You've spent 40 hours cleaning stoves, scrubbing toilets and cutting grass. Ads are placed in the newspaper. You are raring to rent your house. But no one is calling or showing up.

"Why?"

"What am I doing wrong?"

"Must be the market", you think to yourself.

Houses for rent are in extremely high demand. People should be lined up to rent your home. All it takes is knowledge and enthusiasm to swing things from constant no shows - to RENTED!

I've seen places sit for months simply because of the wrong advertising, a faded sign or someone not answering their phone. Here are the top 10 reasons a house will not RENT FAST!

1) Priced Too High. Overpaying for a rental property is a potential tenant's last option. He/She likely knows the market better than you and has determined its value. Be reasonable on your price. Find out the going rate using sites such as Zilpy or Rentometer before you place ads. Research and view competing rentals so you can see the market through the potential renter's eyes.

2) Generic Sign Syndrome. Yard signs produce qualified calls. Faded hardware store bought signs with a penned-in phone number equals "cheap landlord" in a prospective tenant's mind. Get a custom coreplast/Vinyl sign and sturdy metal frame like real estate companies use. Highlight your spectacular property for $25 to $50 and exude professionalism.

3) Incorrect Advertising Venue. Hordes of calls can be produced with a classified ad in a newspaper - but few rentals. People will call for more information because you just can't fit much in a small ad. This is a waste or your time and the renter's time. Instead try an online classified ad on kijiji.com/ca, Craigslist.com/ca or Oodle.com. You can post critical information potential tenants want and produce a higher amount of qualified calls. At least use a website address in a newspaper ad to give people more information.

4) Your Ads are Being Filtered Out. People will filter ads for properties quickly and decide the 3 to 10 they will look at. About 90% of classified ads headline with something that is noise to a potential tenant. Look at the two ads below. If a tenant first searches Price, Location, Size, Condition, etc., which do you think they are going to click? The author of the first ad didn't even take the time to spell check!

Fantastic Renovaet House in Best Area.
- and -
HUGE! 3 Bedroom/2 Bath - 314 Amazing Street. East Side - $1000+

If your headline does not contain price, size, location, condition and one or two emotional words, it is being filtered out by your audience in seconds.

5) Wrong Target Audience. In advertising, you have a core customer whom you are trying to reach as fast and cheap as possible. For instance, you may be looking for "A recently retired couple wanting to move into my area and wants to rent before they buy". But sometimes inexperienced homeowners try to reach EVERYONE over and over again thinking someone is going to suddenly change their mind to look at their place. If you have a $4,000/mn house, someone looking for a $600/mn house doesn't need to see your ad 3 times a day. Focus in on your target audience only. Use the keywords "Executive Home" to get the attention of the $4,000/mn renter. Use the keywords "Affordable Comfort" to draw the $600/mn. tenant. Capturing only your target tenant's attention is cheaper and more importantly, FASTER!

6) Not Adjusting Ads Fast Enough. The advantage of online classifieds is you can see how many people are looking at your ad and quickly adjust it. For instance, if you are not getting many hits, adjust your headline or lead picture. Lots of hits but no calls mean the body of your ad needs attention or you are not attracting the correct audience with the headline. Don't know how much hits are normal? Look at your competition's ads.

7) Condition. Condition is closely related to price. For instance, if someone is going to rent a $2,000/mn house, IT BETTER BE WORTH $2,000. Do you have to do something to bring it up to this? People who view the property will tell you - quickly! Either do what they say, or lower your price.

8) No Address, Pictures or Information. Mystery advertising in rentals DOES NOT WORK. Just the facts in your ads and maybe one or two emotional words/sentences; no poetic copy please!. If the address is not present, PEOPLE WILL NOT LOOK AT IT. No pictures? People will ask themselves why and not waste time looking. Are the pictures stunning? No? Do them over. You only need front, kitchen, bath and living area - no obscure shots of sheds, furnaces or apartment doorways. Again 90% of ads do not contain even the most basic information people are looking for. If someone has to call for more information, your ad is not detailed enough. You will get plenty of calls but few showings. And the ones who will look will likely not qualify to rent it. Details! Details!

9) You're Unreachable. If someone can't easily reach you, they'll go to the next property. Carry a cell phone AT ALL TIMES. Answer it always - even in the middle of the night - with a beaming smile on your face (your tone comes across on the phone). Always be pleasant in your dealings even if you feel like you stepped into the Jerry Springer Show. And remember, if they can't reach you, how can they see your property. And if they can't see it, WHY WOULD THEY RENT IT?

10) Lost your Mojo. Your mojo is the key to renting. What does that mean? Keep your enthusiasm, ALWAYS! You are the best salesperson of your property and no one wants an apathetic salesperson/landlord.

If these 'house for rent' tasks sound too daunting, change your thinking. You can do it! Make sure your price is correct. Have a custom sign made. Pack your ads with information (not emotional poetic dribble). Target your ideal tenant. Adjust your ads and property condition quickly. Answer your phone. And most importantly, STAY ENTHUSED!

Good luck renting your house!