Photograph a rental once the repairs and the turnover clean are finished, in daylight, with every light on and the blinds open. Shoot level, wide photos from the corners of each room, and start the listing with the room that looks best.
Clean in the right order
- Repairs, paint and any new flooring first, so their dust goes with the clean
- The turnover clean, top to bottom: fans and fixtures, then counters and surfaces, then floors
- Windows, glass doors and mirrors, which show every streak in a photo
- On photo day, a last sweep of the floors, toilet lids down and cords and paperwork out of sight
Staging an empty unit
- An empty room is fine. Clean, bright and uncluttered matters more than furniture
- A few small touches help: a plant on the counter, a clean towel in the bathroom, a mat at the door
- Remove signs of work: ladders, paint cans, tools, notices and the lockbox
- Hide cleaning products, trash cans and the plunger
- Replace dead bulbs with bulbs of the same color, so rooms do not look patchy
- Outside, sweep the entry, patio or balcony and move the trash cans out of view
Light
- Shoot in daylight with the blinds open and every light on
- Do not point the camera straight at a bright window. Stand with the window beside you or behind you
- Morning or late afternoon light is softer than strong midday sun through the glass
- Turn ceiling fans off so the blades do not blur
Angles and phone settings
| Setting | What to do |
|---|---|
| Orientation | Horizontal, which shows more of the room |
| Height | About chest height, with the phone level, not tilted up or down |
| Position | A corner or doorway, to show as much of the room as possible |
| Lens | The wide lens (0.5x) if your phone has one, but not so close that the room looks stretched |
| Grid | On, so you can keep door frames and walls straight |
| HDR | On or auto, so both the window and the room show |
| Flash | Off. Use daylight and the room lights |
| Focus | Tap on the room, not the window, to set focus and brightness |
Take two or three photos of each room from different corners, then keep the best one.
What renters look at first
The first photo is the one that shows in search results, so lead with the brightest room, usually the living area or the kitchen. Then answer the usual questions with photos:
- The kitchen: counters, appliances and storage
- Each bathroom, with clean grout, glass and fixtures
- Bedrooms and closet space
- Laundry, in the unit or on site
- Parking, the building entrance and any patio, balcony or pool
- Impact windows or shutters, if the unit has them
Photos fit into the turnover plan between the clean and the first showing. See how to turn a rental unit in a week, and use our free Florida turnover checklist to keep track.
Send a request for a turnover clean before photo day and a local cleaner will call you to quote.