When it comes to searching for an apartment to rent, the
Internet has become the preferred method for apartment-hunting, surpassing the
old, obsolete methods of browsing through real estate brochures, or flipping
through the real estate section of your local newspaper. Now, you can find just
about all the information you need about local apartments available to rent
through the Internet, using any number of the websites that exist to help
apartment hunters narrow their search by price range, location and number of
bedrooms and bathrooms.
Websites like Craigslist are often overlooked,
but they are extremely useful ways to find available apartment listings in your
area. Searching them can uncover a lot of hidden gems and great deals for
finding apartments, but you have to make sure to always be careful when using
sites such as those and to gather as much information as you can before you make
a decision.
While you search for your new apartment on the Internet, one
of the most important things for you to remember is that you should be always be
vigilant when looking at listings and that any deal that seems too good to be
true most likely is. Staying ahead of the game and aware of potential scams will
help you when you're caught up in the controlled chaos of sorting through all of
the apartment listings trying to find one that's perfect for you. One of the
biggest hazards out there today is the tendency to fall for listings that are
fraudulent in nature, so it always helps to be extra careful.
Searching for an apartment on Craigslist
There are so many
useful apartment-hunting tools available on the Internet these days that it can
be almost overwhelming to sort through everything that's out there, so it helps
to go into the process with a plan in mind, and a predetermined set of
characteristics and requirements that you're looking for in your future
apartment. It also helps to know exactly where you want to search and what
websites you'll use to start, to prevent yourself from being hit with an
information overload.
Craigslist is an excellent resource to begin your
apartment search and you can narrow your search down to just about any city in
America to look for apartments that are for rent. But while this website is sure
to contain hundreds of listings for you to browse through, you should always
practice caution when using Craigslist, as it's not held to the same standards
as professional real estate websites and users may fall victim to scams if they
are not careful.
Here are some helpful tips to consider when using
Craigslist to browse for available apartments for rent in your area:
- Always make sure to directly contact the person who posted a listing
either by phone or email to ask any questions and inquire about the listing.
If you find a listing that catches your eye, the first thing you should do is
contact the email address or phone number attached to the listing to find out
whatever information you can about the apartment for rent. It benefits you, as
the consumer, to gather as much information about the property as you can before
you put it on a short-list or set out to take a look at the place. Being as
informed as possible will help you avoid any potential scams or fraudulent
activity and will help you stay on your toes.
- Never send any money without first seeing the apartment and meeting with
the landlord or apartment owner. This might seem like it goes without
saying, but you can never be too careful when you're dealing with the Internet,
especially on sites like Craigslist where con-artists and scammers like to prey
on people who are not as tech savvy as others. The main thing to remember is to
always be wary of listings that ask you to wire money or a deposit for the
apartment through money transfer outlets like Western Union. More often than
not, these scenarios will lead you right into a scam and there's a good chance
you won't ever see that money again. Never hand over any money, especially cash,
without first meeting with the landlord or apartment building owner and seeing
the apartment in person.
- Don't give out any personal information. Along the same
lines as not sending money is not giving out your personal information to anyone
on Craigslist without first verifying their identity and making sure that the
apartment listing is authentic. Some scammers will try to lure in people
searching for apartments and request personal information from them like Social
Security numbers, bank account information, or even addresses and phone numbers,
and can use this information to steal identities. Never give out any personal
information to anyone you're dealing with through Craigslist without first going
through the appropriate channels.
What to look for on Craigslist
When you get to Craigslist and
begin browsing through the seemingly endless list of available apartments for
rent in your area, you'll notice that it can be difficult to separate all of the
listings and tell them apart from each other, which makes it hard to know which
ones are legitimate and which aren't. Here are a few things you should keep your
eye open for when you're browsing through your city or town's Craigslist page
looking for available apartments to rent:
- Be wary of listings with no photos of the apartment. When you search
for apartments on websites like Apartments.com and Trulia, you'll usually see a
set of pictures of each apartment showing you what the interior and exterior of
the apartment looks like. On Craigslist, you should stick to the same guidelines
and exercise caution when going through the listings. If you see a listing that
looks sketchy and doesn't include any pictures of the property, it may not be
legitimate.
- Also, be wary of listings with no contact telephone number posted.
Real landlords or apartment owners serious about attracting renters on
Craigslist with their listings will include their contact telephone number in
the listing to make it easy for prospective renters to contact them and inquire
about the apartment. If you don't see a telephone number listed, be warned that
the listing may not be legitimate.
- If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. This was
mentioned earlier, but it should be repeated: If you see a listing that seems
like an out-of-this-world once-in-a-lifetime deal, then there's a good chance
it's not real. So the next time you happen to find a listing for a three-bedroom
apartment for rent for $300 a month right in a prime location in the city with
all the amenities included, be aware that you probably aren't the first person
to fall for it, and you won't be the last.