The internet can be a helpful tool when looking for somewhere to live. It used to be that you had to drive around looking for rent signs or check your local newspaper for a line or two about an available property. Now there are many websites set up to make the rental process easier for both landlords and tenants. Many include pictures; some even 360 degree tours as well as a ton of information about the place for rent. Here are a few of my favorite sites and why.
Rentclicks.com is an awesome website to find houses, apartments, town homes, duplexes, lofts and even vacation rentals. Of all the sites I’ve looked at online; it seems to have the most amount of available properties. Most listings include multiple photos and generally have detailed descriptions. The monthly rent, deposit and application fees are clearly listed so you know what you are looking at. The Landlord or Management companies name and phone number are there and a email reply form is on every listing. Searching for property is easy with several ways to do so. You can limit your search for certain areas, by city or zip code. You can also include your desired monthly rent payment and amount of bedrooms and bathrooms you are looking for. Other amenities can be included to narrow your search such as pet policy, washer and dryer hook-ups, basements, yards and garages. If you are looking for a rent-to-own type of deal these are included as well. It makes finding exactly what you want super easy. It appears to be available in every state and is free for renters though landlords pay a small fee to list their property.
Craigslist.com. is another site to find housing. Each city or area has its own board and you can find apartments, houses, vacation and more for rent. Listings are posted for free and anyone can write one. Information available is only as much as the landlord wants to include. Sometimes a monthly rental amount is not included which is beyond frustrating and other’s don’t include a phone number or contact info. It can take some time to weed through the listings since some may be scams or have already been rented. It is possible to find a good deal on craigslist but at the same time I’ve found many rentals that seem overpriced. Something annoying about craigslist rentals is that almost half of the listings do not include a photo. One of the reason’s I like looking online is so I can see at least the outside of the unit without leaving my home. I love ads that include several photos, especially the kitchen.
Rent.com is another good resource for finding somewhere to live. The downside is that it is almost all apartment units and rarely are there any houses, at least for my metro area. It is now owned by ebay not that it makes any difference to me. You do have to register with the site before seeing any details but once you do you can view floor plans, pricing, 360 degree video/picture tours and more. This site is easy to navigate and each listing generally has a ton of info about the property from walk in closets to nearby elementary schools. They also offer a $100 move in money back special so that you can save a little money by using their service when you find a new place to live.
Apartments.com offers a ton of apartments for rent in a variety of areas and price ranges. Despite the name of the website there are also a very small number of houses, town homes and lofts as well depending on the area you are searching for. There is even an option for searching income qualifying apartments which is a bonus if you are looking for affordable housing. These rentals tend to offer tax credits so that your monthly payment is less. This site does have annoying pop-ups, even when your browser is set to block them but it’s still worth looking at. The virtual tours are really awesome so you can see the courtyard, work out rooms, outside of the unit, kitchen and so on. Management info is clearly listed and you can quickly call or email an inquiry and expect a fast response time. Most apartments listed on this site are run by bigger companies that are very professional in how they handle business.
Forrent.com is similar to the free For Rent apartment guides available at most grocery stores. It includes all listings; online. I’ve only seen apartments there and a few town home styled apartments but the amount available is quite impressive. You can search by rental amount, city and surrounding areas as well as number of bedrooms and bathrooms. Additional amenities such as a fireplace can be included in your search but will limit the number of listings. Many apartments list specials such as free month of rent or $99 deposit when you mention forrent.com so even if you have an apartment in mind it’s good to check with this site to see what they are offering.
Finding an apartment or home to rent can be frustrating especially when you are looking for certain features. You can save time and energy by using the internet to see what’s available before you make a phone call or drive around. Look online to see what you can find, a few clicks and you may get exactly what you were hoping for.
