How to Attract Family Renters: Proven Strategies for Landlords

The Big Picture to Attract High-ROI Family Renters:

• Safe neighborhoods and good schools top families’ wish lists. 
• Kid-friendly properties with fenced yards near parks win family hearts. 
• Flexible, longer leases with renewal perks keep families around.

Kids. Dogs. Cats. Does it sound like an unholy trinity for high-impact, high-damage to your rental properties?

That’s not necessarily untrue, but it’s also not the whole story.

Why should landlords go out of their way to attract family renters? For starters, they stay longer.

No, adults in their 40s move far less frequently than young adults in their 20s. How much less? According to Census Bureau data from 2010-2015 (the most recent available), 35.2% of adults aged 40-44 moved during those six years. Even fewer adults (29.7%) aged 45-49 moved.

But adults aged 25-29? A monstrous 61.2% of them moved during that period.

Chalk one up for parent-aged adults: dramatically lower turnover rates. And as you know, turnovers are incredibly damaging to your rental returns!

The second reason to consider appealing to families is that millennials – America’s largest generation – are now entering their prime child-rearing years.

That’s also driven the surge in demand for suburban rentals.

How To Attract Family Renters

Ready to start attracting stable, long-term family renters to your rental properties? We’ll start with upgrades you can make to your existing properties, then transition into neighborhood and structural amenities to look for when buying your next rental property.

Here are techniques to magnetically attract families and keep them for the long haul!

1. Fenced-In Backyards

Do you have a backyard without a fence? If you want to attract family renters, remember that families, especially those with younger kids or dogs, love fenced-in yards because they can better track anyone likely to scamper off.  (And yes, pets can be profitable for landlords, too!)

And hey, fenced-in backyards can also add value to your property.

Parents can tell their kids to “go rough-house out back!” They can also plant a garden without fear of Peter Rabbit leveling it.

Fences also provide greater privacy, especially in neighborhoods with little or no space between homes.

Practical Considerations for Fenced-In Backyards

Since we’re at it, here are some aspects worth knowing about fenced-in backyards. 

2. The Patio-Firepit Combo

Who doesn’t love a comfy patio?

Patios extend the home’s livable area for a certain percentage of the year. To make the patio usable for an even longer portion of the year, spend $65 on a standalone firepit.

Parents love entertaining on their patios. A well-designed patio can be an excellent strategy for landlords wondering how to attract family renters. 

Nor do patios have to cost an arm and a leg. Less expensive patios can be installed for under $1,000.

In our Property Management Pro course, we spend some time on “hook” amenities that catch prospective renters’ attention while browsing rental listings. Patios with firepits are a classic example of a hook amenity to draw in more – and better – applicants for your rental.

Quick reminder, though: firepits can be a hazard if misused, so spell out detailed rules for use in your lease contract. You may also want to require renter’s insurance to lower any liability you face.

Also, double-check for any municipality, homeowner’s association, or insurance rules against firepits.

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3. A Deal-Maker for Most Families: Parking Space

Family renters often prioritize properties with designated parking spots. Off-street parking in busy town centers is a rare and valuable feature that can make a rental stand out.

However, not all properties can offer off-street parking, though residents’ parking areas can be an alternative. Still, renters might occasionally struggle to find spots even in these zones.

On the flip side, properties near public transport and within walking distance of local amenities can compensate for limited parking options.

If you provide off-street parking or a garage, you’ll have a significant advantage. This will not only attract family renters but also increase the property’s overall value, just like the fence. 

4. The “Marriage-Saver” Trinity: Dishwasher, Washer, Dryer

Nowadays, most properties have at least two of these three. But if your rentals don’t, consider adding them.

For those who wants to know how to attract family renters, these appliances can be a major selling point.

Not having all three is a huge deterrent to many renters who may otherwise be interested in your rental. By not offering them, you’re effectively turning away qualified rental applicants!

These appliances also represent an opportunity for differentiation: You can buy smart home appliances to showcase how high-end your property is. Smart home appliances don’t necessarily cost much more than “dumb” appliances, but they provide the potential to advertise your rental as a “smart home”? It’s another hook amenity to attract attention, applications, and higher rents.

If you don’t want to provide and maintain the appliances, ensure you have hookups for the tenant to bring their own.

5. Flexibility on Paint & Other Customizations

If you want renters to stay for the long haul, it helps to give them a sense of ownership of the property. A feeling that it’s theirs, not just a place they’re passing through.

When you show the property and sign the lease contract, try this line: “By the way, if you want to customize the property in any way, such as planting a garden or painting rooms in your own choice of colors, we’re open to working with you on that.”

It’s a shocking statement to many renters who have never heard a landlord say this.

If the renters take you up on your offer and ask about customization, you can work out a deal that protects you while giving them leeway to make the property their own. Options include higher security deposits, repainting fees (which may be conditionally refunded if the renters do a pro-level job repainting upon move-out), a non-refundable fee, etc.

Use your lease contract to detail the renter’s responsibilities and the consequences if the renter fails to meet their obligations upon move-out. This tactic can be a great way to shift the responsibility for repainting to the renters.

6. Provide Ample Storage Space

Families, especially those with little ones, tend to accumulate many things—strollers, high chairs, bikes, scooters, and more.

The storage needs don’t stop there, as parents often hang onto clothes, shoes, and outerwear to pass down to younger siblings. You can also boost the property’s appeal by offering convenient storage solutions, such as a designated area for strollers and bikes.

Houses sporting extra storage options like cellars, bike sheds, or even boarded lofts are real winners—they make family life much smoother. Victorian homes are one example, as they often come with built-in cellars.

Landlords who knows how to attract family renters understand the importance of storage. However, if your rental property doesn’t have it, you can get creative and use outdoor space, perhaps setting up a small shed in the garden.

7. Safety & Security: Mind the Details

Every amenity above won’t matter if the house or neighborhood is unsafe for children.

What are the crime rates in the neighborhood? Good luck attracting (and keeping) long-term family renters if crime is high in the area.

But you can do plenty with the property to make it feel safer and ease parents’ (many) anxieties. Does the property have a security system? We talked earlier about smart home amenities; consider buying a smart home security camera or two. They won’t break the bank at a couple of hundred dollars, but they’re a nice differentiator for your unit.

Many even have air quality alerts and other non-camera-related safety features!

Then, could you look at safety details all over the unit? How secure are the railings and banisters? Do they wobble at all when shaken? Could you tighten them up and reinforce them, if necessary? Parents will notice these things, believe me.

Are there other hazards around the property? Old lead paint? Loose wiring? What may be perfectly safe for a young professional can be deadly to toddlers and young children.

One other thought: consider replacing storm door glass panes with strong Plexiglass. It will help tenant-proof your property and is a safety selling point for nervous parents and pet owners.

Where can landlords get funding?

What about long-term landlord loans?

We break down several real estate investor and landlord lenders on LTV, interest rates, closing costs, income requirements and more.

8. 3-4 Bedrooms, 2-3 Bathrooms

One or two-bedroom rental units just don’t attract families. They attract singles, couples, and young professionals.

The problem with that? Those renters move more frequently. And we may have mentioned once or twice how turnovers ruin your returns!

Alternatively, 5-plus-bedroom homes tend to be in suburban or rural areas with extremely high homeownership rates. How often have you heard someone say, “Man, I just wish I could find a six-bedroom home to rent!”

We’re now shifting into more structural or neighborhood-based amenities, which means upgrading your existing units to include them is difficult or impossible. Instead, these are amenities to look for as you invest in new rental properties if you want to appeal to long-term family renters.

9. Good Schools (duh!)

When you have family-friendly rental units in districts with excellent schools, your tenants will think twice before moving. In most cases, it would take a perfect alternative to make them uproot their family.

An easy way to look up local schools is a quick search on GreatSchools.org.

Many parents will face all kinds of inconveniences simply to keep their kids in a good school district. My parents kept us living in a small rowhouse that we had outlived years before until my sister finished at the good local elementary school.

We stayed because the little rowhome was within walking distance of the elementary school. That one detail outweighed every other consideration.

Which brings us to…

10. The Balance of Walkability

There’s a sweet spot of walkability when it comes to families.

Sure, high-density urban neighborhoods usually have excellent walkability. But they have serious drawbacks for children, such as high traffic, smaller living quarters, little or no outdoor living space, and often urban problems such as higher crime rates and lower-performing schools.

On the other end of the spectrum are rural properties with no walkability.

But some suburban neighborhoods, and increasingly “surban” model neighborhoods, reach that perfect balance of homes tucked a few streets away from main thoroughfares, with easy walking access to schools, grocery shopping, restaurants, entertainment, and other amenities.

Keep an eye on the “surban” trend, blending the perks of suburban neighborhoods with the convenience of urban ones. As more millennials move to the suburbs to raise children, many will want the same walkable amenities they enjoyed as young professionals living downtown.

Every decision you make as a landlord and rental investor should include a question: Will this help attract and keep the best possible renters for the longest possible tenancy? To maximize your returns as a landlord, focus on minimizing turnovers and bringing in higher-quality, longer-term tenants.

What are your thoughts on renting to families? What have your experiences been? Have any tips to share? We’re in a judgment-free zone here!

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