Spring (March- May)

If you are apartment hunting in the spring, and want to have lots of choices, you are in luck! This a common time of the year for lease renewal so tenants are deciding whether or not they are staying in their apartment for another year or not and new apartment listings are popping up all the time.

The weather is also becoming milder, making pounding the pavement more pleasant when visiting multiple apartments in one day or checking out a neighborhood.

The only disadvantage to this time of year is that supply is high but so is the demand, so you may not be able to wait too long before making a decision on a favorite location before it gets snatched up.

Summer(June- Aug)

This is still a great time to look for apartments. Often in student cities you will find a lot of apartments going up for rent in July that follow summer or fall student schedules. If you are not in a university or college town, you may still find some great apartments at this time due to tenants making a late decision on not renewing their lease etc.

The other great advantage of moving in this season is that is not too cold to have a comfortable move and it is common to take vacation time or pick a long weekend for your move.

Fall (Sept – Nov)

There are still lots of student oriented apartment options in September. Be wary of the difference between renting an apartment or simply a room in a large apartment that caters mainly to students; advertisements can be deceiving. Shortly after September, the number of listings will drop significantly though it isn’t impossible to find an apartment.

Winter (Dec – Feb)

This is definitely not the best time of year to be moving. People are preoccupied with the holiday season, celebrations or taking vacation time to escape the cold weather. There are few apartments on the market and you are more likely to find options to sublet rooms or lease transfers, which might not be what you are looking for and can be more complex or a longer process than signing a lease.