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What is Rentals.com?
Rentals.com is an e-Community of property owners and managers, their residents, and people searching for a place to rent. Created in 1999 by Rentals Inc., Rentals.com is the only service that enables property owners and managers to market, manage and track their rental properties from one Web site. Our innovative online system makes apartment living better for everyone. Our services make it easier for property owners and managers to advertise vacancies and manage rental communities, easier for people to find a place to rent, and easier for residents to communicate with their property manager.

What does Rentals.com offer and for whom is it designed?
Rentals.com is an Internet-based rental advertising and property management system and a Web-based search engine designed for three groups of people:

  • Property owners and managers
  • People looking for a place to rent
  • Residents of rental units

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Property Owner and Managers

Rentals.com offers property owners a new way to advertise and operate residential rentals online. In just minutes, you can set up your own customized Web site with a unique Web address.

Your new Web site includes a suite of innovative and flexible professional tools designed to do far more than fill vacancies. It is an easy-to-use property management system for your entire rental housing portfolio. Plus, all your vacant apartments are posted in our nationally advertised rental search database, which renters access at owner.rentals.com. You'll reduce the time, cost and work of managing and marketing your properties.

What is a Public Office?
The Public Office is the portion of your Web site that prospective renters can access online. Your Public Office is a 24-hour-a-day, interactive marketing system which you use to list available rentals, schedule showings, and announce leasing office hours. Each Public Office is promoted by you, the property owner or manager. Simply place your new Web address in a newspaper or magazine ad, at the end of an answering machine message, on a "for rent" sign, or in any other advertising medium you choose. Potential renters will have an easy way to get detailed information about your available apartments, send you rental applications, and sign up for showings.

What is a Private Office?
The Private Office is the back end of your Web site, which only you, or those people designated by you, have access to. You use your Private Office to manage the properties listed in your Public Office in complete privacy. Your Private Office enables you to confidentially receive online rental applications, run credit and background checks, receive service requests from current residents, and keep track of your properties, all from the convenience of your home or office.

How accurate is your information?
The information is as accurate as you choose to make it. Your Web site can display rent, up-to-date showing times, photos, contact information, detailed listings of the apartment's features and amenities, and more.

How often are the properties updated?
You update your Web site as apartments become available. Available units are posted on your Public Office and Rentals.com's search engine instantly, so prospective renters receive accurate and up-to-date information regarding any available listing that meets their search criteria.

Do I need to be a member to use your services?
Property owners and managers need to become members of Rentals.com to create their own customized Web site and start saving time and money. Renter services are always free.

How do I get my user name and password?
You sign up by clicking the "sign up now!" button above. Or, go to the join now page. When the application is completed, we will e-mail you your user name and password.

What if I forget my user name or password?
If you forget your user name and/or password, contact our Customer Service department (at 1-800-216-5162) and they will retrieve it for you. You can also retrieve your password via e-mail from the Rentals.com Web site. The login page on our Web site provides a link to retrieve your password. Click here to go to the login page.

Can prospective renters view my Web site at any time?
Yes. A membership with Rentals.com means information about your properties is available to prospective renters 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Prospective renters can view your properties, check for showing times, and send applications to your Private Office at any time, day or night.

Can I have more than one Rentals.com Web site?
Yes. You can have as many Rentals.com Public Offices as you like. If you are considering more than one Web site, we suggest you contact Customer Service (at 1-800-216-5162) to discuss your options.

How will Rentals.com help prospective renters find my Web site?
Rentals.com uses familiar Web search techniques to help prospective renters find a home that meets their needs. Prospective renters simply type in the appropriate city and state, and our search engine will list all the properties within the selected area. We also give prospective renters the option of refining the results of their search. They can choose to search by specific amenities and features, as well as minimum and maximum rent.

Does Rentals.com pay for credit checks on potential renters?
No. Rentals.com does not provide or pay for credit checking services. Rentals.com provides links from the private office to other companies that provide credit checking services.

How will Rentals.com fit within my budget?
With three different programs to choose from, Rentals.com will meet your specific property-management requirements — and match your budget! Click here for more information on pricing.

How do I get started renting properties through my Rentals.com Web site?

  1. Select a domain name for your new Web site (for example, www.myproperty.rentals.com).
  2. Contact our sales team to create an account
  3. Customize your Web site (Public Office) by using the tools provided by Rentals.com.
  4. Add property and units to your Web site.

When you've created your Public Office, prospective renters will find vacant apartments that match their search criteria. They can also view your Web site through your own domain name.

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Renters

As a renter, you can find any kind of residential rental property throughout the United States using Rentals.com! We offer a comprehensive listing in your area, including smaller and unique properties you won't find on other Web sites. Renters can always use Rentals.com free of charge. When you sign up, we create a personal notebook for you to make your rental search faster and easier.

Is Rentals.com free to renters?
Yes. As a prospective renter, you can always use Rentals.com absolutely free to find your new apartment.

Do I have to subscribe to Rentals.com to find apartment listings?
No, but to make searching for a rental easier and faster, we encourage you to register with Rentals.com and set up a "Notebook" to save notes on rentals that interest you. You can also fill out and save a universal application, which can be instantly submitted as many times as you like.

How do I get my user name and password?
You sign up by clicking "create your free personal notebook" on the Rentals.com home page. When your application is completed, we e-mail you your user name and password.

What if I forget my user name or password?
If you forget your user name and/or Password, contact our Customer Service department (at 1-800-216-5162) and they will retrieve if for you. You can also retrieve your password via e-mail from the Rentals.com Web site. The login page on our Web site provides a link to retrieve your password. Click here to go to the login page.

How do I get started?
Simply go to Rentals.com, type in the city and state in which you want to find your new apartment, and click "Search."

How can I use Rentals.com after I rent an apartment?
As a resident of a property listed on Rentals.com, you will be able to communicate with your property manager, pay rent online and conduct other apartment living-related activities right from your browser (i.e., through Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator).

Searching for a Place to Rent

I live outside the U.S. — can I still use your Web site to find a place to rent?
Yes. You may use all the tools available on our Web site. However, at this time, rental listings are limited to properties in the United States.

What if I can't find any property that matches my search criteria?
Your search criteria may be too specific to match currently available units. Expand the results of your search by making your search criteria more general.

How can I narrow my apartment search?
If you've found too many rentals, refine your search criteria and search again.

Can I search by apartment type?
Yes. Just select the type of apartment you want from the type field (e.g. "studio, junior, 1 bed, etc".) and click "search."

I've found an apartment I'd like to rent. How do I secure it?
You can contact the property owner or manager displayed on the listing directly, or you can submit an application online.

Can I see the apartment right now?
Viewing times are at the discretion of the property owner or manager. If the property owner has scheduled any showings, you can register to attend one of them on his or her Public Office (Web site). You can also contact the property owner or manager directly to schedule an appointment.

Do I need a referral to get an apartment?
All considerations between you and a property owner or manager are at his or her discretion. When applying for an apartment online, you will be asked to fill out past rental history and contact information.

If I put in an application for an apartment, does that mean that I will automatically get it?
No. When you apply for an apartment online, the application is sent directly to the property owner or manager to review. He or she will decide to whom it will be rented.

What do I need to bring with me when I come to see an apartment?
We suggest that you bring your Online Application, Credit Report, current identification, proof of current residence, and a print out of your Rentals.com Notebook. Specific owners or managers may require additional items.

Who will give me keys to my apartment if I view and then decide to rent an apartment?
The property owner or manager will provide you with your keys and other information once you've been accepted as a resident.

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Security

How safe is my information in your system?
At Rentals Inc., we take privacy very seriously. We adhere to the highest ethical standards and implement the best security practices and technology available on the Web today. Each time you log on to Rentals.com, the session between your browser (i.e. Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator) and our server is private and secure. When you establish an account with Rentals.com, you should read our Privacy Policy and our Terms and Conditions to understand both party's rights and obligations of use.

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