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I know this is a landlord's market but I'm sick of all the crap landlord gets away with. As a result, I'm in the middle of creating a website for Apartment reviews. What do you think are the most useful categories for Apartment reviews you'll find helpful when searching for your next apartment?
I'm not sure of the legalities of it but I don't know of any website that will list specific units. Of course, if it were me I would expect some time-frames to be given if there were issues like lousy neighbors, when repairs were completed, pictures, etc. Probably not legal for some reason...
Honestly, in the case of rentals I wouldn't waste any of my time if I knew that:
1) they had "thin" shared walls
2) non-concrete floors/anything that transfers noise so readily/old damaged wood floors
3) stairs built into the units themselves (simply because this means stair-noise next to possibly multiple shared walls or at least one possibly - like ours. TERRIBLE design, especially with seemingly no insulation next to a tiny room and going over a closet then big hollow metal air duct SMH. With a shared breezeway type design at least you have a shot at getting away from any stair-related noise because it's always next to your living room instead of literally a bedroom & closet echo-chamber and stairs smh).
Yeah Apartmentratings.com exists but if you can do the norm, but also focus on some key specifics (like Melodica said, age of building, construction materials, etc... To my knowledge that information isn't so readily available at a glance and is vitally important. It might be there but to highlight it so it's apparent even on a cursory look...) that would be stellar.
Also when new management took over, instead of having to gather that information from reviews? Maybe even have the reviews' averages able to be separated out by each tenure for comparison?
Also a more in-depth reviewing system that had subcategories (in a collapsing tree system maybe?) to each of these kinds of items would go a long way. 1 to 5 stars even with 4 or 5 categories just really doesn't tell a decent enough story and some people can't write useful essays to put them into enough context.
Anyway... probably wrote too much already. Good luck!! I'm all for a more educating apartment review website
Talking with existing tenants 'may' give insight; however, some are afraid to speak the truth for fear it will come back and haunt them if the LL finds out who said what.
Sometimes apartment ratings websites may help, but there could be disgruntled tenants who post erroneous information just for the fun of it. But if the majority of the reviews are negative it would be best to pass on that community.
LLs may only tell you a portion of the reality of living there, and until you have an opportunity to carefully read the entire lease you'll never know the whole story.
Driving through complexes will reveal quite a bit because if you see too many poor maintained vehicles, a lot of trash, etc., it's best to keep moving.
If a complex shows you a 'model' apartment, don't believe for one minute that the unit you'll end up with will be anything like the model.
I also check out the parking lot, both during the day and at night. During the day I want to see it empty-ish. Otherwise, the place is either full of old folks or ne'er do well unemployed types. I also want to make sure that my car isn't the only decent car in a lot full of hoopdies (and therefore a target.)
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