Sick of Apartments

April 17, 2010 7:10 PM

I am looking to rent a single family house in Richmond,VA. Other than craigslist are there any good websites for finding such a thing? Should I be going through a Realtor? Would I have to pay a fee or would the home owner be paying the Realtor to fill the place?

Please share your experiences even if you are not in Richmond but have dealt with a similar situation in an urban setting...

posted by MayNicholas to Home & Garden (13 answers total)

I am not in Richmond, VA but I rent houses. The renter pays for background check, a deposit and 1st month rent. The Rental company handles it for me and a percentage is taken from the rent collected. No fee is paid by the renter to the rental company.
posted by JayRwv at 7:23 PM on April 17, 2010

If you use a realtor to find a rental, I believe that the only fees you will pay as a renter are your deposits and monthly rent. Realty companies get money from the landlord/owner of the property.

As for rentals in Richmond, try these:

http://www.rentals.com/Virginia/Richmond/
http://richmondhomerentals.net/?page=rplistings
http://www.rentinrichmond.com/cms/
posted by jenny76 at 7:25 PM on April 17, 2010

Response by poster: Jenny, thanks for the links, but I have already been through all of those. Mostly apartment complexes, dumps, or uber expensive homes.

Jay, That was exactly what I was wondering.

Anyone have any good recommendations for Realtors?

We are looking for a 2 br single family home with in the city limits of Richmond- not the county.

Any good websites are still appreciated.
posted by MayNicholas at 7:35 PM on April 17, 2010

I live in Richmond and I've lived here my whole life. In my experience, most decent houses are usually rented through private owners and not through rental companies. I don't know if it's feasible, but the best way to find a house for rent is to drive through neighborhoods and look for rent signs in the yard. Tons of houses for rent aren't listed on the internet or in the paper. I can give you lots more information if you want with suggestions on where to live if you tell me exactly what you're looking for and in what price range.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 7:50 PM on April 17, 2010

Oh I meant to say feel free to memail me if you want certain details kept private.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 7:54 PM on April 17, 2010

Response by poster: Mary- That is what I figured... But in case you have any ideas- We are looking for a 2br single family that allows cats for $900 max per month. We found the perfect place over by Maymont- but the timing is not going to work out. We are looking for something with in a tree filled quiet neighborhood.
posted by MayNicholas at 7:55 PM on April 17, 2010

Did you check Realtor.com? You can search for rentals there, too.

Long and Foster, Century 21 and ReMax are larger realty companies that have a good reputation in the area. William E. Wood is good, too.

Also, there may be something in the Times Dispatch classifieds.
posted by jenny76 at 7:57 PM on April 17, 2010

924 Pierpont Road - $825, 3BR, 1BA

730 Mcdowell Road - $750, 3BR, 1.5 BA
posted by jenny76 at 8:11 PM on April 17, 2010

Response by poster: Thanks jenny! Those are both in south side. Too far for our commute to work.
posted by MayNicholas at 8:25 PM on April 17, 2010

Honestly, $900 max a month isn't going to get you much. And if you do find a decent house, it's not going to be in a good location. There are some parts of Maymont that I wouldn't want to live in. Do you have any experience with Richmond City?
posted by MaryDellamorte at 9:45 PM on April 17, 2010

Are you commuting by car or bike?
posted by MaryDellamorte at 9:46 PM on April 17, 2010

Response by poster: By car. I have lived in the fan for 3 years.
posted by MayNicholas at 9:57 PM on April 17, 2010

Have you tried looking in the Malvern area or Northside?
posted by MaryDellamorte at 9:04 AM on April 18, 2010