How to Find Tenants for Your Rental Property in East London

Have you recently invested in a buy-to-let and wondering how to find great tenants for your rental properties?

If so, this article explains how you can find tenants easily for your properties in Redbridge, Barking & Dagenham, Ilford, Havering and Newham.

Following the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, there are many changes that landlords should consider when screening tenants and in their approach to advertising their rental property. Also, with the abolishment of Section 21 evictions and longer, more involved processes for evicting problem tenants, it is even more important to find reliable tenants.

Here at Sandra Davidson, we have a database of prospective tenants looking for rental homes in East London and Essex. If you want to know how to have tenants falling over themselves to view your property and minimise the risk of future tenancy issues, these tips will make finding good tenants much more straightforward.

Steps to Finding Tenants for Your Property

1. Advertise a Rental Property Online

These days when tenants are looking for a property, the first thing they do is switch on their laptops. Property portals such as Rightmove and Zoopla are ubiquitous and the best place to find potential renters. Only estate agents can advertise on these, but there are plenty of other websites to post rental listings to.

If you are considering renting the property without the support of an estate agent, you can use platforms like OpenRent, SpareRoom or Facebook Marketplace to advertise your property.

With the increased use of social media, this is also a great way to post your rental listings. Maybe the town or village you have a rental property in has a page for you to post your advertisement. Either way, you must ensure you have a fitting property description and attractive photos ready.

When you are deciding on a rent amount to advertise, it is important to comply with the rent rules set out in the Renters’ Rights Act. Your advertisement must state a fixed amount, and you are not allowed to accept bids higher than the advertised amount. Previously, tenants could outbid each other for properties, but this is now illegal and you can face legal consequences if you accept a higher rent through a ‘bidding war’.

2. Be Sure to Take Quality Photos

There’s no point in having a fantastic flat if tenants can’t see it well from your poor-quality photographs. Equally, dingy photos can signal a lack of care for the property and make tenants think they’ll encounter maintenance issues down the line. Always use high-res rather than low-res images and ensure you ‘stage’ the property well, i.e. don’t have too much cluttering up worktops and other surfaces. Show off the property’s features, such as a fab fireplace or ornate ceiling, bay windows etc.

Don’t use wide-angle lenses because this is obvious nine times out of ten. It puts tenants off when landlords try to hoodwink them, and anyway, they’ll see precisely how postage-stamp-sized your garden is if they come for a viewing. Getting a professional photographer in is not a bad idea, considering how easily you’ll rent the property afterwards.

Many property adverts now include videos as these help to attract more viewings. Prospective tenants like to see video walkthroughs, as these provide a more realistic view of the property in terms of size and layout, and tenants know they are not just seeing the highlights in carefully selected photos. Most modern smartphones can take high-quality videos that can be used on portals.

3. Set A Competitive Rental Price

Prospective renters will search by price in their preferred location so it’s essential to get the monthly UK rental cost right and remain competitive. Too high compared to similar properties, and you’ll put good tenants off. Too low, and they’ll wonder what’s wrong with it, and you will lose out on rental income.

So, always check out what the average rental price is in your area for properties with the same number of bedrooms and similar amenities.

Under the Renters’ Rights Act, landlords are only allowed to request a maximum of one month’s rent in advance, so taking large deposits as extra financial security is no longer an option, therefore accurate pricing is even more important.

4. Offering Parking And A Garage? Make Sure People Know About It

Being able to park their car freely in a garage or driveway (or even on a public road but in front of the house) can be a deal-breaker for many tenants. So if your property offers this, highlight it clearly in your advert.

5. Furnish Your Property

Unless you’re looking for a family to rent a large three- to four-bedroom house, offering your property furnished is a good idea. Families tend to have their own furniture, but younger single people or couples looking for a one or two-bedroom flat probably won’t have much in the way of sofas, beds and mattresses.

Students and young professionals are often looking for furnished properties as they generally have not started buying their own items yet.

6. Draw Attention To Outdoor Space

If your property has a garden or another type of outdoor space such as a balcony or terrace, this is a major attraction to highlight. Properties with the additional space afforded by a garden or balcony are a top priority for tenants and drawing attention to this will secure more viewings.

Make sure to include any outdoor space in your listing with photos or videos to show this as a feature. People looking for long-term rental properties are also more likely to prefer living somewhere with outdoor space.

7. Make Sure Your Property Meets Minimum Standards Before You List

There is a set of minimum standards that your property must meet to legally rent the property out to tenants, these include:

• A valid EPC (with a minimum rating of E)
• Working smoke alarms on each floor
• CO detectors in rooms with a fuel burning appliance
• A valid Gas Safe certificate
• A valid EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report)

These should all be in place before any tenants move in and you cannot market the property without an EPC.

These are just the minimum requirements, but it is also worthwhile keeping on top on maintenance as this will attract better quality tenants and can reduce void periods.

8. Get Your Current Tenant To Help

If you already have a good tenant in your property and relations between you are friendly, then why not ask if they know of any friends or colleagues who’d like to rent the flat once that tenant moves on? Word of mouth is an excellent way to get news of your empty apartment out. It’s also free and a perfect way for your property to be advertised by someone with experience living there.

9. Should You Allow Pets in Your Rental Property?

It is estimated that around 62% of households in the UK have at least one pet, so there is a good chance that prospective tenants will be looking for pet-friendly accommodation.

One of the legal rule changes in the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is that landlords are not allowed to unreasonably refuse a pet. Tenants have the right to request to keep a pet in writing and landlords are required to respond in writing within 28 days. Refusals must be reasonable and evidence-based, for example, if the pet is too large to live in a smaller property.

When Is the Best Time to Find Tenants for a Rental Property?

When to advertise and start looking for a tenant depends on your market. For instance, if it’s a student market, then around three to four months before the start of a new academic year is when many students start looking.

For other tenants, such as young professionals and families, six weeks will give you enough time to reference check, get leases sorted etc. When finding tenants in East London and Essex, you could be talking about a matter of just three weeks in a fast-moving rental market.

Consider seasonal tenant demand

It is also worth considering seasonal demand, for example, the summer holidays are a popular time for families to move into rental properties. Young professionals starting graduate schemes in autumn will also be more likely to find accommodation over the summer.

Under the changes brought in through the Renters’ Rights Act, all tenancies are now periodic, and tenants can provide just two months’ notice to move out at any time. This means you should have a re-let plan and working with a local letting agent like Sandra Davidson can help to minimise void periods.

Typical Tenant Search Timeline

Tenant type	Recommended lead time	Notes
Students	3 to 4 months before term starts	Peak demand tied to the academic year
Young professionals and families (general)	Around 6 weeks	Allows time for referencing and lease arrangements
East London and Essex fast-moving market	As little as 3 weeks	High local demand can shorten the process significantly
Families	Summer holidays	Popular period for moving
Graduate scheme starters	Over summer, ahead of autumn	Move before new job begins

How to Screen Tenants for a Rental Property

You need to complete several checks before renting to a new tenant. These are both for your peace of mind and to ensure you adhere to legal requirements. Read on for details of what you need to check when tenant screening – from obtaining contact information to verifying income.

The checks involved in comprehensive tenant screening include:

1. Reference Checks

Obtaining previous landlord references are an essential part of the rental application process. Referencing will help determine whether your tenants will be reliable in abiding by their contractual agreements, such as paying rent on time, looking after the property and maintaining a good relationship with the landlord. A reference from a previous landlord should also indicate if there were any anti-social behaviour concerns.

If the potential tenant refuses to provide you with reference information, this could cause concern about their rental application. For tenants who have not rented property before, a reference from their employer or college/university is another option.

2. Verify Income

To ensure that your property will be affordable for your tenant and that they are likely to pay their rent, you should verify their income. You can ask them for a copy of their most recent payslips, bank statements, employment contract or proof of benefit entitlement. Many landlords use the calculation of the annual salary covering at least 30x the monthly rent amount.

3. Credit Checks

Checking a tenant’s credit score is vital to ensure that the tenant can pay rent on time and afford their bills. The credit check will scour personal information, flagging recent debts and late/ missed payments to previous landlords. You can use specialist tenant referencing services to complete credit checks on your behalf.

It will also verify whether they have any CCJs or fraud offences and confirm the validity of any bank details they have provided you with to collect rent. Any missed payments, particularly more recent ones, will show that there is a risk that the prospective tenant might struggle to cover rent and bills.

4. Right To Rent Checks

Housing laws state that your tenant and any other adults over 18 residing in the property must have the right to rent in the UK. You could be fined or imprisoned if you don’t check this before the tenancy starts. You can obtain advice on checking your tenant’s right to rent on the Government website and other information on relevant housing laws.

Be aware that it is illegal under the Renters’ Rights Act to discriminate against tenants who receive benefits or who have children, when assessing tenants.

Should You Use a Letting Agent to Find Tenants?

The choice is in your hands but there are several benefits to using a letting agent:

• It is usually faster to find tenants, as agents have a database of tenants looking for local rental properties.
• They will conduct accompanied viewings.
• You can advertise your property on all the most used property portals.
• Agents can complete the full screening process on your behalf, including right to rent checks to ensure legal compliance.
• Letting agents can arrange certifications such as Gas Safe certificate, EICR and EPC.

If you are not sure whether to use an agent or self-manage, consider how much time you have to work through all the tasks involved. These include advertising, arranging viewings, communicating with prospective tenants, screening activities such as obtaining references and credit checks, and organising for relevant professionals to do safety checks and issue certificates.

Choosing Sandra Davidson’s landlord services means that you will have a local property market expert taking care of all the time-consuming tasks such as marketing, referencing, setting up tenancy agreements and ongoing management.

We also offer a rent guarantee scheme that provides landlords with financial security, and due to the new risk of lengthier eviction processes following the abolishment of Section 21 evictions, more landlords are taking out this type of cover.

How to Choose the Right Tenant

Building a positive relationship with your tenants from the outset will likely make your life easier in the long run. Whilst it can be easy to put this off, meeting potential tenants before any agreements are signed would help you decide if you think they are the best type of tenant for your rental property.

Rental properties in East London have consistent demand, so there is a high likelihood that you will have multiple tenants to choose from. The changes under the Renters’ Rights Act include more involved legal processes for evicting tenants, and getting to know more about your tenants can help to avoid being in the position of going through the courts.

Questions you should ask to help pick a tenant

Meeting your prospective tenant face to face will allow you to ask plenty of questions that will help you gauge whether they are the right tenant for you. Important questions to include are:

• Why are you moving? This gives them an opening to divulge their personal circumstances, which can give you an indication of their short/long-term plans and whether this suits you. If they are moving for school catchment or a new job, this means that they are likely to be looking for a fairly permanent base. The cost of advertising, arranging viewings and losing money on an empty property can be both time-consuming and expensive. Finding a good tenant who plans to live in the property long-term means you’ll get a regular income without all these costs.
• When do you plan to move? If your property is empty, you will likely want to fill the void immediately, which will help you filter out anyone looking several months in advance.
• Who will be living in the property? This question needs to be asked to ensure that you adhere to the legal requirements of letting to multiple people.
• Do you have a good relationship with your current landlord? It’s important to look out for body language or hesitation when the tenant answers this question, as this could be a red flag. If they have had issues with the landlord, this would be a good opportunity for you to lay out your processes and procedures so you’re both on the same page.

Can You Let an HMO to Find More Tenants?

HMO lettings can provide the opportunity to generate more rental income from a larger property, as you will have multiple tenants paying rent. This strategy also helps to minimise the impact of a tenant missing payments, as you will still be receiving rent from other tenants.

There are additional obligations for HMO landlords, and you may need to spend money on renovating property so that it is suitable for multiple tenants.

An HMO licence is required for properties with five or more occupants from two or more separate households. Some local authorities require HMO licences for properties with 3-4 occupants, so if you are considering this idea, you should check the requirements of the local authority.

Get In Touch

Are you considering renting out a property but don’t have much time? Or perhaps you are wondering how to find renters for your buy-to-let property in Stratford, Redbridge, Ilford or another area of East London.

If this is you, then do get in touch with the team here at Sandra Davidson. We provide our landlords with a Guaranteed Rent scheme and experienced HMO property managers, making us the best place to find tenants in the areas of London we cover.