Finding a new apartment to rent can be difficult. After all, many major cities are experiencing a housing shortage already. Coupled with rising rent prices, many new apartment searchers can’t afford the available apartments they are finding. Luckily, there are many more apartments on the market than you might be aware of. In fact, not every rental site shows every apartment available in one particular city. Each rental site also caters to a different audience.
No matter what your needs are, using one (or more) of these iPhone and Android apps can help you find your new place.
1. Realtor.com Rentals
Realtor.com is one of the most popular websites to search when looking to buy a home. Many will be surprised to learn that it also has an exclusive app for apartment rentals. Cross-referenced with some of the most popular apartment rental sites, Realtor.com Rentals has properties listed that you might not find anywhere else.
Similar to its home site, Realtor.com Rentals has a great search function to sort by bedrooms, bathrooms, and price. You can also see nearby schools and the available amenities for each unit. However, unlike traditional apartment hunting websites, you will need to go through an agent to contact the person listing the unit. Unless, however, you search that building’s phone number and give them a call yourself.
2. Zillow Rentals
Zillow, another popular home buying website, also has an exclusive app for those searching to rent. While Realtor.com Rentals has more apartments listed, Zillow Rentals is geared more towards house rentals. In fact, Zillow Rentals seems to have more house rentals than any other rental app.
Like the traditional website, it also includes a sorting feature that shows nearby schools and amenities. So if the apartment life isn’t for you, but you are still only able to rent, give Zillow Rentals a try. After all, Zillow is one of the most recognizable names in searching for real estate, so you’ll be in good hands.
3. Apartments.com Rental Finder
Apartments.com, to date, is one of the most popular apartment searching sites. It’s so popular that Realtor.com Rentals uses those listings to populate its own rental site. Most people start searching for apartments on this website. Thankfully, they have an exclusive iPhone and Android app to make searching for apartments even easier.
However, its popularity has a downside. Apartment.com is so popular that many units in larger cities are rented out quickly. Alternatively, if you live in a rural or suburban area this could be your best chance at finding a good unit, as those won’t get rented out as fast. Other apartment searching apps, while packed with more features, might not suit smaller areas.
4. Rent.com Apartments & Homes
Another popular site, Rent.com has an app to make searching for rentals on your mobile device easier than ever. Whether you’re looking for an apartment or a house, Rent.com is the best choice.
The Rent.com app has the largest database of both houses and apartments for rent. While the previous websites we mentioned seem to cater to one or the other, Rent.com has a healthy balance of both. Its app is perfect for those who just want to rent and have no preference on building type, or those who want to see both options available.
5. HotPads
For those who live in busy metropolitan areas and can’t seem to get a place, HotPads would be the best choice for you. HotPads does what apartment agents do, or used to do, before the days of the internet. The HotPads app will alert you through a notification whenever new units are available. That way, no matter how busy your day is, you can stay up to date on your apartment search.
Currently, HotPads is only available in select cities, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York, San Fransisco, and Washington DC.
6. Apartment List
Apartment List is another popular app to find a great deal. Like other popular listing sites, there are plenty of sorting options to find apartments that fit your criteria. However, the Apartment List just requires a few questions to gather a list of all available apartments. This is best for those who are too busy to do an in-depth search and would prefer an algorithm search for them.
For pet lovers, Apartment List seems to have the best feature to find out if a unit allows pets and has more pet-friendly listings than other sites. While other rental sites do contain pet information, Apartment List is more in tune with the needs of pet owners. This would be the best choice if you have pets or just need additional apartment hunting options from an established listing app.
7. Zumper
Zumper is the apartment searching app for the modern person. Designed for those wanting to find apartments that aren’t listed anywhere else, Zumper is a must download. Unlike the traditional apps, Zumper also shows available rooms for rent. This offers even cheaper options for finding your next place to live, and it's a great option for college students.
Landlords can list properties directly on the website without having a selling agent or needing to be part of an agency. Many of the other apartment rental apps do have this requirement. This means that buyers can potentially find smaller apartments not available on any other app and at a cheaper price.
After all, without agency or agent fees, the landlords will also be saving money. Zumper also makes it easy to pay your rent right in the app. This incredibly convenient feature saves time and makes paying rent a breeze. Currently, Zumper is only available in Chicago and New York.
Your New Apartment Is Within Reach
Using one or more of these popular apartment searching apps can help you find your new apartment, where many new memories will be made. The housing market has proven difficult for new home buyers and renters. However, that doesn’t mean you're out of luck. These apps offer a multitude of features that can help you sort through the chaos and find a place that feels like home.
Give these apps a try and see what you can find. The only thing these apps won’t do is move all of your stuff to your new place!