Renting an apartment in Florida (rentals, neighborhood, tenants)

Dayvid · 03-09-2017, 10:35 AM

Hello,
I have some questions about renting an apt in another state (FL). I am in TX at the moment. I found an apt in FL on the internet I like. My question is, how does a person coordinate a move? I could fly out there and talk to the property mgr but there's the time and money involved. Is it possible to rent an apt in another state without actually going there? If so, how does one do it? One problem is, I have to give my current landlord 30 days notice before I move. How do I coordinate that with the new place? Ask to be put on a waiting list so they can notify me 30 days in advance? Will they hold the apt 30 days? Can I put a deposit down on an apt to hold it when one becomes available? I apologize for all the questions. I've never had to go through this process before.

cfbs2691 · 03-09-2017, 10:57 AM

Why haven't you directly contacted the manager of the unit you're interested in?
These things can differ.

That being said there is no way I would rent anything in Florida without flying in to see it first.
Waaaaay to many scams take place here unfortunately.

Dayvid · 03-09-2017, 12:18 PM

I guess I haven't contacted the new place yet cos I can't move until my lease is up. One place I talked to in the past thought I was crazy when I asked them, "Could you notify me when an apt is available 30 days in advance? I have to give my landlord 30 days notice." I guess I will just research different places I'm interested in FL and if there are a few that sound good, I'll go there and check them out. I wouldn't make a trip just to look at one place. Thank you.

cfbs2691 · 03-09-2017, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dayvid

One place I talked to in the past thought I was crazy when I asked them, "Could you notify me when an apt is available 30 days in advance?

There shouldn't be a problem with them giving you at least a 30 days notice - some should be able to give you an even longer notice as many require tenants leaving to provide a 60 day notice.

It sounds like the one you spoke to was just a fluke.

Best of luck!

Dayvid · 03-09-2017, 04:44 PM

Yes, it must have been a fluke. The person told me she could only give me 2 weeks notice at the most. Thank you.

CrowGirl · 03-10-2017, 09:51 AM

I agree with cfbs - if you aren't familiar with an area you are taking a big risk renting site unseen. I have only done that once, when I moved from San Francisco to Boston. Through asking around I found that I had a friend with a cousin that lived in Boston. She agreed to check out some rentals for me and based on her feedback I rented remotely from San Francisco. We did the paperwork via Fed Ex and I picked up the key when I got there. Then I took the cousin and her husband to dinner to thank her for her help. If you can do a little networking to see if you can do something similar that would be something to consider. All the other times I have made a move to another state I travelled there in advance to visit the potential rentals and secure housing before getting there permanently.

Dayvid · 03-10-2017, 04:50 PM

Thanks. I actually found someone that lives in one of the places I'm interested in by typing in the apt name on a popular social networking site. The person said he likes the place a lot. He said the place is safe, great mgmt, etc. I know, kind of risky taking someone's word I don't know. But he seemed genuine when I emailed him.

cfbs2691 · 03-14-2017, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dayvid

Thanks. I actually found someone that lives in one of the places I'm interested in by typing in the apt name on a popular social networking site. The person said he likes the place a lot. He said the place is safe, great mgmt, etc. I know, kind of risky taking someone's word I don't know. But he seemed genuine when I emailed him.

One's man's trash is another man's treasure.
What you consider great and safe could be very different from someone else.. especially a stranger you meet online.
Even among my good friends our opinions differ of what we consider a decent neighborhood.
Do you know for a fact that the person you talked to online doesn't work for the property management company, the chamber of commerce, or is a realtor? (All of those professions would have a reason to be a "cheerleader" for the area.)

Dayvid · 03-14-2017, 11:03 AM

"Do you know for a fact that the person you talked to online doesn't work for the property management company, the chamber of commerce, or is a realtor? (All of those professions would have a reason to be a "cheerleader" for the area.)"

Good point. Thanks. I guess I will have to make a trip to check the place out. I have noticed that the vacancy rate in the complex has been low though.

lisa4travel55 · 03-18-2017, 03:03 PM

I'm planning to move from Seattle to FL in the fall. I'm going to look into either renting a room from someone short term or AirBnB. That will give me time to find something that works for me. Not sure what I will do with my stuff in the meantime, but I'll work that out later. Personally I would be hesitant to rent something site unseen as it would be horrible to be locked into a lease if you discovered you didn't like it for whatever reason.