How to list rentals on Craigslist in multiple cities

Listing a rental on Craigslist is free in almost every US city. The exceptions are apartment rentals in New York, Boston and Chicago ($5 each) and office or commercial space ($5 everywhere). Free rental listings stay up 45 days in most markets and 30 days in the biggest metros, and they can be renewed every 48 to 72 hours.

That makes Craigslist one of the cheapest ways for property managers and landlords to fill units across several cities.

What it costs

Source: Craigslist's fee page. For any city, the fee calculator shows the exact number.

How long a rental listing lasts

We measured it. Free housing posts lasted 45 days in San Antonio, Houston and Atlanta, and 30 days in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle. Paid listings (NYC, Boston and Chicago apartments, commercial space) last 30 days everywhere.

Renewing a free listing every 48 to 72 hours moves it back to the top of the results. It doesn't extend the expiration date. Paid listings can't be renewed.

Writing a listing that rents

• Lead with the facts renters filter on: rent, bedrooms, bathrooms, neighborhood, and move-in date. Craigslist's housing form asks for most of these as fields; fill them all so you show up in filtered searches.
• Put the real address or cross streets on the map. Listings with a location get more serious inquiries.
• Use your own photos of the actual unit, starting with the best room. Six to eight photos is plenty.
• State pet, parking and laundry policies up front to cut unqualified inquiries.
• Keep the title honest. "2BR/1BA, Updated Kitchen, In-Unit W/D, $1,650" beats a title in all caps.

Listing in several cities

Each city is its own Craigslist site, so each unit gets its own post on the site where it's located. A unit in Tampa goes on the Tampa site, not on Orlando's as well. Craigslist's prohibited list covers cross-posted and nonlocal listings, and they get flagged.

For a portfolio across metros, the routine that works:

• One listing per vacant unit, on the site and subarea where it is.
• Renew free listings every few days while the unit is open.
• Repost after expiry if the unit is still vacant: 45 or 30 days depending on the market.
• Take listings down when units rent. Stale listings generate angry calls.

Doing it at scale

Managing dozens of listings across cities is a real job. Scale Classifieds posts each listing on the right city's Craigslist, pays any fee, and emails you every live link within 24 to 48 hours. Most rental listings cost $15 with us, since Craigslist charges nothing; repeat orders keep listings up while units are vacant. Price your listings.