Finding a rental property can be a daunting task, especially if you are new to renting, new to the area or haven’t rented in years. At North Star, our goal is to ease your transition every step of the way.
We take pride in building and maintaining our relationships with prospective tenants. And we support these relationships with the personal touch of easy accessibility and commitment to quality customer service. Moreover, we want to set our tenants up for success so they feel confident navigating the nuances, and understand the distinct differences between the sale and rental sectors of the housing market.
Here are some recommendations for a smooth, easy and enjoyable pathway towards your next home:
Be Prepared & Informed. Take some time to read through our screening criteria by clicking on any of our current listings and selecting “apply now”.
Stay Up to Date. Please check our website daily to keep up to date on our ever-evolving inventory. While we strive to keep a list of prospects to pair with new and upcoming properties, maintaining quality service while complying with legal regulations, means some of the responsibility falls on the applicant. If there is a property you are interested in, fill out a guest card or give us a call.
Inquiries & Next Steps. During our initial conversation, we will gather your rental criteria and help you determine whether the prospective property will meet your needs. We can then schedule a showing for you.
Proactive Prospecting. There are some important questions you should ask when working with any property management company to most efficiently navigate your search:
- What are their screening qualifications, including income and credit score.
- What is their application fee and is it refundable if someone is approved before you are?
- Does the company require you to see the property either in person or virtually prior to your screening?
- Inquire if the property being marketed will be managed by the company or the homeowner.
- Ask whether any utilities or yard care are included in your rent so you can estimate your total monthly expenses.
Pets. Although many of our listings are advertised with no pets, don’t be discouraged. If the owner has expressed some flexibility, we are happy to ask. Our policy is to send the owner a pet bio: just a little write up on your pet including breed, age, weight, trainings and any additional details you’d like an owner to know so they’d feel more comfortable approving your pet. Please also attach a cute photo or two.
Smart Prospecting. Lastly, it is always wise to be aware of potential scam listings. If the rent price seems too good to be true, it usually is. While any advertising platform can become privy to scams, the majority will be featured on sites with less administrative oversight, such as Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. We suggest avoiding these platforms or utilizing the best practices we have outlined in our blog “Housing Market Scams”. When in doubt, double check the listing on Zillow or look up the property management company’s contact information and call that number instead of the number listed on the potential scam ad.
We hope you find these tips useful and help ease you into your leasing journey. We look forward to working together in finding your next home!
