Renter ‘A’ may wonder.
How many apartments should I reach out to? How do I begin my search?
With our 50 plus years of experience in the residential apartment business (with headquarters located in the heart of Northeast Philadelphia), we wanted to share suggestions on how to find Northeast Philadelphia apartment rentals.
Summary: First, identify the sub-neighborhood you want to live in within the Northeast. According to Redfin, the most popular zip codes are 19111 (Fox Chase/Burlhome) and 19115 (Bustleton). Next, decide on your must-have features and budget constraints, check the listing aggregators, create a shortlist of places, and call leasing offices to set up scheduled tours. Finally, make your selection and sign a lease.
Find the Right Northeast Philadelphia Apartment For You:
1. First, Pick an Area/Neighborhood in the Northeast
Pick an area or sub-neighborhood within the Northeast . All of the neighborhoods in the Northeast share similarities, but they differ significantly in their walkability and proximity to public transportation, shopping, and schools. There is Bustleton, Somerton, Fox Chase, Bells Corner, Rhawnhurst, Parkwood, and Torresdale to name a few. If you are not familiar with these neighborhood names, that’s okay too. Get the address for a known place in the area you want (i.e. even if it’s a friend’s address_, look up the zip code, and now you have a starting point.
Tip: If you are completely lost, and have NO IDEA where to start, you can do a location find in reverse. Do you know if you want to be near Route 1 (Roosevelt Blvd) or Bustleton Avenue? Do you want to be near a particular school, train station, or house of worship? Do want to be nearer I95 or the PA Turnpike road networks? Looking at a map of the Northeast, find the proximity to locations or places you want to be near.
2. Apartment Type
Determine whether you prefer a 1 or 2-bedroom and how many bathrooms you need. If you need a 3-bedroom, it is possible but very rare in this part of town. Studios are more common than 3 bedrooms in this area, but still not as common as 1 and 2-bedroom apartments.
3. Building/Management type
Do you want to live in an apartment community as opposed to a standalone apartment off a street? Given you searched for this article, you probably prefer a community (and there are a lot of advantages to living in a community as opposed to renting from an individual landlord).
4.Interior Home Wish List
Decide on the most important features inside the apartment home. Consider things like central heating and cooling, the apartment size (for example, at least 550 square feet for 1 bedroom and 950 square feet for a 2-bedroom), balcony/patio, dishwasher, washer/dryer, open floor plan, large windows, quiet apartment/sound control.
5.Community/Neighborhood Wish List
Things like a swimming pool, clubhouse, safety features and parking, walking distance to restaurants, grocery store, etc.
6. Affordability
The general rule of thumb is to allocate no more than 30% of your salary for rent. If you are making a salary of $50,000 a year, for example, the rule of thumb would have you set aside about $1,250/month for rent.
You should also leave some income aside for utility expenses.
Find that Apartment: Narrow Down Your Options
1. Call Friends
If you have friends and family that live in the sub-area/neighborhood you want, call them and ask them if they could recommend a particular apartment community(ies). Add these to your list.
2. Check Apartments.com
We think Apartments.com is a great resource because it aggregates apartment buildings (like Expedia for hotels). Their website boasts over 500+ rentals available.
One disadvantage however, is that on the ‘Northeast Philadelphia Apartments’ search, Apartments.com lists many buildings that are not located in Northeast Philadelphia proper. For example, out of their top 10 current results, only 3 out of 10 (30%) are located in Northeast Philadelphia proper. To really take advantage of this tool, you will need to use filters in the upper right to narrow your search. Or alternatively, you can use the ‘draw’ feature to narrow your search.
Similarly, Apartments.com is a National Brand, but they don’t own any apartments (to our knowledge). We at (Fidelity Management) are a truly local Philadelphia business, with actual apartment communities owned and operated for over 50 years in the Northeast.
2. Check ApartmentGuide
We like Apartmentguide/Rent.com a lot as well. We recommend you compare results with what you saw on Apartments.com as you will often see different apartment complexes. ApartmentGuide also lets you play with filters to create more targeted results.
3. Drive Around
There is nothing like a physical search or drive-by to learn about an area or decide to delete a community from your wish list. A well-kept property’s exterior appearance says a lot about its management team.
4. Check us out
We may be biased, but if you are looking for an apartment in the Northeast, feel free to check us (Fidelity Management) out. Click on the logo in the upper left-hand corner of your screen to go to our homepage. All of the apartment complexes at Fidelity Management are centrally located. Several are close to Red Lion Road, Bustleton Avenue, Krewstown Road, Grant Avenue, and other main streets in the heart of the Northeast.
Below is a photo of our Ambassador Apartments at 851 Red Lion Road, in the heart of Northeast Philadelphia.
5. Start Calling Apartments
Start calling apartments that appear to fit your list. Call and ask questions to confirm whether they meet your preset criteria.
6. Schedule Tours
Call the apartments to schedule a tour. You’d be surprised how much you can learn on a tour and how easy it is to see the differences (compared to just pictures online).
One time, at Fidelity Management, we had an individual walk in and she started tearing up. The rental consultant asked, “why are you tearing up?” The lady responded that she should have never signed a lease where she currently lived (not our building) and she should have moved here. The point of the story is two-fold. First, you should tour everywhere on your list. Second, an in-person tour is the most powerful and important step in finding an apartment.
Before Signing Anything
Re-Check All Details
- Confirm Price Confirm the price and other monthly payments you will be responsible for (i.e. utilities, pet fees, parking fees, etc.). Confirm deposit amounts, application fees, and other one-time payments.
- Confirm Satisfied With the Safety Ā No area is ever free of crime and no one can guarantee safety, but historical crime rates can be measured and should be a part of the search. Make sure you are satisfied with the safety features implemented by the building. This article (14 Questions to Ask About Apartment Safety) might be helpful.
- Confirm FeaturesĀ Confirm again that apartment has everything on your checklist and how the apartment you saw during your tour (if any) is different from the apartment you will get.
- Confirm Reputation Property ManagementĀ Look up the reputation of the building and management company to see how others rate them. Ask your friends. If you know anyone who has or does live there, ask them too.
- Ask Lease Questions Make sure you read the entire lease and ask the right questions before signing. Only when you are satisfied with all the answers, should you sign a lease.
FAQ:
Q: What are the typical amenities in Northeast Philadelphia?
A: The typical apartment community in Northeast Philadelphia has parking for one car per family/apartment. Most communities do not have on-site amenities, although the larger and more up-scale complexes may offer an on-site swimming pool, club house and/or gym.
Q: What is the average rent of a 1 bedroom apartment in Northeast Philadelphia, PA?
The average 1 Bedroom apartment in Northeast Philadelphia is $1,120. *
Q: What is the average rent of a 2 bedroom apartment in Northeast Philadelphia, PA?
A:The average 2 Bedroom apartment in Northeast Philadelphia is $1,394. *
Q: Where can I learn more about the Northeast Philadelphia area?
A: To learn more about the Northeast Philadelphia Area, including restaurants, schools, and things to do check out: Northeast Philadelphia Guide
* Source: Co-star December 2022 Submarket Data. Most utilities are NOT included in price so be prepared for base price plus utilities.
About Fidelity Management
We have been owners and managers of apartment communities for over 50 years. Our communities include locations in the Northeast section of Philadelphia. All of our current communities are family-built, owned, and operated.
Our company headquarters is located in Northeast Philadelphia. We have an on-site rental office in nearly all of our communities and rental consultants ready to answer your questions seven days a week.
Over 70% of our staff have been with us for over 20 years. Our owners and team members are committed to providing the best residential living experience possible. It is quite common for residents to drop off a note of gratitude in their rent check, treats around the holidays, or call in a thank you. We encourage you to check out our online reviews and use the comparison feature on our website to see what makes our communities so special. You will find that our apartments are larger than the typical apartment, have private balconies/patios, individually controlled central heating and air, true 24/7 emergency service, quiet sound-controlled concrete ceilings and floors, a swimming pool, and more.
What Our Residents Say
Valeriy G October 2022 Highly recommend this community and these beautiful apartments to everyone ! The community looks beautiful here and I am sure you will also be happy like me !
Amir R October 2022 Great Apartment ! Easy Process ! Wonderful Community!… Cannot express my happiness more !!
September 2022 Allen J Plenty of shopping centers within a mile. Excellent quiet neighborhood to live. Apartment rooms are spacious and have many closets”
September 2022 Olga S The apartment itself is very spacious, quiet, clean and we absolutely love our kitchen !
August 2022 Nataia R My family and I moved into the Ambassador One apartments Sunday and so love it here ! The pool is beautiful, the apartment was so clean, the move in process was so quick and simple ! .. Highly recommend this community to anyone looking for a great apartment! I seen a lot but this one is amazing!!!
We also encourage you to check out actual videos of other residents who live or have lived at a Fidelity Management Community. Click here to watch videos.
Wishing you the best of luck in your search!
