A Guided Timeline

When searching for a rental, one of the most common questions we get is “When should I start actively searching? How early is too early and how late is too late?” The timeline may vary depending on factors like, where you’re moving from, how much notice you need to give your current landlord, rental home availability, and in some cases, a new job. Below is a guided timeline for planning out your move to secure a rental for rental homes and apartment homes.

5-6 Months Prior to you Desired Move in Date:

For Rental Homes & Apartment Homes

At the 5-6 month mark, we recommend thinking about exactly what you are looking for in a rental home– desired location, distance to work or school, proximity to the Disney Parks, amenities, and price point. Once you have all of your necessities listed, we suggest hoping online to view homes and/or apartment communities that fit your wish list, or you can speak with an excellent REALTOR® here at Magical Moves and we are more than happy to send you some great options to look over. With all of this information, you can then begin to narrow down areas that you would like to begin actively scoping out.

3-4 Months Prior to your Desired Move in Date:

For a Rental Single-Family Home, Town Home, or Condo

During this timeframe, it’s a great idea to familiarize yourself with your narrowed down areas of interest. If you’re able to, drive around a few neighborhoods, stop in at a local coffee shop or restaurant, and my personal tip, I like to drive out to potential areas during rush hour times, just to get a feel for what my commute may look like during these high traffic points of the day. It’s better to know what you’re in for ahead of time!

For an Apartment

Apartments typically fill up quicker than rental homes, and some communities may have waitlists on particular units. You may want to begin the process of securing an apartment a little further in advance. It’s ideal to submit your lease application, along with all other required documentation to an apartment community 45-60 days prior to your desired move in date and explore the area a few weeks before doing so. 

1-2 Months Prior to your Desired Move in Date:

For a Rental Single-Family Home, Town Home, or Condo

Once you find that perfect rental home, now is the time to apply with the landlord or property management company. Typically, landlords typically do not want to lease out a property more than a month in advance as they do not want to hold and leave the property vacant for an extended period of time. There may be some instances where the landlord is willing to do so at their discretion. 

For an Apartment Home

If you have not yet secured a lease with an apartment community at this time frame, it is not impossible to find one that will accommodate your move in date if you happen to be under more of a time crunch. However, this will all depend on what the community has ready and available for move-in. You may have to do just a little bit of searching in order to find the perfect place that also fits within your timeframe. 

This timeframe also allows for landlords, property management companies, or apartment communities, to run and approve all necessary requirements prior to approving your lease application and providing you with an official move in date (Background check, credit check, income statements, etc.) Read all about Florida requirements HERE.

Move in Day!

At this point, all of the searching, applying for leases, organizing, and packing up moving boxes is all behind you! You’ve made it and you’re making the magical move! Our team wishes you the absolute best on your new adventure. If you would like for us to provide you with further information on renting in Orlando, please reach out to us through our contact form.

Happy moving!