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2.2

Overall Score

LAST UPDATED: December 18th, 2023

Rent.com is a leading rental listing website dedicated to giving renters a free and convenient way to find the perfect place to live. We build innovative tools that bring renters and property owners together. Users can search the site’s detailed property listings, which include contact information, pricing, photos, floor plans and virtual tours. Their mobile apps provide 24-7 access to millions of rentals nationwide. 

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The Good

  • International
  • States
  • Agents
  • Offices
  • Real Estate Options
  • Filtering Options
  • License
  • Commission/selling cost
  • Specialties
  • Experience

International

Rent.com has an ultimate goal of being all over the world, but currently they are only available in the United States.

States

Rent.com offers listings in 51/51 States. These include Hawaii and Alaska. This covers every State, allowing renters to search everywhere in the U.S. Some rental sites only cover certain States or regions.

Agents

As a website connecting renters directly with available rental apartments, homes, Condos or Townhomes for rent, the company does not have a need for agents. For renters seeking apartments, this works well since they don't have to pay any kind of commission.

Offices

Currently Rent.com has one office located in Atlanta, Georgia. As an online business, one office is typical. Some online businesses have no physical location.

Real Estate Options

Rent.com offers services to help renters rent and property owners rent out their property. For renters, this is through the website's free access to apartment listings. Renters can also check out reviews they collect from actual residents so you can get an honest opinion of what an apartment is really like. This lets you figure out if an apartment or house truly fits what you like with their HD photos, virtual property tours, and detailed floor plans.

Filtering Options

Rent.com connects renters with rental properties that meet their search criteria through a clean interface and a multi-faceted search algorithm. The site offers 5 filtering options: City (Popular City), State, Rental Type, College/University, and Military Base. They also have 11 advanced filters which include: Apartment Guide Apartments for Rent, Houses for Rent, Townhomes for Rent, Condos for Rent, Cheap Apartments for Rent, Pet-Friendly Apartments, Studio Apartment, 1 Bedroom Apartment, 2 Bedroom Apartment, and 3 Bedroom Apartment. This saves time for renters to narrow down their search with national options across the country.

License

Rent.com operates as a platform where property owners can list apartment rentals directly to renters, so there are no agents or brokers involved. In a sense, Rent.com does act a quasi-broker. They are one of the largest networks of trusted listing sources, which undergo a strict verification process to help ensure that the properties they share are real and trustworthy. This is good for renters, since there is no charge to them to have access to apartment rentals. Only property owners have a selling cost. Renter also benefit from the "vetting" of property owners on their behalf. Renters can choose to bypass Rent.com and contact the property owner or manager directly by emailing the property manager directly through Rent.com's site by clicking "Check Availability" on the property's details page. In addition to that, most properties on the website have phone numbers that you can call to talk directly with the property manager. Each property's detail page, if applicable, also has the address and the leasing office hours of that property.

Commission/Selling Cost

Rent.com offers rental property owners a variety of paid subscription options that allow them to advertise their property, even if it's just one rental property or unit. Upon signing up with a Rent.com account, the selling cost is a $49 per month subscription for houses, condos, or small complexes (1-10 units). For this cost, Rent.com promises 15 leads in 30 days or you get another month free. You also receive unlimited leads, post unlimited photos and detailed descriptions, and gain renter's trust by verifying your listing. For property owners, this works well because it is a fixed cost with no long-term commitment required so they can cancel anytime.

Specialties

As an online apartment search for renters and an ILS (Internet Listing Site) for property managers and owners, Rent.com offers no specialty services outside of apartment listings. Rent.com does have "sister " sites, which include ApartmentGuide.com, Livelovely.com, Rentals.com, and RentalHouses.com. These sites are all part of the RentPath network that not only serve apartment seekers, but those looking to rent Condos, Townhomes, Houses for rent and . One unique service they offer is moving services. Renters moving either locally or to another State can get a free moving quote on Rent.com's website. Qualified movers will contact you directly with an estimate and to discuss their services and costs. This process typically takes about two business days. As a renter, there is no pressure. You not only get a free quote but you get to choose the mover that is best for you or not to hire them at all.

Experience

Founded in April 2000 as a trademark of RentPath, LLC, Rent.com has been in business for 16 years.

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The Bad

  • Unclear Landlord/Property Manager Tools

Unclear Landlord/Property Manager Tools

While Rent.com makes listing a property easy for landlords, determining whether the site provides additional property manager resources is unclear. Leading real estate agencies allow landlords to conduct tenant screening, draft rental applications, create a rental lease, collect a security deposit, automate online rent collection, handle maintenance requests, and interact with apartment reviews through a backend portal.

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The Bottom Line

Rent.com should be at the top of the list for anyone seeking to rent an apartment, home, condo or townhome. Although the company has been in business for 16 years. This may come from the videos, pictures, and reviews on apartments on their site not being as advertised at best and falsified at worst. If any of those are falsified and you make a decision off of those then you could end up with something completely different than imagined.
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Star Rating

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1.5

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44 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

7%

4 grade

5%

3 grade

0%

2 grade

2%

1 grade

86%

Sentiment Criteria

Value

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Quality

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Trustworthiness

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Donna Conaway Columbus, OH

I moved into Colonial Estates in Mount Vernon, OH in July and it is ran by Aspen Management. It is a great place to live. I recommend these apartments if your looking for cheap place with utilities included.

6 years ago