5 tips for finding an apartment or condo for rent

Sometimes life takes unexpected turns. You could get a new job in another city, or you may need to move to be closer to family. Regardless of the reason, you’ll need to find an apartment or condo for rent — quick!

While it would be nice to have the option of taking your time and researching places for rent, when you don’t have that luxury you have to act quickly. That said, you need to be careful and make sure you don’t end up with a lemon.

If you find yourself in this situation, here are some tips for finding the right rental for your needs — fast!

1. Hire a rental agent

When you’re in a time crunch and you need to find a place fast, hire an extra pair of eyes and ears to help find an appropriate rental within your budget. This is especially helpful if you need to find a place in another city and you can’t be there to tour places in person. It’s a rental agent’s full-time job to help people find an apartment or condo for rent — so let them take the wheel, while you worry about other things.

2. Research neighbourhoods and prices

Rather than casting a wide net, hoping to find a good rental, narrow your search right off the bat. As soon as you know you need to move and look for a place fast, find out where you want to live and where you can afford. There’s no sense in looking beyond those parameters, as you don’t have time. Stick to your budget.

3. Narrow the search to serious contenders

If you actually will be able to tour the rental units yourself, don’t overwhelm yourself by viewing too many. Once you’ve narrowed your search, book walk-throughs only for apartments you consider to be serious contenders. Eliminate those that aren’t move-in ready, as you’re on a tight timeline, so don’t waste your time on places that you know won’t work for you in your present circumstances — even if it’s a beauty place.

4. Have all the documents ready

Many rental companies require the same standard set of documents along with the rental application, so have those ready. This means have copies of your letter of employment, pay stubs, banking information, reference letters and more available. Don’t waste precious time gathering those after you’ve found a place. Be ready to submit them so that you can accelerate the acceptance process.

5. Use apartment rental sites

Lastly, take advantage of online tools such as apartment rental sites, like Gottarent.com, that allow you to search for rentals within your budget in the area you want to move to. This is a great way to find a rental fast, without having to physically visit each place.

Good luck!