Consumer
eBay's Rent.com Makes Finding Off-Campus Apartments Easier
Source: Rent.com � an eBay company
Jan 23, 2006, 13:02

America's Largest Apartment Website Allows College-Bound Students to Search for Apartments By University and Receive $100 Bonus

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Jan. 23, 2006--College students looking to relocate between semesters can have an easier time finding an off-campus apartment and, thanks to Rent.com, they can also pocket $100 in extra spending money. Rent.com, an eBay company, America's largest and most visited apartment-finding Internet Listing Site (ILS), offers a college housing search feature specifically designed to help new-to-market renters find the perfect apartment.

Rent.com's apartment-finding ILS service, with its search-by-university feature (www.rent.com/apartments/university), joins two of the company's other online services that make it even easier for college movers to relocate. Rent.com's Roommates feature is an online roommate finder, and the site's Moving Center provides free links to a host of moving-resource service providers.

''Rent.com is a powerful online apartment listing search engine � with far more apartment property postings than any other comparable site on the Internet � students can search for apartments adjacent to more than 4,000 colleges and universities nationwide,'' said Scott Ingraham, president of Rent.com. ''At no cost, students can use our search-by-university feature to save time and money by comparing apartments and rental rates from more than 5.1 million apartments. If they choose one of our listed apartments and let us know, we will reward them with a $100 Visa reward card to spend wherever and however they like � sent to them when their lease is verified.''

Popular culture stereotypes picture students living in ivy-covered dormitories, with loud rock music blaring from their open dorm windows. But in fact, students who live on campus are actually in the minority, according to an analysis of the most recent data from the US Census Bureau. The lion's share of students � and the majority of America's $53 billion dollar college housing market � lives in off-campus apartments. Since many students are new to the rental housing market, and because off-campus housing is often at a premium, Rent.com fills an important need for a growing number of college students.

''Rent.com's advanced search technology offers students a more convenient and comprehensive search experience,'' Ingraham explained. ''Renters can quickly search property postings on the site�s powerful, proprietary search engine which provides accurate, geo-targeted results.''

Rent.com's search-by-university feature is able to pinpoint registered apartment properties near universities and to help budget-conscious students find the best location to live at the most affordable rate. Students can easily perform online searches that are so refined that they can even select apartments within easy walking distance of class.

Using Rent.com is a snap. After completing free registration on the Rent.com site, students can search for apartments close to their college or university. By simply applying key filters � such as the number of bedrooms they would like, their preference for pets, their budget range, and their college or university � Rent.com instantly searches its comprehensive database to deliver the properties that most closely match their requirements.

Rent.com makes relocation even simpler with its automated online roommate finder and its Moving Center. Rent.com Roommates allows new-movers to plug in their target zip code and projected move-date, and then view registered potential roommates. This permits them to identify, contact and strike deals with potential share-the-rent roommates, keeping costs down and making otherwise out-of-reach apartments possible. The service is free to register and search, and also offers students free messaging and listings.

Rent.com's Moving Center provides hot links to service providers covering a variety of helpful moving support services. Services for before-the-move include credit reports, moving quotes, moving supplies, truck rental, storage � even short-term housing and a job-finding service. After-move services designed to ease the transition to a new city include rental insurance, utility information, home improvement services � even information on local dating.


About Rent.com

Rent.com � an eBay company (Nasdaq: EBAY) � is by a significant margin the largest apartment listing service, online or off, in the nation. Rent.com is the market leader in unique visitor traffic, registered users, apartment property postings and verified lease transactions.

With more than 5.1 million apartment units and 22,000 properties listed in more than 1,500 real estate markets across the country, Rent.com`s service is available to both renters and property owners and managers in most American cities, including all of the nation�s top 50 metropolitan markets. Rent.com is the only major national Internet Listing Service to give a $100 reward to renters upon verification of their leases, and the only major apartment rental listing site that offers prospective renters targeted listings delivered directly to their e-mail inbox.

Rent.com makes the process of renting a home easy for both the renter and the property manager by simplifying the search process for renters. Rent.com provides real-time information about apartments, including up-to-the-minute availability, monthly rental rates and other decision-critical information. The website also provides renters with 360-degree virtual tours of apartments, free roommate searches, links to moving resources, as well as pet-friendly listings and features, and amenities that suit their lifestyle.

For more information, visit http://www.rent.com, email [email protected] or call 1-866-441-RENT.

Contact:
Daryl Toor
Attention Group For Rent.com
(770) 777-9489
[email protected]