If you are looking to rent a home or commercial property, knowing where to look in order to find property rental listings is the first step in the process. While some ways of finding property listings are rather obvious, such as performing a search engine query for rental properties in your area, not all listing sources are such common knowledge. Read on to learn more about some of the sources of property listings that you may have overlooked.
Real Estate Agencies
When people think about real estate agencies, they tend to think about homes and other properties that are listed for sale. However, many real estate agencies also offer properties that are available for rent. This is because it is quite common for real estate agencies to also offer property management services to landlords. When utilizing this particular venue to find properties for rent, you should be aware that there is often a rather extensive screening process associated with the rental properties they have to offer. Consequently, this option is best for individuals who have a good rental history and are able to pass both a background and credit check.
Local Social Media Groups
Social media is no longer just a way for friends and family to keep in contact. Many social media platforms are also very effective venues for getting rid of unwanted items or advertising products and services. The availability of rental properties is no exception to this rule. That is why many private landlords now use local social media groups to reach out to potential renters when they have a rental unit become available. If you are not currently a member of any of these groups, you may need to do a little legwork to set up your profile and ask to join each group individually. While this can be a bit of a process, the payoff is usually well worth it since many people are now using social media platforms as their exclusive way of advertising the properties they have for rent.
Local Housing Authority
The local housing authority in most cities and towns will maintain a list of available rental properties. While these lists are often compiled as a way of helping individuals who are receiving government housing assistance locate potential rentals, these lists are available to the general public as a whole. In order to obtain the most recent list, you can either choose to go down to the housing authority in person or contact the office via telephone. In many cases they will be willing to send you the list via email or traditional mail if you are not able to go down to the office in person.