Landlords are extremely motivated to fill their vacant properties. Search these underpriced deals in your city:
Thankfully, technology has made the task that much easier these days. Simply head over to your favorite search engines and explore their sites, which will allow you to get closer to finding your dream place or rental home, quicker than you can say the word “apartment.”
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Plus, given just how competitive the market is these days, finding the best deals on these sites can be just as quick. Research from the Pew Research Center shared that renters occupied more than 36.6% of American homes in 2016, 65% of which were apartments rented out to millennials, proving that there these days, renters have taken over the market. Therefore, finding awesome rentals at affordable prices isn’t as difficult as you’d think.
If you need help finding your next possible living space, simply use one of the following options below that have taken the hassle out of your apartment searching.
Craigslist
While Craigslist doesn’t exactly have the best reputation, it is still a great platform when it comes to low-cost apartment searching. In fact, about 90% of renters begin their search here, or on Zillow. Regardless of private owned flats or big apartment complexes, Craigslist is a well-known extensive provider of real-time information since owners and landlords are allowed to list their rentals without having to pay a fee. But because they aren’t made to take their listings down, it’s also easy for those searching to find old listings.
One tip when using Craigslist is to search for available listings on the day, which will give you the most updated ones. Other tips to follow in order to make your experience on the site better is to remove areas that are located 90-minutes or more away from your workplace. Search the site everyday, bookmarking your favorite pages and responding to messages immediately. It also helps to create a spreadsheet that you can put down the neighborhoods, price ranges, sizes, transportation available, and other items you believe you should take into consideration when choosing a place to live.
Apartments.com
Another popular apartment finding platform is Apartments.com. While this website carries an extensive list of rentals, most of them are in large apartment complexes rather than belonging to single owners. The site also has listings for townhomes and single-family homes too.
One considerable feature that consumers enjoy is the large number of filters that the site has. These filter categories include housing, military, and income-restricted rentals, amongst other things. There is also a system in place that allows website users to check neighborhood boundaries, transit lines, and nearby local campuses as well.
While details about specific neighborhoods are restricted from the search, the map can be used to see complexes that are vacant. You can even place your preferred borders and neighborhood amenities in the search as well. The website may also offer special deals and other incentives on your preferred or chosen apartment-rental as well.
HotPads
Yet another search tool to find budgeted rentals is the HotPads website, which was bought by Zillow in 2012. Now, the site offers an a comprehensive listing of apartments and houses all throughout the country.
The site has a unique set of features while offering tons of information on good deals too. It also has settings that allows you to search for rooms for rent, corporate houses, military, student, senior housing, and even sublets, offering listings that show a number of photos for viewers to check. You can also type in keywords to see which neighborhoods and what amenities are available in your preferred area. The site also has over 90,000 ratings and reviews of a variety of apartments, complexes, neighborhoods and individual units that are quite useful to its users.
Trulia
Another website owned by Zillow, Trulia actually works alongside other community-based websites like EveryBlock.com and SportCrime.com. This is so that they can find out neighborhood-specific information about local businesses, commutes, schools, and even crimes that have occurred in certain areas. It also allows viewers to use grid, map or listing formats in the search.
Trulia also considers the needs of the LGBTQ community, allowing them to search in areas with specific non-discrimination laws. The Trulia app can also be used on both iOS and Android devices, gaining popularity amongst its users for its friendly interface.
Always Consult an Expert
When searching for a place to live, it’s always a good idea to seek the advice of an expert. Realtors, or real estate agents as they are otherwise called, understand the market, the right price of rentals, and the neighborhood where you are looking to rent. Depending on your needs and specifications, they’ll be able to steer you in the right direction. They will also be able to contribute a number of helpful factors when coming to your final decision.
In case you don’t know an agent that can help you, you can also look for a relocation specialist. They are authorized to show rental properties and can help you find what you are looking for within their area of expertise. They can also help you find movers, deal with utility companies, help you find schools, suggest legal, dental and medical services, ship both your pets and vehicles, and basically aid in all relocation services you might require.
RentCafe
RentCafe is a nationwide apartment listing service ready to help you find an apartment or house for rent in the safest and easiest way possible. All rental listings published on RentCafe.com are verified, as they come directly from property managers, with property information such as pricing and availability updated daily.
RentCafe guides you through the entire rental journey – from browsing a comprehensive list of available rentals in your area, filtering them according to your preferences and budget, and researching the area, to contacting properties and submitting a rental application online.
Renters have the option to schedule tours directly on RentCafe.com by choosing a date and time, which syncs directly with the property manager’s appointment calendar; they may also contact properties to request more details, and finally, once they reach a decision, they may apply for a lease online.
Many apartment communities listed on RentCafe.com are rated and reviewed by their own residents, with new reviews added monthly.
Make Sure To Do Your Research
Just like purchasing a brand new vehicle or attending a new school, doing research by taking a ride around your desired area or neighborhood can help you figure out what community is best for you and your family. Make sure to drive around and visit the different areas to get a feel of all the available locations you’re considering. Make sure that you look online for reviews of residents, or even speak to someone that lives there, to see what they have to say about it. You can even sit down in a restaurant or coffee shop to see if you like the vibe, which could really help you visualize yourself living in that area.
