Finding a great tenant starts long before the application process. How you present your property — and where you present it — has a direct impact on the quality and volume of applicants you attract. Here's how to market your rental effectively in the London, St. Thomas, and Sarnia areas.
Where to List Your Rental in Ontario
The good news: you don't need to pay for advertising to reach most renters in Southwestern Ontario. The majority of tenants use free platforms:
- Kijiji — still the most-used rental search tool in smaller Ontario markets. Free basic listings work well; paid featured listings are worth it for units that have been sitting more than a week.
- Facebook Marketplace — huge reach and zero cost. Good for attracting local tenants already connected to your community.
- Zumper / PadMapper — popular with younger renters and people relocating from larger cities. Listings on Zumper often cross-post to PadMapper automatically.
- Realtor.ca — useful if you're working with a property manager or agent who can post on your behalf. Carries a perception of legitimacy that appeals to more established renters.
- Local Facebook rental groups — London, St. Thomas, and Sarnia each have active local rental groups with thousands of members. A straightforward post here often performs better than a paid listing elsewhere.
For student rentals near Fanshawe College or Western University in London, check if the institution has a housing board where you can post directly to students.
Writing a Listing That Actually Works
Most rental ads fail in one of two ways: they're either too sparse (just the basics — 2 bed, 1 bath, $1,500) or they read like a legal document. Neither attracts good tenants.
A strong listing answers three questions up front:
- What does it feel like to live here? Mention natural light, a quiet street, a finished basement, proximity to parks — specifics that paint a picture.
- What's included? Parking, laundry, appliances, utilities — be explicit. Ambiguity creates bad inquiries.
- Who are you looking for? A brief note about your ideal tenant ("non-smoking household, great for a professional couple or small family") filters out mismatches before they contact you.
Keep your listing honest. Overstating the unit wastes your time and theirs, and starts the landlord-tenant relationship on a sour note.
The Basics Every Listing Must Include
- Monthly rent and what's included (or excluded)
- Square footage or number of bedrooms and bathrooms
- Available date
- Lease term (12 months, month-to-month, etc.)
- Pet and smoking policy
- Parking situation
- Your contact method and preferred way to reach you
Photos Make or Break Your Listing
A listing with no photos or dark, cluttered photos will sit vacant. A listing with clear, well-lit photos gets more inquiries in a week than a bad listing gets in a month.
You don't need a professional photographer. You need:
- Good lighting — shoot during the day with blinds open and all lights on
- A clean unit — remove personal items, make beds, wipe surfaces
- Wide angles — stand in the corner of each room and capture as much of the space as possible
- Exterior shots — front of the building, parking, backyard or outdoor space
- Key features — updated kitchen, in-suite laundry, nice floors deserve their own photo
Aim for 8–15 photos per listing. More is fine; fewer than 6 and many renters won't bother clicking.
Pre-Screening Before the Showing
Every showing takes time — yours and the applicant's. A quick pre-screening message before you book saves both of you from a wasted trip.
Ask a few simple questions via text or email before confirming:
- How many people would be living in the unit?
- Do you have pets?
- What's your move-in timeline?
- What is your approximate household income or employment situation?
You're not conducting a full interview — you're just filtering out obvious mismatches. Under the Ontario Human Rights Code, you cannot discriminate based on protected grounds like source of income, family status, or disability. Stick to questions about the tenancy itself.
Running an Effective Showing
Schedule showings in blocks if you're getting strong interest — it creates social proof and reduces the back-and-forth of individual appointments.
During the showing, point out features, answer questions honestly, and pay attention to how the applicants interact with the space. Are they respectful? Do they ask good questions? First impressions work both ways.
Have paper or digital applications ready to hand out or send immediately after, while interest is high.
How Long Should It Take?
In London's current rental market, a well-priced and well-marketed unit typically rents within one to three weeks. In St. Thomas and Sarnia, good properties at fair prices move at a similar pace. If you're not getting inquiries within 5–7 days, the issue is usually price, photos, or the listing platform.
When It's Worth Getting Help
Filling vacancies sounds simple, but it's genuinely time-consuming — especially if you're managing the property yourself and working a full-time job. A team like Prospera Properties handles the entire process: photography, listing, pre-screening, showings, applications, and reference checks. For many landlords, the peace of mind is worth more than the fee.
Whether you do it yourself or work with a property manager, the goal is the same: find a tenant who pays on time, respects the property, and wants to stay. A good marketing process is where that relationship begins.