How to Find a Good Rental Home

Trying to find a rental home? Here's a guide to help you find what you are seeking with as little fuss as possible.

Things You'll Need

• Map
• Telephone book
• Internet access
• Telephone
• Notebook
• Car

Instructions

1. First, decide what you are looking for in a rental home. Write your thoughts down on the first page of your notebook. How many bedrooms? Bathrooms? How many square feet? How much rent can you afford? Do you need a fence, washer/dryer or refrigerator? What about the neighborhoods?

2. Next, use your local telephone book and/or Internet to access your local property management companies and rental agents. Call or connect and get the agency's current rental listings for the area and size rental you are seeking. Make a list of all the addresses and any other information about each property, including, rent amount, size and features.

3. The property management company will want to do a credit check before renting to you, so ask each what their criteria is for renting. Some have a credit check fee before they will let you view the property, so ask about their policies and procedures.

4. Once your list is compiled, use your map to number each property by location and route you will take to view them.

5. Next, start driving and looking at each property. Take notes on each so you can go back to them later to decide which property you want to rent.
   Note room sizes, colors, features and accessories. Some rental properties come ready-to-live, with washers/dryers and refrigerators, and some do not.

6. Once you've determined which property you want, contact the management company to proceed with rental arrangements. Move in, relax and enjoy your new home!

Tips & Warnings

• Making a small list of properties at a time will make for a less stressful hunting trip, especially in a large city.

• Mapping out your search will save driving time and gasoline!