How to Find Affordable Rental Housing in Philadelphia

Whether you’re moving to Philadelphia for a couple of months or planning on staying for the foreseeable future, no one wants to overpay for housing. While looking for rental housing can be stressful, there are affordable options all throughout the city of Philadelphia. If you are looking for a new rental property to call home, here are some helpful tips on how to find affordable rental housing in Philadelphia.
Use Rental Housing Sites
One of the first things you can do to find affordable housing in Philadelphia is search rental housing websites. These sites allow you to input parameters for the types of apartments you are interested in. This includes your preferred amount of bedrooms and bathrooms. You can also search by neighborhood and by price.
Searching for rentals on rental housing sites can give you a good idea of how much apartments cost to rent in certain areas. You should get familiar with the prices in different neighborhoods around Philadelphia. Utilizing map search functions can help you see how close certain places are to your place of work. You can also prioritize being close to public transportation or finding a place that has parking. Taking the time to search for open rentals on these sites will help give you a realistic idea of what you can get for your budget. There are even sites that are geared toward affordable housing listings.
When using online sources, make sure to always see the apartment in person. You can even look up reviews on the companies that post listings to ensure they are reputable. Many different types of rental opportunities are listed on rental housing sites where you can find affordable options in Philadelphia.
Work with a Realty Company
If you don’t have time to go through sites on your own, you can work with a realty company. Realty companies in Philadelphia list many different rental properties. They can work with your budget and even suggest different listings that you may not have seen in your searches. When you work with a realty company you can feel more secure in the assistance you are getting when looking for affordable rentals in Philadelphia.
If you’ve never been to Philadelphia before, your realty company can also act as your guide to the city. The agents that you work with will know the ins and outs of different neighborhoods. You may want to live in an area with many young professionals but are looking at a neighborhood that better serves families. Your agent will be able to steer you in the right direction when looking for affordable rental options in Philadelphia.
Another perk of working with a realty company is that they may have units that aren’t on the market yet. This means you’ll get first access to units before they become available for the public to view. You may find the perfect place before its “for rent” sign even went up.
Many people move to Philadelphia on work assignments. If you are moving for a corporate relocation, you may be working with a very tight timeline while juggling work responsibilities. Looking for housing among all that can be incredibly difficult. You can opt to work with corporate relocation services to make the move to Philadelphia easy on yourself. These services can work with your budget to help you find a perfect, short-term, or long-term rental option when you move to Philadelphia for work.
Utilize Housing Resources
Trying to find housing in a new city can be overwhelming, especially when you’re working with a budget. Luckily, cities like Philadelphia have plenty of resources to make the search a little easier. Pennsylvania offers housing programs that can help you find housing counseling and workshops for affordable housing.
These are great programs to look into if you aren’t sure where to start when looking for affordable housing in the city of brotherly love. Working with a housing resource agency can open you up to affordable rental units across the city as well. You don’t have to do all the work yourself, utilizing resources can be a great way to learn more about the city and find a place that you’ll love to call home.
Conclusion
Finding affordable housing in Philadelphia is about knowing your budget and looking for the right resources. Those things combined can help you find a rental that is perfect for you and doesn’t break the bank. Philadelphia has something for everyone to enjoy and whether you’re moving for a job or forever, many rental housing options will fit your budget.