Many owners of rental property have friends who also own rental property, and they sometimes wonder why it’s taking longer to rent their house than it did their friend’s. There could be many reasons, including the condition of the house, the neighborhood, the condition of the house next door, etc.
But more than any other reason, the primary cause is usually the school district, especially when all other factors are equal. Let’s use Fayetteville as an example. The city of Fayetteville, GA is split between two counties: Fayette and Clayton. And because of this, some residents of Fayetteville fall into the Fayette County school district, and some fall into the Clayton County school district. This is obviously a major area of concern for tenants, because Fayette County has some of the best schools in the state, while Clayton County has some of the worst.
A house in a bad school district is always difficult to rent, and the monthly rental rate is always going to have to be at a significant discount when compared to a neighboring good school district. A house that rents for $1,200/mo in Fayette County would have a difficult time renting in Clayton County at $700/mo. We frequently have to offer lease incentives (half off the first month’s rent, for example) to get a Clayton County house rented.
So if you’re wondering why your house in the same city as a friend’s is taking twice as long to rent, check out the school district. That’s probably your answer. If not, then the house is probably priced wrong, or might need to have some work done on it. In any case, we can help you with any of these issues to get your house rented as quickly as possible for the best price possible. Give us a call or fill out the form on our site to get more information.
