Short-Term Accommodations: Finding A Legitimate Apartment Rental

You're excited about your trip to the big city, but want to cut the cost as much as possible. Since you'll be out and about exploring the town, shelling out a lot of dough for a hotel is the least of your desires, especially if you're only sleeping and dressing there. Short-term apartment rentals tend to provide a less expensive lodging alternative for travelers. But before you leap at what seems to be an amazing deal, do your research to ensure you're securing a legitimate rental. 

Why The Listing Avenue Speaks Volumes

Carefully choose your listing source. Use public classified websites, on which anyone can post, with caution. False ads can easily be submitted, but with a discerning eye, you can spot them just as easily. Price breakdowns of daily rates, taxes, and extras such as linen or cookware are vital elements of a good ad. Stay clear of ads with stock photos and lack of contact information.

Consulting with a real estate agency that offers short-term or vacation accommodations provides a less risky avenue to securing an apartment rental.

Perform An Effective Search

Reviews can be a reliable indicator of the legitimacy of an apartment rental. Trusted review sites offer links to reviewer profiles, access to post photos of previous stays, and provide additional lodging options that link directly to a hotel or vacation rental's website. Authentic reviews will obviously express how great or pleasing the stay was, but they will also disclose things or circumstances that were not to their liking. Be wary of listings that only have vague, yet raving reviews.

Check out the building department for your destination. Many cities maintain websites that inform residents and visitors of the appropriate building codes, permits, potential violations and overall laws enforcing living and occupancy standards. Databases allow you to search a prospective property's address to determine if it should legally be operated as a vacation rental.

Keep An Eye Out for Blazing Red Flags

• Using your gut instinct on an advertisement is the safest bet. If it sounds too good to be true, explore other options, instead of settling.  
• Pay close attention for promises of amenities that even hotels in the prospective area do not offer. A listing for an apartment with private parking near a tourist area such as Times Square may not be authentic.
• Pseudo leasers who only accept wire transfers can easily pick up your money from anywhere in the country. They likely do not reside in or have access to said property in the city you're intending on traveling to.  

Speak with a company like Dale Forest Apartments for more information.

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