Is Renting an Apartment Without Seeing It First a Good Idea?

It may seem like a dubious, or even impossible, decision to rent an apartment without seeing it first. (Our client Collin definitely didn’t think it was possible.) However, that seeming impossibility no longer applies. Now, you can save yourself time, stress, and money by renting an apartment before you move, using AptAmigo‘s Virtual Tour options. 

Oftentimes, prospective tenants pay large security deposits just to take the property off the market. Some even fill out applications before seeing the rental in order to expedite the process. It can take 30+ hours to scour rental websites, set up tours, review leases, and provide personal information for character and background checks. This stressful process feels especially hard if you haven’t visited your new city yet.

Perhaps you set your sights on your new location, landed a job, and finalized your move-out date. But, if you still need to secure a place to live, rest assured. We know from experience that it is totally possible to rent a place without seeing it first. Here’s how.

Choose Your Neighborhood

When moving to an unfamiliar city, it’s difficult to choose a neighborhood without actually visiting them. Each one vibrates with its own pulse and contributes its own characteristics to the city’s overall personality. Some remain quiet, sleepy havens for newlyweds looking to start a family. Others host Friday night art walks amongst brewery lined streets, while others still operate as time capsules that preserve the region’s original architecture from one or more historical time periods.

Additionally, even when focusing an apartment hunting on a few select neighborhoods, one apartment may look great on a webpage, but might, in reality, be located above a karaoke bar that serves up dollar shots after midnight. In the same vein, a high-end, newly built apartment building might boast luxury at an affordable price, but may be far away from some necessary daily amenities, such as grocery stores.

AptAmigo, takes the guesswork out of choosing an apartment in a neighborhood that fits your interests. Your apartment search begins with a conversation between you and an AptAmigo team member. They’ll learn all about your preferences and lifestyle and will hone in on the neighborhoods that suit you best. Thus, you’ll receive immediate feedback from a local expert, increasing your chances of landing in a neighborhood that works for your lifestyle, even if you need to rent an apartment without seeing it first.

If you want to learn more about the local scene, our Neighborhood Guides (accessible through our homepage) provide an authentic glimpse of each pocket of the cities they cover. AptAmigo’s apartment search pages include every apartment’s designated neighborhood right on the front page of each rental, saving you time and countless Google map searches.

Plus, to save you even more time, our apartment locators can perform the entire search for you and put together a list of buildings that match your criteria in your preferred neighborhoods. See below for more information on how that works.

Gather a List of Options

Our site contains the most accurate and up-to-date information available for each apartment we list, including year built, amenities, and walking distance to the nearest grocery stores. We also highlight current deals that apartments are offering for potential renters.

You can search our listings yourself, or let us do the hard work for you. When you enlist the support of one of our free locators, you get the added advantage of someone who knows our databases like the back of their hand. Your personal apartment locator will gather information about your personal preferences, budget, and desired location. Then, they will wade through the clutter of apartment rental advertisements and curate a personalized list of potential homes just for you.

AptAmigo knows every building in town, inside and out, so you can rest assured we know which places you’ll love and which ones you won’t, even if you can’t see them in person.

Take Virtual Tours from Anywhere in the World

After you narrow down your list of apartments, the normal next step would be touring them each in person. Touring an apartment provides a straightforward way of assessing the condition of the building, character of the property manager, the state of a unit’s appliances, and quality of any provided furnishings. But, what if you can’t see these units in person?

Virtual video tours provide the most reasonable alternative, preferably live video calls whenever possible. We do not recommend relying on images alone (even on our own site) because you can’t get a proper feel for the space, or interact with it by turning on faucets to test water pressure, or by opening cabinets to check for size and cleanliness. At least in a video call, you can ask your tour guide to perform these tasks for you and get to know at least one member of the building’s staff during your real-time conversation. The challenges posed by using photos alone can get trickier when trying to interpret Craigslist ads that boast “industrial charm” or “brand new” appliances. And, while some properties include high-quality photos, their lenses can distort the space and their shots sometimes showcase items not included in the price of rent.

Luckily, we put together a comprehensive guide to taking virtual tours so that you can navigate this process with finesse.

Sign a Lease

You found your apartment, passed the screenings, and are set to transfer deposits. How can you trust the landlord you are about to electronically transfer a large lump sum to? The short answer is – you can’t. However, there is hope and a safe alternative to landing a place without seeing it first. Call AptAmigo!

Because we know the buildings so well, we provide the best way to rent an apartment without seeing it first: we’ll send you a list, you choose your favorites, and, if you can’t sign on for video calls, we will tour the apartments for you and record videos as needed. With our experts on your side, you can feel confident in your decision.

Moving to a new city is both daunting and thrilling. A new world of possibilities is about to open up,  but in order to jump in, you’ll need a place to call home.

So, Can You Rent an Apartment without Seeing It First? Yes, and We Can Help!

Let AptAmigo take the stress and guesswork out of renting an apartment, even if you’re unable to tour it in-person. That way, you can say goodbye to old friends, move to your new home, unpack, and let the adventures begin.

Now that you know how easy it is to rent an apartment without seeing it first, check out a few of our hottest buildings below.

The Quincy – Denver

• We love The Quincy in Denver’s Central Business District
• Currently starting around $1,900, but subject to change
• New building with a stunning infinity edge pool and amazing staff
• See more from The Quincy

Moment – Chicago

• Moment in Chicago is luxury living done right
• Currently starting around $2,200, but subject to change
• Spectacular city views and floor-to-ceiling windows make this building a crowd favorite
• Act fast! This is one of our hottest buildings, so units don’t stay online for long
• See more from Moment

The Grand – Denver

• The Grand in Denver is one of our hottest buildings in LoDo right now
• Floor-to-ceiling views of the mountains make this building a total showstopper
• Concessions and deals are common, but vary, so check in with the team to see what you can save
• Prices will fluctuate, but start around $1,750
• See more from The Grand