Long Distance Apatment Searches Online
Using the Internet to Find the Perfect Out-of-Town Rental
Feb 24, 2009
One of the biggest hassles of moving out of state is trying to find a new apartment without being able to view it in-person. Will it be big enough? How is the parking situation? What, if any, utilities are included in the monthly rent? What is the floor plan like? Luckily for those moving long-distance, there are some useful tools available online that can help to narrow down the options.
Before beginning research, it is good to have a general idea of what amenities are desired. Some specific considerations include:
- What is the range of the rent and is it within budget?
- What lease terms are desired?
- How many bedrooms?
- How many bathrooms?
- Are pets permitted?
- What utilities, if any, are included?
- What are the laundry accommodations (in unit, in building, on premises)?
- Is there a yard?
- What appliances are included?
- Are there exercise/fitness facilities on site?
- What are the security provisions (gate, guard)?
Once renters have some idea of what they are looking for, the search can begin. Here's what to do:
- It is best to have two browser windows or tabs open simultaneously, since there are two websites that any apartment hunter must visit. The first will offer comprehensive apartment ratings and the second will offer a list of all rental properties within a given area. In one window, open a rental website. It is important to choose one specifically designed for regional searches. Some good ones include apartments.com and rent.com.
- In a second browser window or tab, open a regional apartment ratings website. The site, apartmentratings.com is great for this.
- Use the rental search website to generate a listing of all properties in the area. Note that it helps to have a general idea of where you will be moving. For instance, know more than just city and state. Knowing the county and/or having a general idea of where you are moving to and being able to identify it on a map is vital for the search.
- Once all the apartments in a desired area have been located, take some time to go through them. pay attention to how many desired amenities match the offerings of the property. Look at floor plans, photos and virtual tours (if applicable).
- Keep a running list of any properties that match a majority of your needs.
- Refer to the apartment ratings website and see what current and past tenets have to say about the property. Note any issues that seem to be repeated. For instance, if reviewers mention over and over that the maintenance was slow to correct a problem, this may be worth crossing off the list as a potential apartment.
- Narrow down the list as much as possible.
By doing as much research as possible online, renters can save time and weed out any poor matches. This focuses a renter's time and research to only one or two properties, instead of five or more. It makes in-person visiting less time-consuming and ensures that only the most matchable apartments remain.
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