Whether you’ve recently graduated from college and are looking for your first rental property or relocating for work, it can be hard to find the perfect apartment. 

After all, not only do you have to find a space that feels right for you, but you’ve also got to deal with a notoriously competitive rental market while doing so.

With that in mind, here are some top tips that you can use to find the perfect rental apartment! 

Whether you’re going to be living in the city or a small town, it's likely that numerous properties within the area will be put up for sale each week. 

However, to avoid spending hours visiting potential properties only to be disappointed, you must be as specific as possible when starting your search. For example, you may want to look only for apartments with washer and dryer in unit so that you have easy access to these amenities. 

Beyond this, you should also think carefully about your ideal location. For example, while you may be willing to keep your commute as short as possible if you work in the middle of a city, this means that rental prices will likely be inflated. 

Conversely, by living a little further out, you can make your budget stretch a little further, meaning you can live in a nicer flat for a lower price. Either way, you should research transport links in each area to determine which option is best. 

Many people spend a few years renting out properties before buying their own, especially if they’re focusing on saving money. 

However, you need to be realistic regarding how much you can spend on rent without landing yourself in a difficult financial situation. 

According to the experts, you should aim to spend no more than 30% of your monthly income on your rent. This means that you have enough money set aside for other expenses, such as utility bills, groceries, and transport costs. 

Furthermore, it's also crucial that you spend some of your money on your own enjoyment - which means you shouldn’t overspend on rent if you’ll then be holding yourself back from social activities. 

While you may have a clear vision in your mind of your ideal apartment, you must be realistic when finding a place to live. After all, you’re unlikely to find a place that ticks every single one of your boxes unless you’re building it from the ground up yourself. 

Instead, try to think about ways to improve upon the spaces that meet most of your needs to make them a better fit. 

For example, looking at unfurnished flats allows you to decorate the space to your own tastes - which means you can quickly turn a dull, drab apartment into one that’s vibrant and full of color. 

While you may be unable to properly decorate the space (depending on the terms of your contract), there are plenty of non-permanent ways to decorate during your tenancy, such as by hanging peel-and-stick wallpaper.