Understanding Your Property and Goals

In our first meeting, we focus on getting a clear picture of your expectations and preferences. This includes discussing the key terms of the lease, your ideal tenant profile, and any other important considerations.

We thoroughly assess the condition of the apartment, its furnishings, and the building itself. We’ll review any recent upgrades, identify any necessary repairs, and take note of the current issues within the housing community that may impact your rental.

You’ll receive honest, objective feedback on your current rental photos — evaluating their quality, appeal, and how accurately they reflect the apartment’s current state.

If you’re open to suggestions, we’re happy to offer practical tips on how to improve your property’s appeal to a wider pool of potential tenants. Often, it is small and surprisingly low-cost changes that can help you shorten the period of vacancy, raise the rental price, or attract higher-quality tenants.

Should you be interested in our rental management service, we’ll also document the apartment and its technical systems in detail, allowing us to confidently represent you in all tenant-related matters.

Setting the Right Rental Price

We’ll provide a rental price recommendation based on both ongoing market trends and current and recent listings of the comparable properties in your area.

Our approach balances two key goals: the rental price should be attractive (to raise ample tenant interest to have large enough pool of viable candidates to choose from), but also high enough so you would not sacrifice your investment profitability.

Rental Photos & Home Staging

Great photos are often what get potential tenants through the door — and we take that seriously. If high-quality, up-to-date photos are missing or no longer reflect the current state of your apartment, we’ll arrange a professional photo shoot. Upon request, we can also include drone photography to highlight the building and surrounding area.

Professional photography makes a world of difference. With the right lighting, composition, and equipment, an experienced photographer can capture your apartment in a way that’s brighter, seem more spacious, and far more inviting than photos taken with a phone.

Before the shoot, we carefully prepare the apartment to ensure it looks its best in photos. This may include light home staging — small, thoughtful touches that make the space feel more welcoming and visually appealing.

Our golden rule is that the apartment should be immaculately clean and free from clutter or personal belongings. In most cases, we use a few well-chosen accessories (in complementary colours) — such as cushions, throw pillows, rugs, towels, vases, books, candles, and plants (real or artificial) — to enhance the space. Also, replacing a few outdated or worn pieces of furniture can dramatically elevate the apartment’s overall impression.

Our goal is to present your property in the most attractive light, helping it stand out in a competitive rental market.

Marketing & Tenant Search

Finding the right tenant starts with targeted marketing. To reach your ideal audience, it’s essential to advertise your rental through the platforms and channels they – your audience -actually use when searching for a home.

While the preferred channels and platforms may evolve over time, in Tallinn today it’s crucial to list your property on the most popular real estate portals and rental platforms.

However, visibility alone isn’t enough — effective preparation makes all the difference:

• A clear, engaging listing that highlights the apartment’s key features and unique selling points
• Professional, eye-catching photos that reflect the property’s true atmosphere
• A floor plan that gives potential tenants a better understanding of the layout and space
• A proper description of the neighbourhood, especially if you’re also targeting international tenants — including nearby grocery stores, cafés, gyms, public transport, and other everyday essentials

From experience, we also recommend selectively using additional premium service options offered by the portals to help your apartment stand out.

With the right preparation and platform strategy, your apartment won’t just be seen — it will attract the right kind of attention.

Tenant Selection

Finding the right tenant is about more than just ticking boxes — it’s about building a relationship based on trust, responsibility, and mutual respect.

We personally meet with all potential tenants who fit the previously agreed-upon criteria. During the viewing, we go over the key contract terms and estimated monthly costs, but our primary focus is getting to know the person behind the application. We pay close attention to how the candidate communicates, their demeanour, and whether they demonstrate qualities such as reliability, respectfulness, and responsibility. We’re also keeping an eye out for any potential red flags that may surface.

These face-to-face interactions are invaluable. They allow us to form an informed impression — including the all-important “gut feeling” — about whether the candidate is likely to be a trustworthy and long-term tenant.

For candidates we consider suitable, we conduct a thorough background check (with their consent), reviewing public databases such as the criminal record and payment default registers, as well as conducting public online research. We often request references from previous landlords and, where appropriate, proof of income — especially when the applicant is a foreigner who has recently relocated to Estonia.

If the rental agreement is facilitated through a platform like Rendin, Casapay or similar, their system will also perform an independent credit and background check.

After completing the vetting process, we present you with the most suitable candidate(s), along with a clear rationale for our recommendation. You’re welcome to make the final decision yourself or leave it in our experienced hands.

A good tenant is someone who respects your property, pays on time, and approaches the rental relationship with the same care and responsibility you do. In our experience, the tenant relationship works best when it’s built on fairness and mutual consideration — how you behave as a landlord (or we as your representative), sets the tone to how well the tenant takes care of your property.

Contract Signing & Handover of the Property

When it’s time to formalize the rental agreement, we use a comprehensive, multilingual contract template developed by experienced legal professionals. If preferred by you or the tenant, we can also facilitate the conclusion and ongoing administration of the lease through the rental platforms such as Rendin or Casapay.

We’re always available to explain specific terms, answer any questions, and make justified adjustments when needed. In our experience, when tenants clearly understand the contract from the outset, the risk of future misunderstandings is significantly reduced.

Once the contract is signed and all initial payments have been received, we prepare for you or take care ourselves of the formal handover of the apartment to the new tenant.

This handover is about more than just reading utility meters and handing over keys. We conduct a detailed documentation of the apartment’s current condition — including furnishings and equipment — supported by extensive photo evidence. This thorough approach ensures that both the landlord and tenant are protected, helping to prevent disputes during or after the lease period.

A well-documented handover is a vital step in setting the tone for a smooth and transparent rental relationship.

Settlements & Reporting

We take care of all financial and administrative aspects of your rental property to ensure smooth, transparent, and worry-free management.

Tenant Settlements: We closely monitor that tenants fulfil their monthly financial obligations – timely payment of rent and utility costs. In the event of delays, we promptly issue reminders and, if necessary, contact the tenant directly to resolve the issue.
Received monthly invoices from the apartment association and other service providers are forwarded to the tenant for payment.

Meter Readings: If the building is not equipped with remote meters, we collect monthly water and electricity readings from the tenant and submit them to the apartment association for consumption-based billing. We also verify the consistency of the tenant-reported readings by comparing them with previous months to ensure accuracy.

Settlements with Service Providers: We handle payments to all relevant service providers, including the apartment association.  

Investor Reporting: Each month, we prepare a detailed report for you outlining:

• Rental income received
• Utility costs invoiced to and received from tenants
• Invoices paid to service providers
• Rental management service fees

We transfer the rental income to you on the agreed-upon date, deducting only the applicable long-term management fees and any additional service charges as per our agreement.

Upon request, your monthly report can also include a short summary of key communications with tenants and any notable issues or incidents that occurred during the reporting period.

Communication with Tenants & Apartment Associations

As your trusted representative, we serve as the primary point of contact for all ongoing communication with tenants — and, if agreed, also with the apartment association.

We handle day-to-day matters on your behalf and assist tenants in resolving any issues that may arise during the rental period. Our goal is to provide responsive, solution-oriented support while protecting your interests as a rental property owner.

Should a situation arise that falls outside the scope of our agreed-upon authority — due to its urgency, complexity, or financial impact — we will involve you promptly to ensure it is addressed efficiently and in line with your preferences.

Lease Termination, Handover & Final Settlements

Pre-Termination Assessment: Well before the lease expires, we conduct a joint inspection of the apartment and its furnishings with the tenant. The goal is to identify the need for any necessary repairs or replacements and assess their urgency. This proactive approach helps us minimize vacancy between leases, allowing us to prepare the apartment for the next tenant with minimal delay and maintain a high return on your real estate investment.

Early inspections also help manage expectations, especially when wear-and-tear exceeds what is considered normal. This gives the tenant sufficient notice of any potential compensation obligations.

Handover of the Apartment: On the final day of the lease, we arrange for you or carry out by ourselves the official handover of the apartment. Based on experience, a thorough cleaning prior to handover is essential to help accurately assess whether visible wear (scratches, stains, marks, etc.) is removable or constitutes actual damage.

During the handover, we document the apartment’s condition and furnishings in detail, noting any defects. To evaluate whether a defect occurred during the lease period or was pre-existing, we carefully compare the current condition to the original handover documentation from the start of the tenancy.

At this stage, we also facilitate an agreement between both parties regarding the cost and responsibility for remedying any damages that exceed normal wear and tear.

Final Settlements: Final settlements typically include the reconciliation of the tenant’s security deposit and any outstanding obligations, such as unpaid utility bills, cleaning fees (if specified in the lease) and compensation for damages beyond normal wear-and-tear.

We calculate compensation amounts fairly and transparently, using third-party repair estimates that reflect the cost of restoring the apartment to its original condition at the start of the lease.

We aim to complete all final settlements within one week of the lease end date and strive to reach a resolution that is reasonable and satisfactory for both parties.

Coordination of Minor Works

We’re happy to assist with the coordination of any minor works required for the upkeep or small improvements of your rental property — whether during a tenancy or between leases.

This includes tasks such as:

• Purchasing or removing furniture
• Wall repainting and touch-ups
• Minor electrical and plumbing repairs
• Installing light fixtures, curtain rods, or shelves
• Changing locks or ordering spare keys/remotes
• Managing time-sensitive repairs related to insurance claims
• Arranging final cleaning at the end of a lease

We handle the process end-to-end: sourcing and comparing quotes, coordinating with service providers, and representing you during the execution and final inspection of the work.

Emergency interventions and time-critical repairs are included in our standard rental management service. All other minor works are typically arranged on an hourly basis, with full transparency.