Time to move? Here’s how to find your next rental in Phoenix

These websites and Facebook groups are a good place to start when looking for a new place in Phoenix. 

This story first appeared in Rent Check PHX, a biweekly newsletter made for Phoenix renters, written by someone who’s lived it. Sign up for it here.

The signs are pretty obvious when it’s time to find a new place to live—say, a painful rent hike, bad property management, annoying roommates, or a change in commute. But knowing how to find the next, hopefully better, place can be tough.

A few readers have reached out asking for advice on where to look to find rentals in Phoenix, so I put together this guide as a place to start. It’s by no means exhaustive, but hopefully it helps you feel like you have options. 

Major websites

You probably know about these major websites that are designed to help you find available rentals, but I’ll list them here anyway in case there’s one you haven’t heard of. These are nice options because you can filter by location, price, size, pet-friendliness, and other factors that will help you make your decision. 

• Apartments.com
• Apartment List
• Craigslist
• Realtor.com
• Redfin
• RentCafe
• Rent.com
• Zillow

These are websites I hadn’t heard of, but they were mentioned in a post on the Phoenix subreddit about finding rentals. 

• Apartment Ratings
• HotPads

If you’re not finding what you’re looking for on these sites, or you’re overwhelmed by all the listings, there are other avenues you can explore. 

Property management groups

If you’re leaning away from a large apartment complex and toward a smaller-scale rental, you can check out listings on property management groups’ websites. You can also usually filter these results based on price, size, location, etc. 

For example, my rental is managed by Sundial Real Estate. If you go to their website, you’ll find listings for any open properties they have, which are single-family homes and units in smaller multifamily buildings. For what it’s worth, I have had much better renting experiences at properties like these compared to large complexes. 

The Phoenix subreddit thread I referenced above mentioned Prestige Realty as one to check out. Here are some others I found in a quick search:

• Real Property Management
• Rentals America Phoenix
• Rosenbaum Realty Group
• SGI Property Management

Facebook groups

Another good place to look for rentals is Facebook groups. Here you’ll see not only formal listings, but also posts from people who are looking for roommates or to sublet their rental. 

If you’re looking to rent in a specific neighborhood, check to see if they have a group. There are also lots of general groups for the Valley that contain rental opportunities that you can find by searching “Phoenix housing.” Here are some of the largest, most active groups I saw:

• Arizona State University ASU off Campus Housing, Looking Rentals & Roommate
• Buy sell trade
• Moving to Phoenix
• Phoenix (AZ) – Housing, Rooms, Apartments, Sublets
• PHOENIX – Housing, Apartments, Rooms, Sublets
• Phoenix Housing, Rooms, Apartments, Sublets

Cruising the streets, virtually or in person

This strategy for finding a rental works best if you know what specific part of town you want to live in. 

You can search “apartments” or “rentals” in Google maps, and you’ll get a list of apartment complexes and rental agencies. You can use the results to find websites, contact information, and reviews. 

If it’s not too hot out, you can also walk or slowly drive around an area while keeping an eye out for apartment complexes, smaller multifamily units, or houses with “for rent” signs. Checking places out in person will give you a better sense of which units may be worth applying to.

There’s no perfect process for finding a rental that works for everyone, and it often takes a lot of time and a little luck. But hopefully with a mix of these strategies, you can find the next place you want to call home with a little less stress. 

Do you have any other resources you use when looking for a new place to live, or tips for people who are looking? Send them to [email protected] and we’ll mention some in the next edition of Rent Check Phoenix on Oct.8.

MORE: Renting a new place in Phoenix? Here’s how to throw a successful moving party