Finding a new apartment isn’t easy under normal circumstances, but couple that with the hassles of a house-hunt with a global pandemic and you’ve got a stressful situation. Read on to learn about the best site to find apartments from your couch.
Anybody that’s been looking for a new home during the pandemic knows that it hasn’t been a walk in the park. The Rently team understands the difficulties facing today’s renters, so here are 3 strategies to help make the search for your dream apartment easier – while still staying safe and responsible.
Finding a new home is an exciting venture and despite any complications, it should be fun too! Rently’s forward-thinking model strives to match renters with the best apartment for them.
From start to finish, we are dedicated to making the process as efficient, strategic, and worry-free as possible. Here are a few of our best practices to help you find your new home during COVID:
Start Your Search Online
Even before the pandemic, searching for apartments online was already a norm. But, now that we’re socially-distant and remote, the online search is holding a lot more weight. 
Kicking off your apartment search online will help you give you insight to what’s available on the market right now and help you build your list of your favorite listings- all from the comfort of your own home. While doing so, make sure you’re taking advantage of all of the new online opportunities and tools available to you.
Remember, not all listings platforms are the same. Look beyond the most popular listing portals to explore the fullness of what your area has to offer. Rently’s ILS, homes.rently.com is a winning resource to explore with added benefits that other listing sites don’t offer. With apartment listings from all around the country, homes.rently.com has listings that your other sites don’t and the best part is that you can tour the apartments you find and tour on your own and at your own convenience; no agents, no time off of work, no hassle.
Shop for Innovative Properties
These past few months of disruption have pushed many apartment communities to go above and beyond their baseline protocols to support renters in the house-hunting process. As a result, today’s renters have so many new and exciting integrations to work with. Virtual tours, online leasing processes, and keyless communities are expanding the horizons for renters.
While you’re shopping for your new apartment, be sure to keep an eye out for properties that are using keyless smart home technology and self-touring. This way, embarking on a tour is both safer and easier than the traditional method of scheduling a walkthrough with an agent or staff member present. There’s no waiting for an opening during regular business hours so you don’t need to worry about a competing renter scooping up the listing before you even get a foot in the door.
Keyless technology, on the other hand not only, streamlines access during a self-tour, but it also stands as a winning lifestyle amenity once you’ve moved in. Keyless apartments offer a more convenient living experience for prospective residents looking to reside in a technologically integrated community, reducing bulky keys and increasing security.
Inquire About Current Protocols
Once you find an apartment that you like, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the listing agent or property manager to ask some important questions.
In light of the current circumstances, it’s not surprising that many managers have had to pivot away from operating business-as-usual. Reaching out to the team directly will help you to understand the outlook of leasing a unit from them and what their new process is at the moment and will introduce you as a serious prospect for that unit..
By asking these few simple and helpful questions, the leasing professionals will get to meet you over the phone and will be more likely to fill you in on any information they have that will help you.
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- Are you offering any move-in incentives for particular units and move in dates?
- What is your process for going from inquiry to signing the lease (what documentation do you require, what are your minimum requirements for qualification, etc.)?
- What is your security deposit and is it dependent on any factors?
Getting in touch with the leasing team provides a great opportunity to stay current with the latest protocols – coupled with the added benefit of keeping at the top of the list.
Good Luck, Renters!
Don’t let the pandemic get the best of your home search. Stay safe, smart, and savvy with these 3 tips to help you find the perfect apartments during COVID.
Don’t just take our word for it, Justin, a renter who used Rently to find a home during the COVID-era, says: “This super convenient service and easy to use app is essential if you’re looking for a place to rent right now”.
Become one of the happy renters who uses Rently’s technology to streamline the apartment search. Find available units in your area with Rently’s listing platform, homes.rently.com. Don’t forget to follow us on IG (@RENTLYSOLUTIONS) and Facebook (@RENTLYSOLUTIONS).
