An apartment search can be overwhelming, especially if you are not used to it. There are several factors to keep in mind, because the overall ‘feel’ of a rental home can also establish your final decision. If someone is moving to a new city or country, a simple listing page is not all they need.

Fortunately, we now have several ways to go about finding that perfect apartment, even if you are a self-employed person searching for an apartment to rent. Planning ahead is likely to help us save money and navigate the housing market better.

Ways to Find Apartments for Rent

You will find various rental listings on sites and in the paper, but how do you work out which homes to tour and which ones to skip? If you are still in search of the perfect apartment, check out the following ways to consider right now:

1. Search for Apartments on Rental Websites

Wondering where to find apartments for rent online? With the apartment rental sites available today, you can find the best options with a simple keyword search. You can also see what a site offers regarding different search criteria. For instance, you may want find apartments with the following features:

Region and Floor Plan

• Within a certain region or zip code
• Within a particular public school system
• A certain floor plan, such as Botsford Place Terrace Apartments’ renovated 2-bedroom apartments

Amenities, Maintenance, and Other Factors

• Specific amenities, such as a balcony, patio, on-site laundry facilities, garbage pickup, an outdoor space, etc.
• Quick response to maintenance request
• Proximity to grocery stores and other shopping venues
• A friendly apartment pet policy (or not, if one is allergic to some animals or just doesn’t like having them around)

Look for Other Methods

Not every site will have all these search options, so do check out a few platforms during your search. A real estate website can only do so much. To get information on the nitty-gritty details, apartment hunters have to utilize other methods as well.

Types of Sites

There are different types of sites that you can use to view apartment listings. They can be independent websites where the landlords or property managers will advertise any vacancies in their apartment buildings. There are all-inclusive websites as well, with a keyword search showing you all the relevant listings from various sources on the internet.

The Best Sites to Check Out

Some of the best sites to check out rental listings include:

• Apartments.com
• Rent Jungle
• Hotpads
• ForRent.com
• Padmapper
• MyNewPlace

If you are on a budget, there are websites specifically for income restricted/income based apartments or affordable housing options.

Variation in Specific Websites

The specific websites might vary according to your region. A quick online search with the terms “affordable housing,” “affordable rental properties,” or “income restricted apartment hunt” can get you to the right online resources.

What To Do On Each Website

Remember, you will probably have to pay rent for that new place for at least a year. This is no small commitment, so make sure that you read every likely listing carefully. There should be a decent amount of photographs of each place.

Look for Details

Most apartment complexes put information about the size of the place and the measurements of each room. Check them all out and estimate what you are getting in return for the rent. This will also help you in deciding what furniture you need for an apartment. Additionally, check for any dealbreaking features (pests) or features that are lacking (no patio, no washer/dryer, etc.)

Compare to Other Sites

Not every site has every single listing, detail, or available photos of apartments on the housing market. Plug in your search terms and keywords on various different platforms. This way, apartment hunters can be sure of accessing the best and most varied options that still fit their requirements.

2. Ask Your Friends or Neighbors

Apartment hunters should not ignore the first hand information they get from their social circle. After all, we may know someone who has recently gone through the process of finding an apartment or is planning to do so in the near future.

If you are in search of the best apartments in Farmington Hills, MI, or anywhere else, your social circle might be useful.

Ask Current Renters

Some may already be living in a rented apartment and have a direct connection to a rental location. If possible, ask these people whether they can make inquiries about a vacancy in their building or complex. Of course, they should also be satisfied and content with their lifestyle in their current apartment.

Advantages of Contacting Current Renters

The advantage of asking current renters is that you may know about the tenants who have already handed in their two weeks’ notice. In these scenarios, the property managers may not advertise the place as a vacancy yet, so your early inquiry might get you the apartment before it is even listed.

The Waiting List

If there are no apartments vacant or about to be vacant, the manager might have a waiting list on hand. If your renter friends will vouch for you, the wait might be shorter.

3. Seek a Property Manager

Most property managers and landlords would love to fill up their apartments as soon as they become vacant so they don’t lose out on income. They also prefer safe tenants, so a reference for you will help both parties.

Contact Directly

Along with asking your renter friends and family to vouch for you, there are other ways to directly contact someone in charge of a rental property. Real estate agents might be able to help a bit, but you can also directly seek out a property manager in different ways:

Ask for a Rental Property

• Walking around your desired region: check for any vacancy signs in the windows or signs that say “for rent,” “to lease,” “to let,” etc.
• Ask around: if you see a likely place, knock and ask if it is available for rent anytime soon

Look around

• Look for windows: if there are windows above any stores, this is a sign of a living area up there; you can then ask if the unit is available
• Walk through residential areas: a lot of apartment buildings may advertise their vacancies on front or top signs

Bulletin Boards Can Help You

• Check the bulletin board: if you are a student in search of local housing, get in touch with any reliable property managers that advertise their properties on school and college bulletin boards

Hiring a Rental Agent

If you are looking for a place in the larger cities, rental agents will be quite common. The advantages of having a good rental agent include:

• Making the search easier and quicker, since they are usually familiar with the local area
• Helping to finding a place within a certain location, with your required amenities, and any other features you want

Some More Advantages

• Have an idea of the best and most desirable landlords
• Might help in getting a better rent package with certain landlords

A rental agent might charge a yearly fee, which is around 15% of annual rent. However, you should not have to pay up until after signing the lease.

4. Make Use of Social Media

Social media can be a valuable tool for successfully completing almost any project or task today. Other than asking people you personally know, you have access to thousands of reviews, comments, and posts about a certain place. You can ask them things like ‘how long does it take to tour an apartment?’

Joining Relevant Groups

If you are on Facebook, there are several useful groups that can help you find vacancies in certain regions. Not all of them will be active, though. So, do check out their recent activity before joining.

Put Up a Post

If you feel comfortable doing so, put up a post on your various social media profiles. This post would state that you are looking to rent an apartment in a certain city. Please note, for privacy and security purposes, you should not reveal too many details.

Check Out Social Media Presences

Many apartment complexes are present on some social media sites. They might not always be active, but some have detailed pages with regular updates and frequent useful links. You can also check these pages for any deleted comments, negative feedback, etc.

5. Online Classified Sites and Newspaper Ads

If you have a community newspaper, check it for sections that have advertisements, bulletins, and classified listings. Building managers and landlords will usually turn to these mediums whenever they need to rent out any available suites or units.

You can also check any nearby libraries for copies of newspapers in your required regions. These might be available in print or electronic copies.

Online Classified Sites

Try to check out online classified sites as well. These will give your local community classified listings as well as online classified listings on an international basis. The apartment hunter can then customize their research to certain cities.

More About the Sites

On some sites, you can even use filters to check the pieces, availability, and distance involved in each apartment option. Here are some classified listing sites to check out during your search:

• Kijiji
• Hoobly
• Oodle
• PennySaver
• Craigslist
• Classified Ads
• Recycler
• Gumtree
• Adoos

The Takeaway

When you are on an apartment hunt, the options above can help in finding the perfect apartment. A new apartment is your next step towards fulfilling your lifelong dream, progressing your career, or starting a new chapter of your life. This is why you have to be careful while researching and selecting real estate agents to find your next home.

When you do find just the right apartment, it is time to get to work! Check out these top things to do before moving into an apartment, and best of luck to you!