
8 Rental Listing Mistakes That Are Increasing Your Days-on-Market
If your rental property is sitting on the market longer than you’d like, you’re not alone.
Every landlord is looking for ways to minimize vacancy periods and maximize their rental income.
Fortunately, new data from ShowMojo provides powerful insights into what works—and what doesn’t—when it comes to rental listings.
ShowMojo analyzed over 500,000 on-market periods across the U.S. rental market from 2017 to today, and the results reveal some surprising truths. From listing descriptions to pet policies, small tweaks to how you market your property could save you days (or even weeks) of lost rent.
Today, we’re breaking down their findings and giving you actionable tips to optimize your listings and get your property rented faster.
1. No Listing Title = 2-3 Extra Days on The Market
Your listing title might seem unimportant, but ShowMojo’s data shows otherwise. Properties without a title sit on the market 2 to 3 days longer on average.
Interestingly, many major listing platforms don’t prominently display titles, which might lead landlords to think they don’t matter. But clearly, rental sites consider them in their algorithms, boosting listings with titles over those without.
Pro Tip for Landlords
Write clear, attention-grabbing titles that highlight your property’s key feature, like “Pet-Friendly 3-Bedroom Apartment with Garage”
2. Too Few (or Too Many) Property Details
Property details are equally important—but it’s not just about throwing every feature into the listing.
The sweet spot, according to ShowMojo, is between 2 and 10 property details.
Step outside this range, and you’re likely to see on-market times increase by 2 days.
Surprisingly, 40% of listings miss the mark by providing either too little or too much detail.
Pro Tip for Landlords
Stick to about 5-7 critical details that genuinely matter to tenants, such as parking availability, laundry facilities, and proximity to public transport.
3. Unclear Pet Policies Add 3 Days
One of the standout findings? Pet policies have a measurable impact on vacancy times.
Listings that allow cats or dogs rent about 1 day faster, while listings with unclear or missing pet policies take 3 extra days to secure a tenant.
That’s because tenants don’t want guesswork—they want clear answers to “Can I bring Fido?”
Pro Tip for Landlords
If you allow pets, mention it prominently in the listing title and description. Even if your property is pet-free, be sure to state that clearly.
4. Forgetting to Mention Security Deposit Policies
Approximately 20% of rental listings don’t include any details about security deposits. Yet listings that skip this information take an additional 3 to 4 days to rent, on average.
Whether tenants are cost-conscious or simply eager to move quickly, clarity here is key.
Pro Tip for Landlords
State your security deposit amount clearly in the listing, as well as your deposit policy (e.g. if it’s being held in trust during the tenancy).
5. Descriptions Under 400 Words Lose You Up to 6 Days
If your rental listing doesn’t have a detailed property description, you could be missing out big time.
Listings with descriptions longer than 400 words rent significantly faster.
ShowMojo’s data shows this impact is growing over time—back in 2022, long descriptions sped up rentals by 3 days; by 2023, that number rose to 6 days.
Pro Tip for Landlords
Take time to craft a compelling, detailed listing that highlights all the reasons a tenant would love the property. Focus on features, nearby amenities, and what makes it unique.
6. Photos Don’t Matter (Surprisingly)
One of ShowMojo’s most surprising findings?
Adding more property photos doesn’t necessarily shorten your days-on-market.
Whether your listing had five photos or 50, the data showed no measurable impact on how fast properties rented.
This flies in the face of conventional wisdom, but it could reflect a saturation point—tenants simply don’t need dozens of images to make a decision.
Pro Tip for Landlords
Stick to 6-10 high-quality photos that showcase the property’s best features. Focus on lighting, angles, and consistency rather than volume.
7. Videos Don’t Decrease Days-on-Market
Similarly, ShowMojo found no clear advantage to including videos in your rental listing.
While engaging video content might attract more views or inquiries, it doesn’t seem to lead to faster rentals.
Pro Tip for Landlords
If you have video content, feel free to include it! It doesn’t hurt. Just don’t stress about it if you don’t have the time to stage a full-on video production.
8. 3D Tours Might Work Against You
Even more surprising?
Properties listed with 3D tours took about 2 days longer to rent, on average.
However, this insight comes with a caveat—only 8% of listings studied included 3D tours, so the sample size is smaller.
Despite this data, many landlords (ourselves included) have seen success using 3D tours to generate applications, even if they don’t shorten on-market times.
Pro Tip for Landlords
Use 3D tours strategically for higher-end properties or rentals geared toward out-of-town tenants, but keep experimenting as more data emerges.
Key Takeaways for Landlords
Reducing your days-on-market isn’t just about doing more—it’s about doing the right things.
Here’s a quick summary of the best strategies, based on ShowMojo’s data:
- Write Long Descriptions (400+ words): Could help rent your property 6 days faster
- Include Security Deposit Info: Saves 3-4 days
- Add a Listing Title: Cuts 2-3 days
- List 2-10 Property Details: Reduces 2 days
- Mention Pet Policies Clearly: Rent units 1 day faster by accepting cats and/or dogs
Surprised by some of these findings?
You’re not alone.
ShowMojo’s data challenges a lot of assumptions about what makes rental listings effective.
But the good news is: All of these are easy (and free!) fixes that can boost your rental marketing literally overnight.
Sounds like a win to us!
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Does this data surprise you? Let us know in a comment!
And if you’re intrigued, reach out to our team for more data-backed insights into investing in Detroit rental properties.