Tips to Help you Find the Perfect Rental Property

If you’re searching for living inside the loop, more than likely, you’re trying to find that quintessential bohemian apartment. Or maybe, you’re tired of your apartment and would like to rent a house. Or, quite possibly, you’ve outgrown the mega apartment community, and you’re ready to rent something that’s privately owned.

There’s nothing wrong with these large apartment communities, after all, they offer a lot to their tenants: Swimming Pool, Workout facilities, Business Centers, Media Centers, Garage Parking etc. But what people often discover is that they never use the amenities and yet their rent just keeps going up. Private landlords have a tendency to keep the rent down in order to reduce turn over.

As I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, all the rental sites (Hotpads, Trulia, Zillow) seem to be inundated with offerings by these mega apartment communities. You have to be really patient as you sort through them to get to what you want. But once you start finding the ones that look the most promising, you want to be sure you’re in a good position to grab it.

Here are some helpful tips:

Did you know that when Realtors help you find a rental property, it’s free for you? That’s right, you don’t pay anything; the landlord pays their commission. A Realtor can help sort out all those unwanted properties and narrow down options that meet your criteria. And if you talk to a Realtor that has experience working with apartment communities, they can help you there if you like. Just something to consider, it will make your search much easier.
If you have pets, have photos of them ready.Be prepared to explain how you manage them while you’re away. You might even need to write up a story about them to help the landlord understand how well behaved they are. And if you have a large dog, be prepared for it to take a while to find something.Landlords are very nervous about someone being injured by a dog.
Have your applications filled out and ready to go. More than likely, the property you are interested in leasing is going to be marketed by a Realtor.Get an application in advance and fill it out. You can leave the property information for which your applying blank and fill it in later.(If you want, you can ask me to send you an application.I don’t mind). In addition, make copies of your driver’s license and pay stubs. Having this ready to present when you look at property puts you head and shoulders above the competition and it also makes you look like you have it together. It’s a very good first impression.
Be honest.A lot of landlords are willing to give someone a second chance, depending on what it is. But if you lie and a background check exposes it, you won’t get a second chance. An explanation up front will help thwart concerns about issues that come up from back ground checks.