Determine Your Apartment Needs

Craigslist can be a great resource for finding your next apartment to rent. You need to first sit down and sort out your needs, your wants, and what you don’t want. Make a list of what you do want.

Consider:

· Price range for your budget

· Parking

- Space (loft, square footage, etc.)

· Utilities (washer, dryer, fridge, etc.)

· Floors (carpet, tile, concrete, etc.)

· Access (stairs, street level, elevator, etc.)

· Neighborhood—make sure you know the area well; some advertisers will only use street names, not the neighborhood name.

· Month-to-month rental vs. longer term lease

Determine what is non-negotiable and what can be offset by other factors. With a clear picture in mind of what you want, it’s time to do your search.

Doing Your Search

First go to www.craiglist.com and then go to the desired city. Then in the apartments section, narrow the list by desired neighborhood and price range.

Work your way through the listings, filtering out the ones you decide don’t meet your needs;

then contact the remaining list. Don’t automatically eliminate listings with short descriptions. It is possible the owners of those listings don’t really know what they have. You could find a real gem at a great price.

Don’t overlook the Sublet/Temporary listings either. Often these are listed by the current resident of a rental property; such individuals are looking for someone to take over their lease. By taking over someone’s lease, you could get a better deal.

Avoid Getting Scammed

Although Craigslist can be a great resource to find your apartment, you need to be careful you are not being scammed. Scammers will steal photos and details about properties from other listings. Never transfer money to a potential landlord via Western Union or any other wire service. Never send scans of your ID or passport as this information can be used for identity theft.