If you’re in the market for a new rental home, it’s important to give yourself an adequate amount of time for your search. Before picking the first property you see, spend some time doing some research about the property and look at all of your available options.

Ask current residents what they think! Since they’re currently living there, they know the current state of the community and how management is currently doing things. If you have a friend who lives in the property, ask them what they like and dislike about the property and whether or not they recommend it to you. You’ll probably get a wayyy more honest answer from them than from someone who is trying to get you to sign a lease.

If you don’t have any friends or family who have experience with that property, don’t worry! In this day and age, we have one of the most wonderful research tools available to us: Google. Doing a Google search of the name of a community or property management company you’re considering signing a lease with can give you crucial information that you wouldn’t otherwise know. Sites like Google Reviews and Yelp have comments and reviews from people that have lived in that place, or dealt with that property management company. You have to consider that if someone took the time to write a review, they probably feel very strongly about what they wrote.  The property management company you’re about to sign a lease with may have horrible reviews because of their lack of care for residents; this is something you wouldn’t know just by talking to someone at the lease office. Don’t rush your search and sign with the first property you see just because it’s a great price, or nicely maintained. Sometimes these things mask the reality of the property and by the time you realize it, it’ll be too late.