That’s it. I’m done.
There are officially NO houses for rent in Grand Rapids! It’s all either scams or apartments!
Sound familiar? I’m positive I’ve said those things more than once. A few years ago, when I was searching for a house for rent in Grand Rapids, I felt like I was running into a brick wall.
I wasn’t sure where to look for a house, and my trusty Google searches didn’t seem to be helping. I was scouring website after website, trying to find anywhere that had more than three houses for rent. No dice.
I called friends, and they seemed to all find their places through family or ‘someone they knew.’ Which is great, but what if you don’t have an Uncle Joe who happens to rent out houses?
Fortunately, by asking a lot of questions, and not quitting, I found some great resources that are still strong today.
This is a great site. It is very easy to search, and you can set plenty of filters. Do you have a cat? Find a place where Fluffy will be welcome! Do you prefer having laundry on site? Cue up the spin cycle!
You can even search for Section 8 approved housing, short term leases, and smoke-free properties.
This site started as a way for landlords to be able to quickly and easily put their homes for rent across the web, and has grown up a lot since then. The founders, Jeremy and Jon Schneider, have done a great job with it.
ShowMeTheRent has a bit of everything. Houses for rent in Grand Rapids, apartments, condos, and duplexes, just to start. If you need to know where to start, start here.
2. Property Manager Websites
Go to your favorite search engine and type in ‘property managers in Grand Rapids Michigan.’ I can wait. (:
As soon as you do that, you find out that there are many, many property managers here. Some are better than others, but we will cover that in another post. For now, just visit their sites.
The majority of these property managers have houses for rent right now. They post these on their sites, and most are available immediately (or within a few weeks). You can look at pictures, discuss options, and even look over rental agreements from the comfort of your couch.
If you don’t like what one has available, check the next. I promise that there are plenty to choose from.
3. Craigslist
Craigslist can be an excellent resource. If you haven’t visited in a while, you should take a fresh look.
Most postings have high-quality photographs of the property, along with detailed descriptions. You can search by geographical range, number of bedrooms, pet acceptance, and more.
Many landlords that just have one or a few houses post them on Craigslist. If you’d prefer to work with an individual over a management company, this can be a good resource for you.
Craigslist offers everything when it comes to housing, from houses to duplexes to apartments. The downside is inconsistency. One week, you might have dozens of places to choose from, while the next week has slim pickings. However, if you’re persistent, you can find a great place.
Since it is free to post to Craigslist, be on the lookout for scams. The general rule is: If it feels wrong, it is. Don’t go to a place and ‘look in the windows’ because someone tells you to, and don’t mail a security deposit without seeing the place in person.
Dig into these sites, and you should have no trouble finding houses for rent in Grand Rapids. Happy hunting!