Insight For A Successful Rental House Search

Looking for an apartment to rent can be an important decision as you will be signing a contract for a year or more and will be locked into the financial obligation. This is true for SWOSU student housing as well Here are some tips to help you find and rent a great apartment for your upcoming move.

Follow Up Your Search With a Visit

As you search for a home to rent, one of the best tools you can use to do this is the internet. The internet has a variety of websites that provide information on an apartment's amenities, its location on a map, and photos of the property. However, you should never base your decision to rent only on the information online. Instead, you should follow up your internet search by actually going to see the property. The internet and online photos of rental homes is a great way for you to see what types of properties and amenities are available with a rental, but you never want to get into a rental agreement or pay money through a transfer service without actually viewing the property and meeting with the property manager or landlord as you might become a victim of rental fraud,

To avoid this, always make an appointment to view the property personally. This allows you to verify the actual condition of the home and the size of the rooms. For example, photos online may not identify a problem you see in a rental, such as the odor of mold inside the home, or a living space that is tiny compared to how the photos looked online. With the current pandemic, it may be common for a property manager to offer an online tour, but you should always try to visit the property before you decide to rent. Compile your list of properties from your online search and schedule personal showings with each one, and then you can consider signing the rental and paying for the rental fees.

Look at the Location

The prospect to choose a rental is going to be based on its interior features and exterior yard, but it should also be contingent on the area and neighborhood. You don't want to rent a property that is sitting in the middle of a run-down business district or located adjacent to a railroad yard. By visiting a property you get the chance to check out the area and surrounding neighborhood. 

Take a drive around the neighborhood of a rental, or the student housing to see what types of activities are taking place. Try to drive through at different times of the day to help you see if there are other residents outside their home or if the appearance of illegal activities starts to take place after dark, for example.