Find an Apartment

When it comes to renting an apartment, there are more than a few landlords willing to do whatever it takes to get an apartment rented — even to the point of attempting to scam unwary renters.

Brittany Espy attempted to rent an apartment in New York City and wound up in a credit card dispute. As part of her paperwork with a broker, Espy was asked for her credit card information: “They told me nothing would be charged to me. They just needed the info to do my credit checks.” The broker went ahead and charged her card, though, telling her that she had the apartment and had to take it.

Renting a room or apartment from family may sound wonderful at first. Before you pack your bags, why not sleep on it for a little while? Letting the idea sink in and ensuring this is the right thing to do may end up saving you some time and a relationship. This time may also enable you to decide what you are going to do to ensure that your renting relationship is at a business level, securing your personal/family relationship.

You have narrowed your apartment search down to two possibilities. One is managed by a property management company (PMC), or is a part of a large group of apartment communities (e.g., AMLI, Archstone-Smith, Equity Residential). The other is managed by an individual owner who may own a few properties or just the one rental you’re looking at. Before you sign on the line, you weigh the pros and cons just like you are supposed to. What side of the list does this fall? Is it a pro or a con to rent from an individual landlord?

When your search for an apartment, it’s easy to be swayed by the obvious things we all look for during an apartment hunt–cheap rent, big bedrooms, a great view and, if you live in a real concrete jungle, a roof deck. Finding an apartment with any one of these great features might tempt you to sign the lease as quickly as you can, before it gets snapped up by someone else. But before you sign anything, there are some things you should think about first. Here are five important apartment hunting tips that can help you make sure some trivial issues don’t turn into big problems.

Why use ApartmentSearch by CORT to find your next apartment?*

Finding a new apartment is supposed to cost you money, right? It probably will if you search for apartments the traditional way. But if you use ApartmentSearch by CORT to find your next apartment, you can actually make $200! Read more to learn how ApartmentSearch.com can help you find a great apartment and earn money at the same time.

1. Explore properties at ApartmentSearch.com. ApartmentSearch is a great way to explore housing options in your new city. Over 18,000 apartment complexes across the country have agreements with ApartmentSearch and the number grows every day. “We have a national team of salespeople whose goal is to target properties and expand the ApartmentSearch network,” says Creed Poore, Intellectual Property Manager for ApartmentSearch. Log on to the site to check out complexes in your destination city.

A lot of legwork goes into finding a great rental. You’ll have to consider many factors, including price, location, access to mass transit, safety, and the trustworthiness of the landlord.

After you find a few possibilities, the next task list arises — getting in touch with the right people, finding the time to schedule walk-throughs of the properties, and in some cases, interviewing with the landlord. Yes, finding an apartment is a hassle, which is why so many people turn to brokers and locator services to help them land that perfect place.

Many parents dream of buying their own house to raise their children in, but that’s not always possible. If you need to move into an apartment complex with your children, you are likely have some special needs beyond those of the typical tenant. This article will help you prepare to find a great apartment complex that’s not just safe but also fun for kids to live in. Finding the right place will take a lot of preparation and research, but you and your child will be happier for it.

Anyone who’s ever searched for an apartment knows it can be a stressful experience, especially if you’re doing it at the last minute. Finding a place with just the right amount of space and light, in just the right part of town, at just the right price, can be really rough.

It happens to all of us: we think of a thousand questions the day after looking at an apartment, and wish we’d had better presence of mind in the moment. Here’s a list of questions, loosely categorized by topic that you may wish to ask a potential landlord about your apartment. Remember to ask questions respectfully and refrain from gasping at any answer, even if it seems outrageous. If this isn’t the apartment for you, just move on. If you’re not sure you understand the answer to a question, don’t hesitate to rephrase or ask a follow-up question. This list assumes you’ve already actually seen the apartment and don’t need to ask the basic questions (where in the complex is it located?, how many bedrooms/square feet?, etc.). Keep in mind that this list designed as a guideline to help you remember to ask about what’s important to you. It’s not a litany of questions you must ask in every situation.