such “boards” every minute and yours will go down to the very bottom very quickly. And in order for the advertisement to be pinned at the top, you will have to pay for it );
3. Cleaning the home and washing bed linen. You can avoid these expenses and do the steps yourself, but then you will spend most of your life tidying up your apartment. It is much easier to contact a cleaning company.
4. The cost of consumables (usually very small), such as toilet paper, soap, sugar, tea, etc.
5. Payment of utility services. With daily rent, it will no longer be possible to “hang” this expense item on the residents.

Renting out an apartment is a good way to earn extra money. But, like any business, it has its pitfalls and certain risks. At first, not everything may work out, and at first the income will only cover the initial expenses, but after a certain amount of time, the apartment will become an excellent source of income. Renting an apartment is not difficult either on your own or with the help of an agency, but it is worth remembering that tax evasion in the Russian Federation is a criminal offense.

How to rent out an apartment without intermediaries? What are the features of renting an apartment through an agency? How much will I earn if I rent out an apartment or room for a long term?

Hello to everyone who stopped by! In touch, an expert from the popular online magazine “HeatherBober” - Denis Kuderin.

Today we will talk about how to rent out an apartment competently, safely and profitably. The article will be useful to anyone who has additional real estate on which you want to start your own small business.

At the end of the article, a guaranteed bonus awaits you - an overview of the most reliable companies in the Russian Federation that will help you rent out your property on the most favorable terms for its owner.

1. Renting out an apartment as a business

If you have an apartment in addition to the one in which you live, and this living space is idle, eating up money for maintenance, you can always turn it into a source of additional income.

At the same time, you will have to work hard only at the initial stage - preparing the property for rent and searching for tenants. And then your only task will be to receive your regular rent on time. An ideal example of passive income is “we sit and the money flows.”

True, you will still have to periodically monitor the condition of the apartment, troubleshoot problems and breakdowns in a timely manner, and monitor the level of loyalty of residents. But if you wish, you can delegate this part of the work to a property management company.

In this situation, you can rent out an apartment and go abroad, to the village with your grandfather or to South coast Crimea for permanent residence. In this case, all rental concerns will be transferred to a trusted person, and you will only have to withdraw money from the account and spend it at your own discretion.

Read about what professional means in a separate article.

The main thing in renting an apartment is to correctly assess the profitability of this enterprise. When renting out real estate for temporary use, you need to take into account all the factors that in one way or another can affect the cost of rent: only in this case will you be able to set an adequate market price for rent.

And you also need to decide in advance whether you will act independently or involve professional realtors in the procedure. Both options have their pros and cons.

The basic rule is this: if you need to rent out an apartment right now - you are leaving, you urgently need money - it is better to attract agents from a reliable real estate company or with an impeccable reputation. If time is of the essence, act on your own. The only condition is that you must have at least minimal experience in real estate transactions.

And one more important nuance - you need to be able to understand people. You will have to decide for yourself whether the tenant you have chosen is reliable or whether it is worth looking for another candidate.

Mistakes cannot be made: a dishonest tenant means late payments or a complete lack thereof, damage to property, complaints from neighbors, floods and fires, perhaps even calls to the police. Do you need this?

The table shows the main advantages and disadvantages of renting an apartment independently and with the help of an intermediary:

Step 3. We are looking for tenants

I have already told you where to look above. Here I will note that although the search for candidates is the most important stage of the process, you should not get hung up on it. Tenants who are 100% ideal are rare.

Example

One of my friends got married and moved into an apartment with her husband. She decided to rent out her one-room apartment and approached the search for tenants thoroughly. She consistently rejected about 30 applicants.

Some had a cat, others were too young and cheerful, others seemed to her not sufficiently wealthy, etc. As a result, the search for tenants dragged on for many months, and the friend lost sleep, peace and almost quarreled with her new husband.

Universal advice - give preference to married couples in which both spouses work and have a stable salary.

Step 4. We arrange a meeting and show the apartment

Before agreeing on a showing, conduct a preliminary conversation and ask the applicant security questions. If there is something alarming in the answers, do not take risks - say directly: “I’m sorry, but your candidacy does not suit me.”

At the meeting, have a second conversation with the potential tenant. If the impression is positive, lead and show.

Step 5. Collecting documents

Tenants are also not immune. They must be confident in the purity of the transaction and your integrity. Therefore, collect documents in case the tenant asks to see them.

The required package includes:

• passport (a copy is possible);
• certificate of ownership of housing;
• receipts confirming the absence of debts for housing and communal services.

If someone other than you is registered in the apartment, you will also need the written consent of these people to rent out the apartment.

Step 6. We conclude an agreement

You can rent out an apartment informally and officially. In the first case, you will receive more (13% tax will not be deducted), but you will not have any guarantees of the safety of your property.

An agreement is evidence of civil law relations between the parties. This is your insurance in case conflicts, misunderstandings and disputes arise. The absence of an agreement can become a tool of pressure from the tenant - they say, you are not deducting tax on the rent, which means you can wait for payments.

The contract must specify the conditions under which you rent the apartment, the timing of the monthly payment, and the amount of the first advance payment, if any. Certain points relate to the safety of your property, the liability of the parties in case of violation of the agreement, and the conditions for early termination of the contract.

For example, if neighbors complain about noise, the owner has the right to evict the tenants within 3 days or a week without refund of rent.

Step 7 We receive an advance payment

The agreement suits both parties, everyone is happy and smiling. All that remains is to receive an advance payment - this will be the beginning of a long, mutually beneficial partnership. It is advisable to document all financial calculations. So that there is no: “I paid you last week, did you forget?”, “How about another 2000, I paid the full amount?”

If you doubt your abilities or some points are not clear to you, it is better to clarify them in advance. Take advantage of modern digital technologies - get online advice from professional lawyers on the Lawyer resource.

Thousands of qualified specialists in all areas of law, including housing lawyers, collaborate with the resource. You can contact them via chat or by phone numbers listed below.

You can get competent legal support right now - the site operates around the clock.

4. Professional assistance in renting out an apartment - review of the TOP 5 real estate agencies

The promised bonus is a review of the five most reliable agencies that will help you rent out an apartment quickly and safely.

The oldest real estate company in the capital. It has an extensive network of representative offices - in Moscow alone, 120 branches operate according to a single standard. Engaged in any real estate transactions, including the rental of private apartments.

Experienced agents guarantee that your property will be delivered promptly, legally and profitably. Realtors with many years of experience will help you realize any property - from a room to residential area and ending with an elite cottage in the Moscow region. The legal purity of the contract is monitored by the company's in-house lawyers.

A specialized real estate agency with many years of experience in the capital's market. The company has an extensive information base and a staff of qualified employees. The main principle of the company is a responsible attitude to the fulfillment of each order.

Realtors are responsible for the correct preparation lease agreement and take into account, first of all, the interests of home owners. By choosing Alma, you can be confident in the safety of your property and timely payment.

3) Inkom

One of the largest real estate companies in the Russian Federation. Work experience in the housing market – 25 years. Leader of the Moscow region. It has branches in dozens of cities in the Russian Federation. The scope of activity covers all areas of the real estate market. Will help you rent out an apartment in a new building, in the suburbs, in business center capital Cities. The staff includes only proven agents with a large number of successful contracts.

Moscow agency specializing in luxury real estate. The company guarantees that your housing will not be rented out to the first comer: employees will check each candidate to determine his solvency and integrity.

At the same time, the company guarantees to deliver your property in 1-2 days for the maximum market price. Within an hour after the call, a professional photographer will come to you and take pictures of the apartment, after which specialists will evaluate the property and determine its rental value.

Full range of services in the real estate market. Work experience since 1997. 8 branches in Moscow and dozens of representative offices in other cities of the Russian Federation. Additional services in the field of housing assessment, consulting and analytics.

There are 2 ways to rent an apartment through an agency: call (calls are accepted from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) or fill out an online application. The apartment will be rented at the market price, and the final choice of residents will be made by the owner of the property. Each client receives property and civil liability insurance as a gift.

5. What you should be prepared for – 4 main risks for a landlord

When renting out an apartment, be prepared for certain risks. People are not as careful about other people's property as they are about their own.

In addition, there are a huge number of scammers in the housing market who are ready to profit at your expense.

We list the main types of risks for apartment owners.

Risk 1. Damage to property

This is the most likely risk when renting a property. As a rule, owners rent out furniture and household appliances along with living space. Sometimes this is a very valuable property that you want to get back safe and sound. And decorating an apartment often costs a lot of money.

This risk can be minimized in two ways - include a clause in the contract regarding the tenants’ liability for damage to property and insure the decoration, furniture and household appliances with an insurance company.

I periodically see posts about renting/renting apartments and always read them with interest, but... to my regret, I didn’t get anything right (I emphasize, right for me). But under each text on this topic, a serious holivar of white and black roses unfolds, in which both parties to the transaction, the landlord and the employer, participate. True, there is also a third party who does not rent or rent apartments, but knows better than anyone how this is done. But there is a third party in any issue discussed, so we will not pay attention to it.

In fact, realtors also participate in disputes, but for some reason neither side likes them. Realtors are evil! – I read this somewhere in the comments. Although it is not clear why.

Here I want to talk about personal experience like I do. I don’t pretend to be the truth, I don’t plan to argue, I don’t insist that “this is the only right thing,” I’m just sharing my experience of renting out apartments in Moscow and the Moscow region.

How do I look for clients

Everything is simple and banal, a realtor helps me. I don’t have the time or desire to look for tenants myself, talk to them on the phone, answer questions, travel and show the apartment. All this is done by the realtor, to whom I voiced the requirements for tenants. And although he is not responsible for the selected residents, he filters them at the selection stage, according to my requirements.

Requirements for tenants

They are simple and uncomplicated. Family (desirable), with a child (desirable), permanent registration in the Russian Federation (required). Possibly with animals.

Why is continuous registration necessary? These are purely my internal cockroaches, but this seems more reliable to me than it would be a foreign migrant.

Why a family with a child? It's very simple - I don't rent out housing for a month or two. It is more convenient and profitable for me to rent at the lower price limit, but for many years, so if it is a family with a child, then the chance that they will not move out of the apartment in a year is very high. This is why I always give them temporary registration for kindergarten/school (they won’t take it without it) if they ask for it.

Housing cost

As written above, it is at the lower price limit on the market and never increases, except in cases of a sharp increase in tariffs for housing and communal services (which has not happened yet), or in the situation described below.

There are people who spend several months looking for tenants because the price of an apartment is so high. And, of course, sooner or later they find it. But there is a considerable risk that very soon the residents will find other housing of similar quality, but much lower in price. And there is one more thing - for example, renting an apartment costs 50 rubles per month. This is the maximum price for such apartments. The owner has been looking for clients for a month, two, three, but does not reduce the price. As a result, he finds, but for three months the apartment did not bring profit, in the end he will receive 450 rubles in 9 months, although if he had reduced the price, even to 40 rubles/month, he would have rented it out immediately and had would be 480 rubles per year. As you understand, this example is greatly exaggerated, but I think it is correct. Because residents of an expensive apartment will find more cheap option and they will move out, and the owner will again waste several months looking for tenants.

Deposit

I didn’t invent this, but I use it. Upon arrival at the apartment, payment for the first month of residence and a deposit in the amount of the monthly payment are taken. You must return this deposit to the tenants upon their departure. Moreover, you should not agree to the tenants’ proposal to count this deposit as payment for the last month. This deposit is your guarantee that if the keys are returned to you and property damage is discovered due to the fault of the tenants, you will not have to pay out of your own pocket to fix the damage.

Emergency situations

The cost of an apartment is determined, among other things, by the availability of various amenities. And therefore, if anything in the apartment breaks down from equipment, furniture, a leaked pipe, a broken toilet, etc., then it is all restored at my expense, of course, if the breakdown (leakage) did not occur through the fault of the residents. But for me this is such a rare case that I don’t even remember that the tenants themselves broke something and asked me to restore it at my own expense.

Relationship

Sometimes it happens that residents want to buy some equipment or furniture for their apartment. We negotiate it, and they buy against future housing payments. After which, the purchased item becomes my property. And it’s good for them, they bought what they wanted, but the money would still be given to me as payment, and I feel good, since additional furniture (appliances) increases the attractiveness of housing for future tenants. I must say that for the first time I rented out one apartment completely empty, but now it is almost completely furnished.

There is no need to call residents by phone. At all. Only one call is allowed, on the eve of the payment day, to agree on a meeting time (if payment is made in cash) and that’s it. The more you call, the more often you remind them that the apartment is not theirs, but temporary housing. And coming with an inspection, entering the apartment, inspecting the rooms is almost a guarantee that the residents will treat the apartment as if it were a rental. And such behavior will not add respect to you. Residents should feel like full owners of your apartment, only then will they treat it as their own.

If you and the residents agree in advance on a troubleshooting system, as I wrote above about emergency situations, then they themselves will call you and tell you where, what, went wrong in the apartment. It will not be profitable for them to hide the shortcomings that have arisen, since eliminating them will still be at your expense.

I don’t have much experience in renting out housing, only ten years, but never once has a single apartment waited for tenants for more than two weeks. And they always moved out with regret and not at all because I provided them with substandard services. One family went abroad, the second (a girl with a child) got married and moved to her husband, another gave birth to a third child and moved to a more spacious apartment.

Some tenants have moved out, while others have not yet been found.

During this time, I put the apartment in perfect order, including washing windows, behind/under furniture, etc. I check all the plumbing, furniture doors, handles (sore spots) and everything else that affects comfortable living. If necessary, I repaint the walls (one apartment has paintable wallpaper, which is very convenient) or re-glue it if they require it. Yes, these are additional costs, but they were planned initially. No matter how carefully people live, it doesn’t matter that something will fall off, come off or unscrew, especially if there is a child in the family. And the next residents should see a clean and beautiful apartment.

Residents who are moving out should not make claims for torn wallpaper or scratches on the laminate; these are all natural wear and tear. Of course, if the TV is broken or the refrigerator is dented, then everything is deducted from the deposit.

Rent

Electricity and metered water are paid for by the residents, everything else is paid for by me.

Increase/decrease in hiring costs

This is a very slippery moment that I really don’t like, but there’s no escaping it. The first time tenants asked for a reduction in rental costs, in my opinion, was in 1998, at the time of the crisis. We discussed the amount of reduction, but with the condition that as soon as the situation in the country stabilizes, the cost will return to the pre-crisis level. A couple of years passed, the crisis subsided and it was time to raise the price, but the market in this area sank a little and it was not possible to return to the pre-crisis price. After that, the tenants lived with me for another four years and went abroad.

Contract and other legal issues

In any case, it is better to find out details and nuances from lawyers. I enter into an agreement for 11 months with an inventory of the property, its condition and defects, the payment procedure, the monthly amount and mandatory conditions under which the rental cost can be increased. In our country one cannot be sure of the stability of tariffs and taxes.

When making financial settlements with residents, I confirm with a receipt that the money has been received.

This is my experience. Someone will say that I was just lucky with the tenants and perhaps they will be right. But without strict filtering of those wishing to rent an apartment, even if it was more expensive, this luck would not have happened.

Good luck to all adequate employers and landlords!

​Russian legislation allows people to receive income from rental housing. The Housing Code defines the basic rules for carrying out such an operation: who has the right to rent out an apartment, what rights the tenant and landlord have, which may cause early termination of the lease agreement. And although the law does not oblige the renting of housing exclusively after drawing up a contract, such a document is in many ways necessary to minimize possible risks for both the tenant and the person renting the housing.

Today we will talk in detail about how to properly rent out an apartment, how to do it independently and legally, with the payment of all due taxes.

What risks might a landlord face?

Informal renting is fraught with many problems. Difficulties may arise with government agencies; this can also lead to serious damage to the apartment and even its loss.

Main risks:

1. Fines and criminal penalties. According to the law, income from a rental apartment is subject to taxation. If it turns out that the landlord did not provide a tax return and did not pay taxes, he faces significant fines and even imprisonment for a period of six months (for the amount of unpaid taxes from one hundred to five hundred thousand) to three years (for the amount of unpaid taxes in the amount of half a million rubles or more ).
2. Damage to property or apartment. If housing was rented out without a corresponding contract, it is then very difficult to prove that some equipment was missing from the apartment, that the windows and doors were previously intact, and that there were no traces of paint or felt-tip pens on the walls.
3. Unexpected expenses. They may appear if the employer leaves behind debts for utilities. The biggest bills may be for telephone communications, for example, if the employer decides to “chat” with one of his relatives living on the other side of the world.
4. Deception on the part of the employer. There are known cases, for example, when one person rented a house, and completely different people ended up in the apartment, who had already drawn up an agreement with the tenant, without the consent of the owner. In some apartments they can, for example, open a brothel, or settle there a group of citizens who came to work neighboring countries(up to 20 people can live under one roof).

Step-by-step instructions on how to legally rent out an apartment

We arrange insurance

The first thing you need to do before renting out an apartment is to insure it. This will make the owners feel more confident. The insurance must include options for flooding, fire, household gas explosion, and damage to interior decoration. Please note that rental housing is subject to an increased insurance rate.

We obtain the consent of owners, neighbors or landlords

To rent out housing, you must obtain the consent of all apartment owners, and in some cases the law requires the approval of such an operation with neighbors or the landlord.

The landlord's consent is required if:

• municipal apartment;
• a non-privatized room in a “communal apartment”;
• non-privatized apartment.

The neighbors' consent is required if:

• privatized room in a communal apartment;
• a non-privatized room in a communal apartment;

Finding tenants

The most convenient way to find a tenant is through relatives or friends. However, do not be afraid to advertise via the Internet or printed sources. Another thing is that when showing an apartment you cannot greet visitors alone; it is better to first call one of your relatives or neighbors. It cannot be said that when renting out housing it is better to give preference to married couples or students. There are no universal ways to find out in advance how conscientious an employer will be; most likely, this can only be understood after a personal conversation. There are also some special methods for checking employers. For example, the validity of passport data can be checked on the website http://services.fms.gov.ru/, and to find out a person’s solvency, just ask him for a certificate of income.

The tenant can also ask the landlord for documents confirming that he owns the apartment. It is the landlord's right to show such documents or not. But under no circumstances should you give the originals to the employer; let him just look at them and return them immediately.

We draw up an agreement

A lease or rental agreement is the main document that sets out all the terms of the lease, the rights and obligations of the parties to the transaction. Although this agreement is often called a lease agreement, you need to know that such a document is drawn up only if the housing is rented to a legal entity, but if the housing is rented to an individual, a rental agreement is concluded. The first one is subject mandatory registration, if it is drawn up for a period of a year or more, and the rental agreement is not subject to mandatory registration under any terms of registration.

Necessary clauses of the contract:

• who concludes the transaction (you must provide accurate passport details);
• what is the amount of rent, terms for paying money, conditions under which the amount of rent may change;
• whether a security deposit will be charged, in which case the owner can keep the funds for himself;
• how often the apartment will be checked by the owner;
• who will pay for utilities (if the employer takes over this function, you need to agree that he saves all receipts and shows data from all meters);
• what are the restrictions on the use of the apartment and electrical appliances;
• Will repairs or purchase of household appliances be carried out as payment for the apartment?

Mandatory clauses of the contract can be found in the Civil Code of the Russian Federation (in chapters 34 and 35). You can draw up such an agreement yourself, but the document will have greater legal force if it is concluded by a notary.

Another important advice : it is advisable to conclude a rental agreement for a period not exceeding 11 months. Russian legislation still contains echoes of Soviet rules for the delivery and rental of housing. Then, in order to protect the tenant, the law provided that if the tenant had lived in the apartment for more than 11 months, then he could claim to live in the apartment even after termination of the contract, for example, if financial difficulties or serious illness arose, and the court could well have made a decision in his benefit. Since these provisions remain in modern legislation, it is best not to enter into an agreement for a longer period.

We draw up an apartment acceptance certificate

This is an additional document that indicates what equipment and furniture are in the apartment at the time of its occupancy by new residents, and what condition the apartment is in. The act should indicate both serviceable equipment and furniture, so that in case of breakage or damage, recovery from the tenant, as well as broken appliances or damaged parts of the apartment, so that the tenant can be sure that he will not later be accused of damaging things. The act, like the contract, is signed in two copies and remains in the hands of each party.

We write receipts

After the contract has been drawn up, the acceptance certificate has been signed, you should hand over the keys to the tenants, and in return receive money for the first month of residence (or for several months, as well as a deposit, it all depends on what rental terms the parties agree on). The landlord can leave a receipt for the tenant that he has received such and such an amount for rent, and in return the tenant can give a receipt for the receipt of the keys. The receipt must contain passport details, the date of the operation and signature.

Solving the tax issue

The legislation of the Russian Federation provides several taxation options for those who rent out their housing. There is a standard procedure for paying personal income tax for individuals. An individual entrepreneur can choose several options:

• pay taxes under the general taxation regime;
• pay according to the simplified taxation system;
• apply the patent taxation system.

If we are talking about the general taxation regime, then the landlord will need to pay 13 percent of income in taxes. Every year, from the first of January until the end of April, you must submit a tax return to the tax authorities at your place of registration. But first, you need to calculate what the profit from the rental is, and what amount is the required 13 percent: this money must be transferred to the bank to the tax office account (before July 15 of the current year), and the receipt of the banking transaction carried out to the tax authorities along with the documents, confirming that the calculation was made correctly (lease agreement, bank statements).

When renting a municipal apartment, you may need to register with special institutions operating under the municipality, but this condition is advisory and not mandatory.

It should be noted that this step-by-step instruction is quite viable and allows you to rent out an apartment legally if you do it yourself, without involving companies involved in rental housing. If you contact a company, you won’t have to worry about many of these points: they will help you find a tenant and draw up a correct agreement, but you will still have to resolve the tax issue yourself.

If you have any questions or require assistance in preparing your tax returns, our on-duty lawyer is ready to help you promptly.