Moving to a new rental home can be a huge adjustment, especially if you’re moving with children. Adjusting to a new living space, neighborhood, and daily routine takes time. With young children, adjusting can be even more difficult, as it may mean attending a new school. Families with young children generally search apartments by school district to ensure a good schooling experience. Keep reading to learn how to search apartments by school district and tips for finding good rental locations.
How to Search Apartments by School District
Finding a good school district is important for those with young children. After all, you want your children to have the best schooling experience possible. As such, if you’re moving to a new rental home, finding an area with a good school district is crucial.
Finding a reputable school district is especially important if you’re planning on staying in a rental home for more than a year. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a short-term rental, you may be a bit more lenient on the school district. Either way, you want to live in an area that’s comfortable for you and your children. So one of the first steps to finding a good rental home is finding a good school district.
To find an apartment near a reputable school district, you’ll have to put some time and effort into researching the area. If finding a good school is your top priority, then that’s where you’ll start your search. First, look for the school you’d like your children to attend. Then, search for rental properties nearby.
If you’re not sure how to find rentals near good school districts, here are some tips to keep in mind during your search.
Tips for Finding Rental Locations Near Good Schools
Finding a good school district may take some time. It’s essential to do research before moving to find the best district possible for your children. Here are a few ways to determine which school you’d like to live by.
- Visit Different Schools
- Talk to Other Parents
- Read Online Reviews
- Talk to the Principal
- Look at Websites That Rank Schools
- Ask Your Landlord
- Check Social Media
Visit Different Schools
One of the best ways to determine good school districts is by visiting the schools yourself. Visiting schools gives you a first-hand look at the facility’s teachers, classrooms, and overall feel. After all, what you read online may not be true to what you’d see for yourself.
Talk to Other Parents
Talking to other parents with children in the district is another great way to learn more about the school and teachers. Parents are often realistic and critical of where their children attend school, so you’ll likely get an honest answer if you talk to parents in the community.
Read Online Reviews
Online reviews of schools can give you another realistic aspect of where your children may attend school. If the reviews are consistently bad, you may want to keep looking. However, if the reviews are mostly positive, you may have found a good district to live in. It’s important to note that one bad review doesn’t tell all about a school. Look at several reviews before making your final decision.
Talk to the Principal
The principal is the head of the school. Therefore, you can learn a lot by talking to the principal if you want to hear information about the school’s priorities, sports programs, and teaching styles. However, the principal may be slightly biased toward their school, so talk to schools to get a few different viewpoints.
Look at Websites That Rank Schools
There are several websites that provide tons of information and rankings for schools in different districts. Websites like GreatSchools and Niche can give you lots of valuable information about academic progress, equity, programs, environment, and more. In addition, NeighborhoodScout can give you information about schools, crime rates, and other location insights.
Ask Your Landlord
If you’re new to the area, ask your potential landlord if they have any information on schools in the area. If they have school-aged children, they may be able to give you some insight into the nearby schools. If not, it doesn’t hurt to ask your property management company in Northern Virginia if they have any information about the nearby school district.
Check Social Media
You can find a lot of great information by looking at social media groups or asking questions on Facebook or Twitter. However, while you’ll get authentic opinions and personal stories, look deeper if you want more fact-based ratings.
What Do Good Schools Mean for Landlords and the Rental Market?
Good schools are great for the rental market for several reasons. For instance, good schools attract more prospective tenants. After all, who doesn’t want their children to attend a top-notch school district?
Overall, there are several connections between a good school district and desirable rental markets. Here are a few reasons landlords can benefit from owning rentals in good school districts.
- Higher Rental Rates
- Larger Tenant Pool
- Quality Tenants
Higher Rental Rates
You can generally charge higher rates when you own rental properties in good neighborhoods with reputable schools. With higher competition and parents looking for good schools, most people are willing to pay a higher price for a good school district. Look at other similar rentals in the area and set your rates competitively, but not too high.
Larger Tenant Pool
Everyone wants to live in a good neighborhood–especially with children in the picture. When you own highly desirable rentals, you’ll have more prospective tenants looking into living there. Even when current tenants leave, it won’t be long until you find another tenant looking for a rental near a good school district. Make sure to screen and qualify your tenants before signing a lease agreement.
Quality Tenants
Good tenants want to live in good neighborhoods. When you have tenants that prioritize good communities, they’re likely willing to pay on time and respect your rental property. Additionally, tenants with children may be more likely to renew their lease if it’s near a good school district. Renewing a lease provides benefits for tenants and landlords. After all, you won’t have to re-market your vacant property. On the other hand, tenants can continue living within their desired school district.
Help Your Tenants Find the Best Rental Experience
Tenants with children will often search apartments by school district. You’ll have higher tenant pools when you own apartments near good schools. That said, taking care of your tenants is a top priority for landlords. However, giving your tenants the best experience possible may require the help of a solid property management team.
Professional Property Management in Northern Virginia has the professionals to help your business succeed. We cover all the aspects of your rental business, so you don’t have to stress! Contact PPM today if you’re looking for rental property management services.
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