How To Conduct An Apartment Search In Houston, Tx

Conducting an apartment search on your own can be extremely time consuming and tedious.  Houston, Texas contains hundreds of apartment communities.  And they are always running specials and offering special incentives including flat screen televisions and free rent.  Leasing an apartment solely on a special is definitely enticing; however, if you are going to be living in a community for 12 months or longer you want to be sure you have a place that fits your budget.  Location, price, and safety should all be items that are of some importance in your search.  We have put together a detailed list of how you can select an apartment home that will meet your needs.

1)    Crime is an issue that all renters should be concerned with.  Your locator and leasing agent will not give you specific details regarding crime stats. However, the Houston Police department has a website that will give you specific crime stats at the property address.  You can use these stats to compare all the properties that are of interest to you.  Remember,  apartment communities will have car break-ins.  That is very common in Houston.  Be sure when you park your car at an apartment community you conceal or remove items that have value.

2)    If you have a job or are attending school make sure you know the distance between the two.  Just because your job may be 10 miles away from your apartment doesn’t mean that it will be a quick drive.  Like any large city, rush hour can extend drive times considerably.  If you have time attempt driving from your workplace to your future apartment home during the busiest hours of the day.  One of our clients leased at an apartment community only to find out that a train traveled by during random hours of the day and night.  Be prepared for the unexpected if you are new to the city or area.

3)    Many websites provide reviews of the apartment communities.  Many of the reviews are heavily biased and they should not be trusted.  If you are concerned by what you read, address the leasing agents or managers with your concerns.  They probably will be able to confirm or deny the rumors.

4)    Contacting a local apartment locator may be a good idea.  They are all free in the city of Houston and a good locator will contact all the properties for you and will even offer you some fresh ideas.

The above methods should help you with your apartment search.