Finding Your Dream Rental: 5 Tips for Tenants

Finding the perfect rental takes time and effort, and it’s more than just a simple online search. Your dream apartment or house may have all the features you want, but there’s more to it than just the aesthetics. You may need some pre-planning and patience, but in the end, it’ll all be worth it.

Luckily, we’ve got some tips you can use to make the task easier, especially if you’re hunting in an ultra-popular area. You can get ahead of the competition with these five expert tips in no time.

• Know Your Price Range

One of the first things you should know before tackling your search is to consider your price range. Whether you’re moving in alone, as a family, or with a roommate, reasonable pricing is one aspect you need to focus on.

Additionally, the rental market is increasing yearly, making it more challenging for renters to find an adequate place. According to statistics, there’s been a 6 percent increase in typical asking rents, compared to last year. However, rent growth in general has had its peak in February 2022.

That said, you don’t want to place yourself in a stressful situation and waste your time by looking at unrealistic apartments or houses. You need to know your standards and understand what you can manage monthly, so you can begin your search as early as possible.

Once you figure out how much you can afford, you can also apply the 30 percent rule to your rent. For example, the U.S. Census Bureau states that if your monthly income is $5,627, you should spend around $1,688 per month on rent. This information can be helpful as to how you’ll handle your finances once you settle in. Plus, you can save yourself plenty of time by knowing your price range from the beginning.

• Do Your Research Thoroughly

No one wants to live in an area where they don’t know anything about it. Doing thorough research before signing is crucial to avoid unpleasant surprises in the future. Regardless if you’ve found a proper place, you must do your research on both the area and listing before continuing with further steps.

Try to visit the neighborhood during the day and night to notice any differences, especially if you’re planning on moving with your family. Perhaps your apartment or house might seem quiet during the day until the noisy neighbors come home from work.

The next step is to carefully review the lease agreement before putting your signature on it. Luckily, many landlords are using online apps as a way to connect with their potential tenants and offer them the possibility to review everything in detail. For example, Rentberry allows you to arrange a tour online without having to meet in person first. Also, thanks to technology, the app provides the ability to sign a lease agreement online.

While you’re checking the lease agreement, ensure to pay attention to other items, such as:

• Parking
• Guest policy
• Decorating Policy
• Tenant maintenance responsibilities

Since some landlords may be strict with these policies, it’s better to know beforehand. However, some of them can be overbearing and a lot to handle, so no matter how inexpensive the rent is, this is something to note for the future.

• Prioritize Your Needs

When you know your budget and location you want to find your dream rental, now it’s time to figure out your other needs, and what you’re willing to compromise. Essentially, you should have a clearer idea of exactly where you want to be and whether you have any spare room within your budget.

The reason behind these small yet impactful things is to figure out your dream rental and what will or won’t make the cut. Not only that but finding an excellent place that fits your income and standards mean you have to act fast.

• Try to Search During the Off Season

One of the best tips you can use to find your dream rental is to search during off-seasonality. Although many people think winter is the off-season for many areas, that’s not always the case. For example, college and university areas are busy in the fall and winter. However, the busiest moving and rental periods are usually between May and September. The main reason for this is people leaving for jobs or colleges, and families with kids.

Having that in mind, you shouldn’t assume when seasonality hits your target area. Instead, try to do a little research beforehand, to ensure you have plenty of time to find your dream rental and save money. If you do so, you allow yourself to have more options to choose from and fewer renters to compete with.

• Consider the Location

Last but not least, you want to pay the most attention to where your desired rental is located in. For starters, you could make a list of your ideal locations and add both the benefits and disadvantages of each of them. Additionally, you want to know things such as whether:

• You desire a location with a short commute to work or a great school district
• You can have a short walk to local hot spots

At the same time, you can find your dream rental which is closer to your work than others, but another one is located next to your favorite spots. This is why you should prioritize your list and know which qualities you’re willing to compromise on. Although you may not get the perfect rental, you’ll find one which meets most of your needs.

Similar Stories