S
tay-at-
home
orders and
social distancing measures may have put a
serious dent in your plans to relocate. The
entire process of searching for and touring
new rentals has become infinitely more dif-
ficult. But, you can still successfully search
for and "visit" a rental—virtually.
Renting an apartment sight unseen is not
unheard of. It is common and, if done cor-
rectly, can work out in a renter's favor.
So how can you conduct a successful (and
safe) rental search without leaving your
sofa? It's time to leverage technology and
reach out to local experts who know your
new city inside and out.
IN
THE
AGE
OF
VID-19
HOW
TO
FIND
A
RENTAL
•
Your
Guide
for
a
Virtual
Rental
Search
•
Zero in on
cities and neighborhoods
Your best tool right now is your computer
or smartphone. Start off by searching the
internet for neighborhoods in the city or
area you are planning to move to, and do-
ing a deep dive on those specific areas.
Use Google Maps and Yelp to look up
local amenities and attractions like res-
taurants, coffee shops, parks, and grocery
stores. Also, WalkScore is a terrific resource
as well for getting to know the perks of a
certain area. NeighborhoodScout is also a
great source of information on crime data,
demographic trends, job access, and popu-
lar neighborhoods within a city. Try the
CityMapper app to checkout near by public
transportation options for certain rentals.
