If your lease is about to expire, you may be wondering about your upcoming apartment search. It may be the first time you’ve ever rented an apartment without visiting in person. What will the moving process even look like? And what are apartment communities doing to accommodate these unique circumstances? We wanted to know what advice property managers and industry experts would give renters trying to find an apartment virtually, so we asked for some tips. Hopefully, these suggestions will give you the confidence to snag that amazing apartment – even if you won’t truly see it until move-in day.
Ask for a video of the actual apartment.
Jennifer Murphy, the Director of Marketing for Chestnut Hill Realty in Boston (CHR), advises apartment hunters to request video of the unit they will be renting. “We’re taping the actual unit the renter may be interested in. Be sure to confirm that the video is of the actual unit.”
While you can learn a lot from 3D tours and pictures, these images are most likely from models. Property managers should be excited to show you the actual unit, so don’t hesitate to request this. In fact, the property may already have videos on hand and can send these to you quickly. According to Jennifer, they have more than 500 videos of vacant apartments ready to go.
Make sure you are dealing with a reputable landlord.
Now more than ever, it’s important to trust the people you’re dealing with. Keith P. Davis, Regional Director of Multifamily Marketing at Apartments.com, suggests, “Read reviews, and perhaps do research on the community and on the management company. Raise any questions or concerns with them.”
Do as much as possible online.
From taking tours virtually to signing the lease, it’s possible to do everything online. If the apartment community doesn’t yet offer online lease signing, request it. “Luckily, we were already doing online leasing,” Jennifer said. “We also just launched a new website and the photos are huge. We’re featuring amenities renters might be most interested in right now, and almost all of the paperwork can be done virtually.”
Flexibility, according to Jennifer, is key. CHR is working with potential renters and offering flexible move-in dates to better accommodate their needs.
Apartments.com provides some communities with tools like online applications, online screening, and even online payments to make the transition to online renting an easy one for property managers and renters alike. Many property management companies also offer online rent payments through their websites. Jennifer noted, “[Tenants] can do paperwork, sign the lease, pay rent, everything online, to make things easy.”
As you virtually visit apartments, ask the property manager about the programs they might currently be offering. Whether it’s flexibility with the move-in date or other accommodations, find out how the apartment community is willing to work with you.
The moving process may look a little different.
While it may be easy enough to tour online, and even sign all of the paperwork electronically, how do you actually move in? Be sure to ask the property manager about the current process. At a CHR property, for example, you may find a lock box with your keys inside. According to Jennifer, “When residents are moving in, we’re trying to get creative. We’re doing everything we can electronically.”
But, she says, that doesn’t mean residents’ needs aren’t being met. “We’re still staffed. Maintenance, property management – we’re still here. We’re still going into apartments. If anything happens, we’ll be there for them. We’ll do whatever it takes to keep things running smoothly.”
Consider renewing your lease.
Lease renewals should be sent out as early as possible so you have time to decide and make a plan. If you choose to renew your lease, Tom Higgins, Marketing Manager at Chestnut Hill Realty, suggests signing up for email or text notifications. This way, you won’t miss important updates and information. Also, look at the community’s social media pages for tips and advice. “We’ve been working hard to post on social media – posting helpful things for residents.”
According to CoStar, many property management companies are urging residents to utilize resident portals “for online rent payments and service requests.” For potential new residents, they are also offering virtual leasing options.
Many properties are providing virtual walk-throughs via Skype so they can answer questions in real time. Houston-based Boxer Property recently launched a video live streaming tour service, according to CoStar, allowing potential renters to “get as close as possible, almost as if they were standing there.”
The best thing about apartment living is still the community.
Even when residents can’t interact, many apartment communities are doing what they can to help residents stay connected. Tom explained some of the things their properties are doing, such as “sharing virtual field trips, DIY articles, and other things to help residents.”
For those who are used to getting together with their neighbors, adjustments are being made to keep those events going. “Property managers host resident events every month and the residents look forward to those,” Jennifer said. “They’re so used to them. We’re trying to find ways to still make everyone feel part of the community.”
Jennifer stated they’ve formed a task force and they meet frequently to discuss next steps. “We’re staying on top of what is happening. We’ve been planning for this for a long time.”
Finally: Renting online really does work.
It may take some getting used to, but renting online is very possible, and properties are seeing it work. In fact, Jennifer said, the results have been encouraging. “We’re excited about how many apartments we rented last week. While it was still less than last year, it was more than we expected. It just proves that [renting an apartment] really can be done virtually.”
