How to Get Your Property Ready to Rent: A Landlord’s Checklist

Getting a property ready to rent means making sure it’s safe and meets the rules, fixing anything that doesn’t work, and then cleaning and presenting it so it photographs well. A well-prepared rental tends to attract more applicants and give you more choice of tenant.

Here’s a checklist for landlords in Adelaide and Mount Gambier, from the essentials to the finishing touches.

Start with what the rules require

South Australia’s renting laws changed in 2024, including minimum standards a rental has to meet. Before you advertise, read the SA Government’s summary of the rental reforms and its renting and letting advice, and check the property against them. The full law is the Residential Tenancies Act 1995.

If your property is managed, your property manager will go through what applies to it with you. Rules change, so it’s always worth checking the current versions rather than relying on what applied last time you leased.

Safety first

Before anyone moves in, check:

• Smoke alarms are installed and working
• Power points, switches and light fittings work and aren’t damaged
• Gas appliances, hot water and heating are working and have been serviced if they’re due
• Doors and windows close and lock properly, and keys work in every lock
• Balconies, decks, stairs and handrails are secure
• Blind and curtain cords are secured out of children’s reach
• There are no trip hazards like lifting flooring or broken paving

If you’re not sure about something, have a qualified tradesperson check it. Fixing it now is far easier than dealing with it once the tenancy starts.

Repairs and maintenance

Walk through the property as a tenant would, and fix:

• Leaking taps, toilets and showers, and slow drains
• Doors, drawers and cupboards that stick or don’t close
• Broken blinds, flyscreens and window catches
• Damaged walls, holes and peeling paint
• Worn or damaged floor coverings
• Appliances that come with the property (oven, cooktop, rangehood, dishwasher, air conditioning) so they all work

Sorting these before the tenancy starts means fewer maintenance requests in the first few weeks, and a clearer starting point for the entry condition report.

Clean it thoroughly

Tenants are expected to leave the property in the condition they found it, so start them off with it properly clean. A professional clean is often worth it between tenancies:

• Kitchen: oven, cooktop, rangehood, cupboards inside and out
• Bathrooms: grout, shower screens, exhaust fans, mould
• Windows and tracks, inside and out
• Carpets steam-cleaned, hard floors mopped
• Walls, light switches and skirting boards wiped down
• Air conditioner filters cleaned

Outside

The street view is often the first photo on the listing, and the first impression at an inspection.

• Mow, weed, trim back overgrown plants and clear the gutters
• Sweep paths, driveways and outdoor areas
• Remove rubbish, old furniture and anything left by the last tenant
• Make sure bins, the letterbox and the house number are in good order

If the tenant will be responsible for the garden, leaving it in good condition at the start makes it easier for everyone to agree what “the same condition” means at the end.

Present it for the photos

Most tenants decide which properties to inspect from the photos, so it’s worth getting them right.

• Photograph the property empty and clean, or lightly furnished if it’s being leased furnished
• Open blinds and curtains, turn on every light, and shoot on a bright day
• Take the photos after the clean and repairs, not before
• Show the best features: natural light, storage, outdoor areas, parking

Neutral, simple and clean is what you’re aiming for. Tenants want to picture their own things in the space.

Get the details ready

Before advertising, gather what you’ll need to lease the property: keys for every lock (with spare sets), remote controls, appliance manuals, and the rules for any strata or community corporation. Decide whether you’ll consider pets, and whether the property is offered furnished or unfurnished.

Not sure what it should rent for?

Pricing a rental right matters as much as presenting it well. Priced too high, it sits empty; priced too low, you leave money on the table. If you own a rental in Adelaide or Mount Gambier, ask for a free rental appraisal. A local property manager will look at the property and recent comparable leases and give you a realistic figure.

You can also read what a property manager does, see how property management with APN Real Estate works, or visit the landlord hub.