Top Tips on Finding Apartments for Long-Term Rental

How to Find Apartments for Long-Term Rental

Statista Global Consumer Survey for 2020/2021 showed that up to two-thirds of citizens in some countries live in rented apartments instead of owning a home. This rate has gone up over the last ten years since more and more people start working remotely from different parts of the planet. With this, the demand for apartment rentals has increased even more, so finding a place that satisfies all wishes and is also suitable price-wise is getting harder by the day. And it is especially complicated in the countries like OAE — with its unique geographical position and living conditions. That's why we selected tips for finding long-term housing for new and experienced renters.

Use Real Estate Websites

The first method of apartment search is definitely using real estate websites. It's safe, quick, and gives you a pretty good look at the market situation. There are a lot of platforms on the Internet where you can look at apartment options. This method has lots of benefits:

• It's safer compared to other methods since the platform checks the validity of the offers.
• There are a lot of filters for the price, district, and size, so you can quickly cut off the irrelevant options.
• Top platforms even offer 3D visual apartment tours, as they do at Metropolitan Real Estate.
• It allows you to find a perfect apartment before even visiting the place.
• There is legal assistance to help renters with the rent contracts.

As for the disadvantages — it can be pricier since additional work is involved from the platform side. And the communication might take longer — although that depends on the platform. Top platforms usually respond in a matter of hours.

Ask Your Friends

One of the most convenient methods of finding an apartment is through the grapevine — by asking friends and colleagues. Even if you have only a few friends, they can ask a few of their friends, and in this way, you'll have around 10-15 people knowing that you are looking. So the next time they hear about some great place freeing up, you can be the first to know. And if one of your friends is about to leave their apartment, you'll have a unique insight about it from the primary source.

Finding an apartment using this method certainly has its perks:

• You'll know about the advantages and disadvantages of the place before even seeing it.
• The price will be lower compared to hiring real estate agents.
• You'll be able to see it ahead of others.

However, this method only works if you’re not in a hurry as it can take a while.

Hire Real Estate Agent

Probably the easiest way to find an apartment is through a local real estate agent. It's the perfect option for people that don't mind paying more and want to delegate this tedious task. Real estate agents have access to all sorts of databases with apartments for any taste and wallet. But of course, you have to pay them for their services. Their fee can be anywhere in the range from 30% to 100%, sometimes even more.

The benefits of finding an apartment this way are undeniable — it's quick, easy, and safe compared to other methods. The real estate agent will find the apartment, talk to the ownersб and maybe even see the place first. The only serious disadvantage of this method can be the price.

Explore Paper Ads in Local Newspaper

Finding an apartment through newspapers is a little outdated but still a viable method. Ads in local newspapers can be an additional source of real estate rentals. The apartment options are usually listed in regional print media and sold at train stations and local stores. The options in newspapers are typically cheaper and often are listed by the apartments' owners.

Use Social Media

A lot of people now prefer more informal ways of finding an apartment. Instead of hiring a real estate agent or going through real estate websites, they use social media. It can be various groups and forums in specific cities, or some networks like Facebook even have a special section dedicated to it called Facebook Marketplace.

Finding such groups is easy — they are usually called “Apartments for rent in …”, “Long term rent in …”, etc. It's a great option because:

• You can evaluate the whole market in the city.
• It provides for faster communication.
• You can avoid commissions if talking directly to the owner.
• Lower prices compared to other methods of apartment searching.

But if you're looking for an apartment on social media, you should be extra cautious. Never pay money in advance before seeing the place, and don't give out your personal info like exact address or bank info.

To Sum Up

Finding a long-term rental can be challenging, especially if you're moving abroad. Luckily you always have a few search methods to choose from, starting from the cheapest, like using social media, and ending with the most pricey ones — hiring a real estate agent. The choice depends on how much money and time you are willing to spend searching for an apartment.