How to Find a Rental in Tacoma, WA

We’re here to share some secrets on how to find a rental in Tacoma’s booming market. Some of these you may already know, but keep scrolling for insider tips to this popular area to find your Tacoma rental!

1. Search on Zillow:

   Zillow and Rent.com are probably the two most popular routes for landlord to list their rental. You can add in your specifics, including “pet friendly” etc. to tailor your search to your exact dream place. We recommend starting your search a month or two in advance if possible, and reach out quickly when you see a property that meets your criteria! Go the extra steps and explain why you are a great renter, even sharing past rental history up front so that they landlord can have assurances that you are the perfect person for their home.

2. AirBNB:

   I know that this most likely sends alarm bells of “too expensive!” immediately… but what you might not know is that a lot of AirBNBs offer discounts for a month long rentals and furthermore, you can message the hosts and inquire about additional discounts for even longer stays. Sometimes the landlord won’t go for it, but we’ve actually had surprising successes here and there with this route. When you message them, explain your situation, explain what a great tenant you are and that you are happy to sign a rental agreement and perform a background check and explain that allowing you to rent for 6 months to a year will actually be a benefit to the host (ie. They won’t have to deal with weekly cleanings, or a new person every few days potentially causing damages etc.).

3. FurnishedFinder:

   FurnishedFinder is a platform for landlords looking to rent furnished properties for slightly longer stints than Airbnb or VRBO. Most of them have a 3 month minimum, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t open to longer. Message the host and inquire about a discount for an extended stay and reference the benefits in #2 above! There is a fee for using the plat form (both for the landlord, and the potential tenants), but there are an abundance of FurnishedFinder rentals in Tacoma and it would be a mistake to not explore this option.

4. Facebook Neighborhood Groups:

   This one is the real hidden gem, and locals have been getting hip to this in more recent times. Some landlords don’t want to deal with Zillow and overwhelming inquiries, and will instead post their rental in a neighborhood Facebook group. Join the groups and (if allowed) make a post requesting what you’re looking for and see how helpful your future neighbors can be!

5. “For Rent” Signs:

   Again, this might seem like a lot of legwork, but in a competitive rental market, this can sometimes be a wonderful opportunity to find a spot where the landlord doesn’t want to deal with listing their property online. Drive through the neighborhoods that you’re interested in on a weekly basis BEFORE you’re ready to move (and complete #4 as well), and you might be surprised by what you find!

If you’re interested in finding a short term rental while buying your future home, #2 and #3 are generally your best options. Reach out to your local real estate agent Laura Anderson HERE to start the conversation about buying your home in Tacoma.