4 Simple Ways To Get The Best Deal When Renting An Apartment

Posted on: 29 March 2016

Share

Renting an apartment seems like a simple process, but if you want to get the greatest value, you have to do more than just look at online classifieds and make a few phone calls until you find a place. Fortunately, saving money on an apartment rental is as easy as following a few tips.

Move During the Offseason

The most effortless way to get the best deal on an apartment is to go apartment shopping during the offseason. It is important to avoid looking for places starting from June all the way through September, mainly because you are going to compete with individuals who are moving to or away from college.

Look Into Securing a Lower Rent

Although you might think that the list price for rent is what you are going to have to pay, you should be willing to negotiate when you meet with your potential landlord. However, to maximize your chance of having success with your negotiations, you should arrive prepared. Putting together a folder of your pay stubs, credit score, and references can help a landlord feel good about your rental history and ability to continue paying rent on time as a tenant.

Commit to a Longer Lease

If you want to appeal to landlords even more, you should consider committing to a longer lease. While one year is the standard lease term that will get you a good deal on an apartment, committing to two years is an effective way to put yourself in control of negotiations.

Sign Up for Email Alerts

Taking a look at online ads every day will help you find an apartment, but it is still possible to miss out on apartments that provide the greatest value. For instance, a landlord can post a listing in the early morning, and if you do not get a chance to look at the listings until the late afternoon, you may have to compete with several others who have already called and set up an appointment to see the property.

To combat this, you should sign up for email alerts that send you new listings as they get posted. It will help you make the first call, which is sometimes what you need to do to get a superb deal.

It is also helpful to contact local property management companies to have them notify you of vacancies. If you can prove to these companies that you are a great tenant before putting in an application, they will surely contact you as soon as something opens up, which is a win-win situation for both you and them.

By applying some of these tips while apartment hunting, you can get a great deal on a rental. For more information, contact an apartment rental company like Dale Forest Apartments