Listing Photos That Rent

Before you shoot

From the guide’s photo day checklist. Tick each one as you go. Your ticks stay on this device. These are examples; your home may need others.

• Repairs finished and the home cleaned, windows included.
• Counters, floors and surfaces cleared; personal items, papers, magnets and calendars put away.
• Permission and notice given if someone lives there.
• Burned out bulbs replaced and bulb colors matched.
• Beds made, fresh towels hung, one or two simple touches added.
• Outside mowed and swept.

All done. The home is ready for its close up.

Shooting and posting

From the guide’s photo day checklist. Tick each one as you go. Your ticks stay on this device. These are examples; your home may need others.

• Shooting at the brightest time of day, blinds open, every light on.
• Camera lens wiped clean.
• Phone level at chest height, landscape, from corners and doorways.
• Fans and TVs off, toilet lids closed, trash cans hidden.
• Every main room, the outside, kitchen and bathrooms photographed.
• Every photo zoomed in and checked for faces, numbers, plates, mail and reflections.
• Photos ordered as a walk through, best one first.
• Description matches the photos and describes the home, not the people.

All done. Your first hello is bright and honest.

If a photo just isn’t working

• If it’s dark, open every blind, turn on every light and try again at a brighter time of day.
• If it’s crooked, level the phone at chest height.
• If it’s cluttered, clear it and retake.
• If the room feels small, step back into a corner or doorway.
• If it still isn’t working, it’s okay to skip that photo and describe the space kindly in words instead.

Before you take any photos, walk the home with your phone in video mode. Watching the clip back shows clutter and dark corners you’d never notice standing in the room.

Choosing and posting

• Lead with your brightest, most welcoming photo. That’s often the living room or kitchen.
• Arrange the rest in the order someone would walk through the home.
• Zoom in on every photo before anything goes online.
• Make sure the photos match the written description, and label any shared spaces clearly.
• Describe the home and its features, not the kind of person who should live there.
• When anything important changes, update the photos so the listing stays honest.

A few things to avoid

• Please don’t use heavy filters, extreme wide angle stretching or editing that changes how the home really looks. Light edits for brightness and straight lines are fine.
• Please don’t use old photos, photos of a different unit, or photos taken while someone else lives there without their permission.
• Every so often, search for your own listing photos online. Scammers sometimes copy real listings, and spotting a copy early protects everyone.

Listing photos show a home at its best, but they aren’t a record of its condition. On move in day, walk the home together, give every item a comment, whatever its condition, and take fresh photos to match.

Guides that go well with this one

• Safe Rental Showings
• Avoiding Rental Scams
• Fair Housing Basics
• Getting a Home Ready for New Tenants
• Pricing a Rental Fairly

Helpful resources

HUD: Housing Discrimination Under the Fair Housing Act and Federal Trade Commission: Rental Listing Scams. Advertising rules differ from place to place, so a quick look at the rules where your home is goes a long way. A local landlord or tenant association or an attorney in your area can help.