Finding an apartment
How do I decide fast when good apartments get rented in a day?
Updated By the Housing Rocket moderators
Short answer
Do your deciding before the tour, not during it. Set your top budget, must-haves and deal breakers in advance, have your application documents ready, and tour as soon as a listing appears. If a place meets your list at the viewing, apply that day instead of going home to think.
In fast markets, the renter who wins is rarely the one who found the listing first. It is the one who can say yes on the spot with a complete application.
- Write three must-haves and three deal breakers. Everything else is a nice-to-have.
- Scan pay stubs, ID and references into one folder on your phone.
- Keep enough money available to cover the application fee and a deposit.
- Turn on notifications for new posts in your saved searches and groups.
- Ask for the earliest viewing slot, and ask how to apply before you arrive.
Speed does not mean skipping checks. See the place in person or by live video, confirm the person showing it has the right to rent it, and read the lease before you sign. Moving fast is sensible. Paying before you have seen anything is not.
It helps to decide in advance what you would give up. If you are willing to take a smaller bedroom for a shorter commute, you will not freeze when the choice is in front of you. The rent and applications answers cover what documents to prepare.
Want the whole picture? Read How to Find an Apartment in Facebook Housing Groups.