How to Find Houses for Rent (Hint: An Agent Can Help!)

Maybe your lease is up, or you have to relocate for a job or family reasons, or maybe you just need a change of scenery. Maybe it’s your first time looking for a rental or you’re a seasoned pro ready to get out there again. Whatever the reason, if it’s time to hunt for a rental, and you need to know how to find houses for rent, then we’ve got you covered.

To help you through the process, we analyzed the best places to look if you’re in the market for a new rental, along with some possible red flags. We also enlisted the help of Kim Alden, a top-selling agent in the Barrington, Illinois, area who has worked with 87% more single-family homes than the average agent in her area, and who regularly helps clients find places to rent.

1. Browse real estate portals

If you’re looking to buy a home, real estate portals are the obvious choice — but they offer rental listings as well. Websites like Zillow, Trulia (which is managed by Zillow Rental Manager), and Realtor.com have rental sections where you can browse rental listings in your area. These sites pull listings from the MLS (multiple listing service), and landlords can list on them directly.

2. Zero in on rent-specific portals

There are plenty of sites out there that are specifically for rentals — Rent.com (which also lists on Apartment Guide and Rentals.com), Apartments.com, Zumper, and HotPads are just a few.

Certain platforms, like Avail (part of the Realtor.com network) offer landlords the option to list on multiple portals free, or charge a per-unit fee for additional listing options.

When you use a rent-specific portal, it’s likely that — as with real estate sites — you’ll see a lot of the same listings. So choosing one comes down to which one is most user-friendly for you.

3. Tap into local social media

If you have access to Nextdoor, you can explore the local area and search for rental opportunities. It’s an invite-only neighborhood portal, so if you aren’t already a resident of the neighborhood where you’d like to move, then you’ll have to get access through a current resident. The “real estate” tab may have details on homes for rent, especially homes with local landlords.

People often list properties they have available for rent in local buy/sell groups, including Facebook Marketplace, which has a Property Rentals section dedicated to apartment, condos, houses, and townhouses for rent. Facebook groups also can serve as a valuable resource, but exercise caution regarding potential scams or posts that seem suspicious, particularly those that appear “too good to be true.”

If you’re active on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram and have local followers, you can post saying you’re looking for a place to rent and see if it kicks anything up. Reddit is another place to find local groups, which can be a goldmine of information for available rentals.

4. Work with a real estate agent or brokerage

One of the most reliable — and safest — ways to search for houses to rent is to work with a real estate agent. Though real estate agents mostly work with buyers and sellers, they will also represent landlords and tenants.

Alden explains that many renters, similar to those searching for a home, begin their search online “and then they’ll reach out because they want representation, because a lease is more and more complicated, and they want someone to be able to explain the terms they’re agreeing to.”

She also has people asking her to scour listings in certain areas, and because she has access to the MLS, where agents can list houses for rent as well as for sale, she can find legitimate listings for her clients.

Another benefit to using an agent’s MLS access is the quality of the listing. Agents will have professional photos taken, so you’re not trying to squint through grainy, blurry photos. The agents will also handle the screening process and credit checks, so everyone goes through the same process. This protects both the landlord and tenant.

Another thing that Alden will do when she’s looking for a rental for a client is reach out to owners of homes that were listed for sale and didn’t sell. Sometimes, she’ll reach out to a homeowner and say, “I saw you were on the market — are you still interested in selling? Because I have someone who would like to rent.”

Alden also collaborates with landlords she’s partnered with for over a decade, giving her insider knowledge about homes. These landlords inform her when their properties are available for rent again, enabling her to assist in finding suitable tenants.

5. Online bulletin boards and the classifieds

Some areas have hyperlocal bulletin boards, like this one in Colorado that has a classified section with local real estate. These types of bulletin boards have largely gone by the wayside, with people spending more time on Facebook and in Facebook groups, but it might be smart to check whether your area has one.

You can also check out the classified section of your local newspaper — either online or in print.

Craigslist is another place to check for rentals, but Craigslist scams are pretty common. We’ll talk about how to avoid scams later in the article.