The following was copied from my blog post here: http://rlpartnersllc.com/2011/02/finding-rentals-in-columbus/
“Where do I look online to find a new apartment?”
A lot of people have been asking me lately where to look for apartments and rental properties for rent. So, I decided to compile a list for Columbus. Share and enjoy – leave your tips in the comments!
There are a few websites specific to Columbus, so if you want to “shop local”, check here first:
Metro-Rentals.com – this site has a limited number of properties, but covers many areas. It breaks down the city by neighborhood, which is nice. Also worth a look is its sister site,
Suburban-Rentals.com – what it says on the tin. See above.
ColumbusRealEstate.com – which is run by the Columbus Dispatch. A decent amount of properties here, but sparse on details. Basically an online version of the paper classifieds.
The big hitters are nationwide, but do a good job with our city. Links go to the Columbus listings:
Craigslist.com – The default answer. It has the highest number of listings and covers every geographical area of the city.
Padmapper.com – Great. Basically a huge Google Maps, with the location of places for rent overlaid. It pulls data from CL and Apartments.com. Absolutely check this site – they have a cool blog too.
Zillow.com – Another good one. Their main area of focus is home sales, but they cover apartments and houses for rent as well. Map-based interface.
Trulia.com – Similar to Zillow; they have a nice interface and appear to have a few hundred listing for rentals in Columbus.
Apartments.com – They don’t have as many listings as Trulia or Zillow. Worth a look, I mean they own the domain, right?
Rent.com – A big hitter. You must register to search.
ApartmentFinder.com – I like this one. Large pictures, good descriptions.
ColumbusOHForRent.com – This is actually a nation-wide company that sets up little websites for each city, and the Columbus one only shows 33 rentals in the entire city. Skip it.
ApartmentGuide.com – The most rentals I’ve seen on one site. Over 600 in Columbus, apparently.
Rentals.com – Sure are a lot of these, aren’t there?
RentalHouses.com – Yawn.
ColumbusRent.com – Another one of those “clone for each city” websites.
Hellocolumbus.com – Another one of those “clone for each city” websites.
ForRent.com – Not a lot there.
Oodle.com – A lot there.
RentJungle.com – This is quite similar to Padmapper.com [added 3/8/11]
ForLeaseByOwner.com – What it says on the tin [added 3/8/11]
Local property managers and rental companies:
I must give partial credit for this list to Metro-Rentals.com – they have a great list of Featured Owners which is well worth a look. The following is by no means exhaustive, but should provide a good start if you want to contact these companies directly or browse their websites.
http://www.beaconman.com
http://www.lifestylecommunities.com
http://columbuslofts.com
http://www.metro-rentals.com/CA [company of the owner of metro-rentals.com]
http://www.cityspaceresidential.com [Sixty Spring, The Heights, The Jeffrey]
http://columbusrealtycompany.com [ $50 application fee]
http://commercialonerealtors.com
http://www.cwinvestment.com
http://www.daycompanies.net
http://www.foxandhoundsapts.com/index.cfm
http://www.fwproperties.com [$25 application fee]
http://nedmerkle.com/index.htm
Willoughby Management [aka German Village Rentals, no website]
http://www.homestead-america.com
http://www.inntownhomes.com
Kingland Company [no website]
http://www.krgrentals.com [big]
Kyle and Doris Fuller Properties [no website]
http://www.gohighland.com
http://wintherinvestment.com
Margetis Investments [no website]
The Messmer Company [no website]
http://mgicommunities.com
Mike Ferris Properties [no website]
Morgan Management/Star King LLC [$25 application fee, no website]
The New Victorians [$20 application fee, no website]
http://www.villagecommunities.com [$30 application fee]
http://www.drkmetro.com
Schoedinger Properties [no website]
http://www.campusapts.com
Sicaras Properties [no website]
http://www.jskilken.com
The Greystone Court Apartments / Robert Schilling / Urban Restorations LLC
http://vutech-ruff.com
B.A. Walker and Associates [no website]
http://www.wfaco.com
http://www.villagegreen.com
http://www.nationwiderealtyinvestors.com
http://rlpartnersllc.com [that's us!]
Renter’s Real Estate [added 3/8/11] (http://www.bruggeproperties.com/) [added 5/16/11]
Buckeye Real Estate [added 3/8/11]
North Steppe Realty [added 3/8/11]
Oxford Realty [added 3/8/11]
http://www.woodcompanies.com/ [added 3/12/11]
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Launched in August 2010, TheMetropreneur.com is a local online resource devoted to small business development and entrepreneurship. Its aim is to tell the stories of Central Ohio's business community, foster regional economic development and assist entrepreneurs with its resource-heavy focus.