In a competitive apartment search, when should you start looking?

When I managed apartments, I was always astounded when someone called about our little 16-unit complex and asked if we had any vacancies because they wanted to move, like, this weekend.

Unfortunately, I was never able to help those apartment seekers because, trust me, if I had a vacant apartment, you can bet that I'd been trying for at least 30 days to fill it -- meaning I probably already had someone lined up and they just hadn't moved in yet.

The lesson to be learned from this is: Start your apartment search early. Read how to conduct your apartment search up to three months in advance of your anticipated move here, at Competitive Apartment Hunting: When to Search for an Apartment.

And don't skip over the part about getting on an apartment building's waiting list!



*