Tis the season for new apartments, fa la la la la, la la la la

That’s right, for many people in Toronto and beyond it’s moving season. Students are looking for apartments that will keep them in the city for the summer. Couples are moving in together. New roommates are pairing up. And other folks are just looking for new digs or new neighbourhoods.

If you fall into any of these categories there is a Facebook App that you should check out and a partner app you’ve got to download (IOS, BB & Android).

Note: I was contacted the other day and asked to take a look at RentCompass and let you know what I think and how I found it. I’ve played with it a few times and I’ve searched through the Facebook App, iPhone App and website and voila, my thoughts presented to you. Check it!

RentCompass is a FREE APP that offers renters a chance to search for a new place based on city, neighbourhood, needs (bed/bath) and price. It also allows landlords and realtors to post their listings and get the word out about their fantastic rental opportunity that you do not want to miss.

My first thought is that RentCompass is a mix between Google Maps and Craigslist. (In the best possible way) The map is totally Google and the ads are free with phone numbers and photos and quick descriptions.

My second thought is I wish RentCompass had been around the last time I was looking for an apartment.

Note: Right now the listings differ from Craigslist in that they aren’t cheap and littering the board.

Facebook App: Easy to search, not bad to look at. Makes me wish I was looking for a new place to live.

That’s the quick run down. Whether you’re looking at the map view or list layout you won’t be missing anything when it comes to places that are available. Add in your search parameters to narrow things down and find that perfect place for your welcome mat and toothbrush.

I dig that within cities you can search by neighbourhood or intersection. So if you want to find a place in Parkdale/High Park (great neighbourhoods) or The Beach you can do that.

I also like that different emblems are used on the map for houses/townhouses, condos, apartments, etc. No filtering through houses if you want an apartment and no flipping through hi-rises if you’re looking for a great little basement apartment.

It’s an easy to use layout that doesn’t make you want to throw your laptop and give-up and move back into your parent’s basement. And as far as I’m concerned, that’s a pretty important piece of the puzzle.

One thing I did notice was that I couldn’t find anywhere to list a new property. That one stays with the phone app and website as far as I can tell.

Speaking of the phone app…

I totally dig the ease of use when it comes to the iPhone app. I downloaded it in the office and started it up to see what it looked like and as soon as I allowed permission for my location to be used I saw the map pop up and available properties start to appear.

Just like on the Facebook app there are options available when searching for places. Fill in all, none or some of the blanks for Min Rent: $, Max Rent:$, Bedroom: & Bath:

All listings must be approved before they are posted which adds another thumb up from me. It just feels like that adds a whole other layer of legitimacy.

When I checked out the website (RentCompass.com) I was impressed to find a full set of FAQs to help break down how the whole system works.

My top 4 points in the FAQ:

What’s RentCompass?
RentCompass is rental directory search service that is available on the web and the mobile phone. We are Canada’s first mobile listing service for rental properties.

How much does it cost to list my rental property?
Individual landlords and real estate agents can list their rental properties for free.

What mobile devices do you support?
Currently we support the iPhone and iPod Touch, iPad and Google Android. Visiting our website from a browser enabled phone (like the BlackBerry) will redirect to our mobile website which is optimized for mobile devices. We are currently working on adding mobile apps for other mobile devices.

I don’t see any listings in my area?
We are growing fast and working hard to add listings in many towns and cities across Canada.

Check out the full list of FAQs if you’re feeling curious.

Verdict: I’m in.

When it’s time to look for a new place I’ll be pulling RentCompass back up on Facebook and my phone.

I’m encouraged by the growth of the property listings (appox. 75 new listings between last night and this afternoon) and am optimistic that it can keep adding new places.

Take a look kids. You won’t regret it. Trust me.

Author profile

Joshua Murray

creator of content, daddy blogger, writer, coffee drinker, fan of the Batman. proud mo bro. prouder dad.