> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rentsmart.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create your first listing

> Add a property to your account in six guided steps.

A listing in RentSmart represents one rental property. The Create Listing form walks you through everything we need to syndicate, screen, and show that property — broken into six steps with a progress bar at the top.

## Before you start

You'll need:

* The property's full address
* Bedrooms, bathrooms, and square footage
* Monthly rent and security deposit
* At least one photo

Everything else can be added or edited later.

<Warning>
  **Nothing is saved until you click Create Property on Step 6.** If you close the tab or refresh mid-flow, your work is gone. Plan to finish the form in one sitting.
</Warning>

## Where to start

Click **Create Listing** from any of these places:

* The Dashboard → Quick Actions
* The Listings page (top-right button)

## The six steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="Basic Information">
    Pick a housing type (Single-Family, Multi-Family, or Condo/Townhome), enter the address, and add bedrooms / bathrooms / square footage.

    The street address field uses Google autocomplete — just start typing and pick the match.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Financial Details">
    Set monthly rent (minimum \$100) and security deposit, then add any **Fees Included in Monthly Rent** or **Additional Fees** (parking, trash, pet rent, etc.). You can pull from [fee templates](/screening-rules/fees) you've already set up, or add one-offs here.

    This step also covers utilities included in the lease, acceptable lease terms, and whether you accept Section 8.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Amenities">
    Optional checkboxes for laundry, appliances, flooring, heating/cooling, parking, and outdoor features. Add custom amenities like "EV charging" or "Smart thermostat" in any category except laundry.

    Nothing here is required — skip what doesn't apply.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Screening rules">
    Choose **Use Global Settings** or **Custom Settings** for two things, independently:

    * **Auto Denial Rules** — the income, credit, criminal, and eviction thresholds for auto-denial
    * **Pet Policy** — what pets are allowed, fees, and restrictions

    You can mix them — e.g., use the global Auto Denial Rules but a custom Pet Policy. See [Auto Denial Rules](/screening-rules/auto-denial) and [Pet Policy](/screening-rules/pet-policy) for what each contains.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Other information">
    Special entry instructions, renovation notes, and optional **Property Owner** contact info. The first two feed the AI Listing Description Generator on activation, so put anything that should appear in your marketing copy here.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Photos">
    Drag and drop up to **50 photos** (20 MB max per file). The **first photo is the cover** — it's what shows on listing cards and your public pages.

    Drag any photo to position 1 to make it the new cover. Hover a photo to reveal its delete icon.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## After you click Create Property

You'll land on the **Individual Property page** for your new listing. It starts as **Inactive** — leads can't book showings yet, and the property hasn't been syndicated.

The next step is to activate it.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Activate your listing" icon="rocket" href="/properties/activate-listing">
    Generate the description, pick your showing type, assign a lockbox, and publish.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Manage photos" icon="image" href="/properties/photos">
    Reorder, replace, or add to your photo gallery any time.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>