Traditional advice was to always avoid renting sight unseen. You would always make sure to actually visit the place in person before signing anything.
But then 2020 came, with pandemics and lockdowns and virtual everything. Suddenly, buying a car or touring an apartment could be done from the comfort of your couch.
It’s still advisable to try to see your apartment before you sign the lease, but renting sight unseen is no longer as much of a red flag as it used to be. As long as you follow a few basic guidelines.
What does it mean to rent sight unseen?
When you’re renting sight unseen, it means you enter into a rental agreement by signing a lease without visiting the apartment first.
Online apartment hunting can help avoid some of the common problems — but some of these problems go beyond your typical “I-showed-up-and-there-was-a-giant-blood-stain-on-the-carpet” variety. You may turn up on your first day to find the place looks fantastic, only to later discover your alley is the local drunks’ favorite 3 a.m. performance venue, the pipes are rusted and there’s no hot water and the deli downstairs makes everything smell like pork — always, forever, all the time.
There’s only so much that your thorough online research is able to reveal about a place. Photos can tell part of the story, but not all of it. If a picture is worth a thousand words, an apartment visit is worth a billion. It’s important but sometimes it’s not always an option.
Tips to follow when renting sight unseen
That being said, there are times when you may find yourself in a situation where you’re forced to take the plunge. Maybe you’re moving across the country to a new city and can’t afford to visit apartments first. Or you don’t feel safe touring a new unit due to the pandemic.
If your circumstances require you to rent an apartment sight unseen, you can still do a thorough search. Here, we’ll break down what you should do if you need to sign a lease without first making a visit.
1. Research, research and more research
If you can’t physically be in the apartment, then you need to find as much information as you can to make you feel as though you are there. This means beyond just looking at pictures. Create a spreadsheet to keep yourself organized so you can keep track of all the places in which you’re interested. Once you’ve narrowed it down to a few good ones, start getting in touch with landlords.
If possible, get contact information for your potential neighbors and other people who live in the neighborhood so you can ask them what it’s like living in the area and what the pros and cons are.
Next, get on Google Maps and explore the area. Street View is going to be your new best friend. Drag that little yellow man all through those streets until you’re confident you could find your way around your new neighborhood in the dark with a blindfold on.
This is going to be important not just for those Saturday nights you stay out late but also for identifying the nearest grocery store, pharmacy and offerings and amenities in the area (nobody wants to spend 20 minutes driving to the gym every day).
While you’re on Google Street View, be sure to check out any nearby businesses that may give off a strong smell. You might think you like pizza now, but live above a pizzeria for 12 months and it’s likely that the mere mention of tomato sauce will make you break out in hives.
2. Do virtual tours
Ask the landlord to give you a virtual tour via Skype or FaceTime, or at the very least, have them send you a video tour. During the walkthrough, be sure to take lots of notes, and write down questions for the landlord to answer.
A virtual tour will give you an idea of what the place actually looks like and how it’s laid out, which is better than photos that can be touched up or taken with certain lenses that distort the view and size of the room.
3. Work with a realtor
Although it may cost you a little bit more at the beginning, working with a realtor can have a high payoff. They know different areas almost as well as the locals that live there, and they’ll have a good handle on whether or not a place ticks most of your boxes.
Plus, the realtor will be able to see it in person when you can’t, so you’ll at least have an extra set of eyes working for you and being mindful of your preferences.
4. Phone a friend
If you have any friends in the area, you can enlist them to be the eyes on the ground. Ask them really nicely to check out any potential apartments for you and take copious notes and lots of photos and videos. They’ll be more willing to help if you frame it as a spy mission.
5. “Meet” potential roommates
If you’re moving in with roommates who you have never met along with moving into an apartment you have never seen, well, good luck. But more importantly, be sure to talk to these new living partners on the phone at least once.
Flying blind is dangerous enough when it’s just the apartment that’s unknown — throw in some strangers, and you’re going to want to be extra careful to cover all your bases.
Don’t throw caution to the wind when renting sight unseen!
Even if you’ve done all of the above to ensure that your new rental will be fit for you to live, it’s still good to be cautious. Make sure that you have all of the rental terms in writing so that if something isn’t up-to-par with what you were promised once you move in, you can get it taken care of.
Doing all of the work mentioned above before signing on anything may seem a tad excessive, but when you’re renting sight unseen, it could save you from committing to a place that doesn’t fit your needs.
