Rentals.com Company Blog

Looking for a rental can be a mind-boggling affair. What was that place like again? Where was it? Did I like it? A harried search is a waste of your time, so follow these tips to organize your hunt for the perfect rental.
Be prepared
An organized search begins with knowing what you want. Have a wish [...]

Recently, rental scams have become increasingly intelligent and convincing, and if successful, they can cost you hundreds of dollars in lost deposits, fees and first and last months’ rent. To protect yourself against these schemes and ensure you get the highest quality rental for your money, use these tips while searching for your next rental [...]

The separation of home maintenance responsibilities between the landlord and tenant varies based on lease agreements and local laws. However, generally speaking, yard maintenance – the cleaning and upkeep of grass, shrubs, trees, flowers and gardens – falls to the renter. So what chores should you be doing to keep the outside of your rental [...]

Packing for a move is a universally dreaded chore. There’s no real reason for packing to be so terrible, though. Preparation is the key to successful and unstressed packing, so read on for tips on how to do it right.
Gather supplies
Packing for your move will require plenty of supplies, so begin gathering as soon [...]

With children, you have nine months to prepare for their entrance into the world and many more before they begin roaming around your home on their own. Pets do not come with the same grace period.
Whether a puppy, kitten, adult dog or cat, your new pet will immediately be interested in every crevice and container [...]

You’ve got the keys to your rental house and the moving truck will soon arrive, but where on earth will everything go? Arranging the furniture in your new rental home is exciting and, at times, overwhelming. Here are some furniture arranging tips to get you going.
Start with the basics
Consider each room in your house [...]

Even though you don’t always have your choice of appliances in a rental home, there are a lot of simple things you can all do to save money on utilities. You don’t have to be an engineer to shrink your utility bills. Try these tactics to save money on your utilities.
A word of warning
Whenever [...]

There’s a lot to keep track of when you’re leaving your home, and when the clock is ticking, you won’t have a chance to go back and take care of missed tasks without a lot of inconvenience and/or expense. Make it easy on yourself with this handy moving checklist. Print this out, check it [...]

Whether you decide to hire a mover or do it yourself will come down to some very basic questions. Read on to see which option is right for you.
Time
How much time you have can be a deciding factor. If you are in a hurry, it might be more practical to hire someone to help you [...]

Before you begin your search for a rental home, you’ll want to have all of your application information ready to go. Check below for what to bring with you, so that your perfect rental home doesn’t go to someone who was better prepared.
Identification
First, you will need to show some ID to apply for your rental [...]

When looking for a home as a renter you’ll want to make sure that your new residence is all that it can be, inside and out. Follow these tips when visiting rental homes to make sure that you find the right one for you.
Make a wish list
Write down the features you want and need in [...]

Finding the right rental home can feel like a big job, but there are ways to simplify your hunt. Knowing what you’re looking for will cut down on unnecessary visits to homes that just don’t fit the bill from the outset. Read on for tips on how to streamline your search.
Know what you need
There are [...]

When you’ve looked at enough rental homes, it’s sometimes hard to remember what you’ve seen, let alone which one is right for you. Below, we’ve outlined a simple method of how to compare the various contenders.
Take notes
It’s hard to compare what you’ve seen if you haven’t faithfully recorded the details of each house. As you [...]

You’re looking for a rental home in a city or neighborhood that’s new to you. How do you assess how safe or convenient it is? Read on for some foolproof methods of testing the waters before you commit to living in a new neighborhood.
Stake it out
The best way to get a feel for what your [...]

Understanding your lease is the key to a successful tenancy — one in which you know what the landlord expects of you and what you should expect of your landlord. Below is an outline of a standard lease. However, leases will vary based on state specifications, and yours may even be different from that, so [...]

You just moved. You’ve found a new rental (thanks to Rentals.com, of course), set up your utilities, internet, cable and water, but you’ve lost your comfort zone. Whether you and your college friends have dispersed, your job took you away from your co-workers, family and friends or you just needed a change of scenery, you [...]

As a renter, it is often hard to know what aspects of your home’s safety and soundness fall to you and which ones your landlord has to take care of. Read on for our breakdown of who’s responsible for what type of repairs and some advice on how to get the work taken care of.
What [...]

One of the advantages of renting is its allowance of personal space without all of the responsibilities of home ownership. However, some landlords may forbid any significant changes, and the temporary nature of renting may make you weary of making any major investments in decorating. To help renters overcome the nothingness of “white wall syndrome,” [...]

As a renter, you may think that your home and its contents are insured through your landlord, property manager or homeowner. Indeed, the building structure and any materials belonging to the landlord are. But all of the stuff inside the rental property – all of your stuff – is not. So should a fire, thief [...]

Bad roommates are a rite of passage. Like scraping your knee while learning to ride a bike and moving your tassel from right to left, we have all endured living with someone who makes you scream into your pillow:
“She came in plastered at 3 a.m. five days a week.”
“I arrived home from a weekend away [...]

The best location for an apartment is the best location for you. Do you need to be in walking distance of a grocery store? Perhaps you’re looking for a funky neighborhood and are willing to put up with higher crime for cooler digs. Whatever you’re looking for, there’s a rental home out there for you [...]

Your monthly rent is a serious financial commitment. Before you start your rental search, know what you can comfortably afford. These simple steps will help you estimate how much rent you can handle.
What you earn
How much money you make each month is the biggest factor in determining how much rent you can afford. You should [...]

Imagine – you’ve just moved into your new home. Everything seems to be perfect, all except for one thing – your encroaching neighbors. From a barking dog, to loud music, to property line issues, there are simple and appropriate steps that you can take while dealing with neighbors – so sit back, take a deep [...]

Millions of people suffer from allergies, and one of the most common types of allergy triggers is indoor allergens. Allergens affect the air that you breathe in your homes. From dust mites to pet dander and pollen, allergens cover every square-inch of your home. Here are a few ways that you can [...]

Efforts to protect the environment through city government recycling programs are becoming more widely available for renters.