Helping with the Hunt

Maybe you need to relocate for a job right away. Perhaps your current lease will expire soon and you hope to find a quieter building. Maybe you’re thinking of renting instead of buying if there’s a family-friendly place.

Whatever the reason, it can be a daunting task to find an appropriate rental.

Today, increasingly sophisticated technological tools can help, as well as professionals who are well-versed in a particular market.

But the help available can depend on where you’re looking and the type of place you’re looking to rent.

Here, a guide to finding rental guidance:

Agent Assistance

In larger cities like New York and Boston, agents, who are paid by the renter, are sometimes used.

This approach is probably most common in Manhattan, where agents know the tight market well, explains Gary Malin, president of Citi Habitats in New York.

In New York, the average fee for this help is about 15 percent of the first year’s rent, says Malin. An agent should be able to help you find listings as they pop up, and find places that match your priorities, he adds.

A possible downside is that an agent may show only inventory he has a representing relationship with, says Margette Getto of Apartment Guide, an apartment-search service.

How will you know if agents who specialize in apartment rentals are active in a certain area? Simply entering “apartment rental” and an area in an Internet search engine will lead to leasing agents’ ads. Given the cost to renters, agents tend to be in popular or pricey neighborhoods.

Emerging Markets

Many realty firms may have handled home sales, but now some sellers have decided to rent out their home or condo rather than continue selling in this tough market, notes Jim Gramata, a broker with @Properties, Chicago.

Agents who also list homes for sale will then include the property as a rental in the multiple listing service, Gramata adds.

For rental shoppers, particularly those who may be interested in a single family home, asking a real estate agent for help might yield properties you can’t find on free sites, like Realtor.com, Gramata adds. And, the real estate agent is paid by the owner through the brokerage, not the renter, he says.

More rental shoppers start on the Web -- although printed ads and rental magazines are still actively read, says Bollinger.

Craigslist.org is a popular site, although not the only one for comprehensive listings. Simply entering terms like “one-bedroom apartment” and a locale into a search engine will usually yield many sites.

Apartment listings sites then offer click-throughs to sites run by individual apartment complexes, where you can find floor plans, explains Marcia Bollinger of ApartmentFinder.com.

Often sites link to Facebook, where renters can find information from current residents, Bollinger adds. Sites like Yelp.com also offer opinions by residents.

Don’t rely on online photos to select a rental; make a visit [ideally at different times of day], caution experts. Now, many sites offer apps whereby you can walk street and rental availabilities pop up as you pass.

What Renters Need to Know

When you rent without an agent, ask as many questions as possible – about fees, move-in policies, living rules, etc., and read before signing the lease.

“It’s amazing how people don’t read the lease and don’t pay attention to the apartment staff when they review the lease during a walk-through and then are surprised by rules, like if you don’t give notice by a certain date your lease will automatically renew,” Gwyn warns.