How Long Does It Take to Find an Apartment?

The apartment hunting process - a gloriously stressful and exciting time. If you’re planning on moving to a new apartment soon, you might be wondering how long it takes to find an apartment. Give yourself adequate time beforehand, because there is a lot to consider and plenty of steps to take before moving in. Finding an apartment can take anywhere from a few days to a few months. If you aren’t crammed for time, follow our steps below.

Apartment Hunting Timeline

How Long Does It Take to Find an Apartment?

The truth is that finding an apartment can take as long as you want, but we recommend that most people start at least 2 months before their planned move date. In some particularly competitive cities, you may want to start four months or more before your planned date. If you have your eye on a particularly popular apartment building or complex, you could be facing a waitlist of several months or more.

How Fast Can You Find and Move Into an Apartment?

In typical cases, there will be about a month between the date you sign your lease and the date you move in. However, it is certainly possible to find a short-term lease that allows you to move in much more quickly (a matter of weeks or even days). You may even be able to find move-in specials tied to these accelerated move-in dates.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, plenty of renters find themselves on a waitlist for as long as six months or even a year or more in order to snag their dream apartment.

Timeline for Apartment Hunting

While every apartment hunt is different, here's what a typical search might look like.

1. 2-3 Months Before Move-Date: Browsing

Starting browsing for apartments about two or three months before your target move-in day. If you are moving to a nearby apartment or relocating to a familiar place, you likely have a good idea of where you want to live already. If you are moving to a new place, it’s time to do some research. Look up information on different neighborhoods in your target city. Communities will often have forums like City-Data, so that’s a great place to go ask questions. In the early stages of browsing, consider the price you are willing to pay for an apartment and it’s proximity to your workplace. You may find the dream apartment with a roofdeck pool and all the amenities you’ve ever wanted, but if it’s going to be a dreadful commute it might not be worth it. If you’re moving to a new city, make sure to visit first to get a feel for it.

1-2 Months Before Move-Date: Touring

After doing an extensive amount of research, try to narrow down a few suitable neighborhoods that you’d enjoy living in. Make sure there are rentals you can afford within them. If you need a bit of help figuring out how much rent you can afford, use a rent calculator to give you an estimate. After narrowing down your location, make a list of a few options that you like. Using the Apartment List™ Short List is a great way to keep track of all the apartments you are interested in. Try to gather a list of 5-10 options that fit all of your needs. From there, get in touch with each apartment and schedule a viewing. You may have to take time off of work for tours since some leasing offices are only open during normal work hours. Some are also open on the weekends, it just depends on the property. Try to set up multiple tours in a day to knock them out at once. Ideally, your tours should be around one to two months before you want to move in.

1 Month Before Move-Date: Applying

After weighing your options, hopefully you have settled on an apartment that you love and checks all of your boxes. You should fill out your apartment application about a month before your targeted move in date. When filling in the application, there is some additional paperwork you will need, so make sure to have that prepared. Also, don’t forget that most applications have a small fee that you’ll need to cover.

Moving Day

The stressful part is finally over, right? Well, sort of. Moving day can bring its own challenges, so make sure you’re prepared. Budget out the costs of moving beforehand as they can add up quick. If you’re bringing pets along with you on the move, check out these tips to make it a smooth process.

All in all, the apartment search process from beginning to end should take around three months. However, if you are in a rush, you may need to expedite this process and take care of these steps in a short time period.

Need Help Finding an Apartment?

If you're still browsing for your next home, then consider our powerful tools for matching you in your ideal location, price point, and with great amenities. Signing up for an AList account allows you to flex your options to find more kinds of matches. Get started today with our easy quiz.

FAQs about Finding an Apartment

Is 1 Month Enough Time to Find an Apartment?

Most renters will be at or close to the signing-stage of their lease a month from their move date. Ideally, you would want to start apartment hunting at least 2 months before your planned move. However, plenty of short-term leases provide incentives for fast move-dates, so it's definitely possible to find an apartment in a pinch.

How Long Do Most Apartment Applications Take?

In most cases, apartment applications are processed in 24-72 hours, though if it takes longer, you shouldn't worry. Let your prospective landlord have 3-4 business days to process before you check on your application.