11 Tips for Rental Property Management in 2025

The rental market in 2025 presents new challenges and opportunities for landlords. Rising interest rates (there’s a 40% chance the Fed will pivot back to hiking rates again next year according to economists) and tight housing supply have created higher demand for rentals, but tenants also expect more flexibility and value. We work with clients across property management and understand the challenges and the opportunities. We've brought together our top tips to thrive as a landlord in 2025.

1. Know Your Ideal Tenant With economic pressures shaping demographics, identify who’s best suited for your property. For example is your property best suited to families? Remote workers? Students? Tailoring your space to their needs improves long-term retention. You might add family-friendly features like fenced yards or office areas for remote workers and students.

2. Stand Out from the Competition Tenants are selective. Offer perks like rolling leases after the first year, pet-friendly policies, or designated work-from-home spaces to attract and retain tenants. Keep an eye out for changing trends in the features renters want most - this is a great article from Apartments.com outlining data-backed perks.

3. Create High-Impact Listings Showcase your property with high-resolution photos and virtual tours. Do the heavy lifting for people by listing key information such as the nearest bus stop/train station, how long it takes to walk to the city center, the nearest gyms and schools to help renters make informed decisions. Using tools like Kuula for virtual tours or can significantly boost your listing’s appeal and attract people moving to your location.

4. Screen Tenants Tenants can make rental property management a breeze or a headache. Difficult tenants can cause havoc to your property, finances, and stress levels! Invest in tenant screening services to help you gain a better understanding of who is applying to live in your property, and whether they have the proven financial capability to live there.

5. Streamline Communication Managing rental properties involves plenty of communication. You can use a call answering service like SignMore to support your call and message answering, including after-hours and weekends, to save you from being tied to your phone.

6. Automate Repetitive Tasks Rental property management is far from ‘set it and forget it’ but automation can get you pretty close. Relying on spreadsheets, post-it note reminders and paperwork invites mistakes. You can automate tenant screening, rent collection, lease management, and much more. Check out popular software for landlords such as Landlord Studio and Buildium, A RealPage Company .

7. Hire a 24/7 Answering Service As demand grows, a live answering service ensures tenants’ concerns are addressed promptly, even outside business hours. It’s a professional touch that sets you apart. Companies like SignMore specialize in providing these services for property managers. They can take calls within set hours or answer every call 24/7. An answering service worth its salt will create protocols for after-hours responses, tenant inquiries, lead capture and qualification. Think of it as your 24/7 front desk!

8. Schedule Regular Inspections Landlords are allowed to inspect their properties in adherence to state and local laws. Typically, you must give least 24 hours notice before doing so. Tenants have the legal right to refuse your entry if you don’t. Regular inspections help you to catch any damage or problems before they get worse, make sure tenants are looking after your property and build rapport with tenants.

9. Adapt to Market Conditions In 2025, rental prices are rising due to increased demand and limited housing stock. The key is to treat ‘staying up to date’ like any other task: make time for it.

Regularly compare your rates to the local market using platforms like Zillow .

Make a list of websites that keep you up to date with the latest legal guidance for landlords such as the National Apartment Association, and local state and government websites.

Create an email filter and label your favorite newsletters to ‘skip the inbox’. Let them build up, and read them when you have time.

10. Create Templates Rental property management is repetitive. You’ll find yourself sending similar emails and contracts multiple times across the years. Templates and processes can save you buckets of time and reduce errors. Use email templates to save yourself from writing the same email multiple times per year.

11. Invest in Learning There are endless opportunities to find ways to increase profits, boost productivity, and keep tenants satisfied. Whether it’s new software or finding a fantastic contractor, there are endless opportunities to keep learning and growing. Join forums for landlords, attend courses and events and subscribe to newsletters to keep learning.

Managing rental properties can be overwhelming, but organization, automation, and a commitment to stay up-to-date make the difference!