Step-By-Step Guide to Searching Furnished Finder on a Desktop
As a fairly young platform, Furnished Finder can be a bit confusing to get started. It can be a challenge to understand what you’re looking at, what you’re supposed to do and how to actually get in touch with landlords. Let us make it easy for you by breaking down our search process step-by-step.
Whether you know where you want to stay or not, the first step is the easiest:
Step 1: Access www.furnishedfinder.com
Step 2: Start your search by entering where you are looking to stay, what date you want to move in and your budget
If you aren’t sure your move-in date, you can leave that blank, but if you have an idea, the site will filter and display first the available locations closest to your desired move-in date. If you don’t know your budget, you don’t have to enter that either, but similar to move-in date, the site will automatically display results that best align to your price range.
Step 3: Hit “Search Map”
Step 4: Filter further
Once you have entered the base information, you have the option of additional filters to help narrow down your choices.
For example, you can select if you want “Rooms” (which means you are renting a single room in someone’s home as opposed to the whole place) or “Entire Unit”. Some locations even have hotel options and you can check to include that criteria or exclude it.
There used to be an option to select how many bedrooms you were looking for, but it looks like this has recently been replaced by “sleeps” and including the number of guests. In my opinion, this doesn’t quite translate to the same thing, but that’s a convo to be had with Furnished Finder.
If you know you are traveling with a pet, start each search by selecting the “Pets Welcome” box so you don’t get too excited about a place that doesn’t allow pets.
Step 4: Start exploring what’s available in your desired area
You have two options on how to start exploring rentals on Furnished Finder and I recommend a combo of the both: using the map or the list.
We recommend, especially in big cities, to use the map to zoom into neighborhoods you are more interested in. Similar to the filters, the list will adjust to only those available in the map view. Then, its happy scrolling through the available options.
Step 5: Get more details on a listing
Next you can either click on the rental prices in the map and get quick details on a location, or you can scroll through the list on the left and see the cards side-by-side.
Each listing has a “card” that gives you essential details at a glance to easily rule places out or as a potential location to dive into.
With these cards, you’ll find a few key items:
With these cards, you’ll find a few key items:
The availability
Monthly rent
The type of listing
The name of the listing
How many bedrooms and bathrooms**
Icons with featured details like wifi, pets welcome, utilities included, and parking
**Note: Don’t trust the bathroom information. Not many landlords add this information in the way that appears in the card, but is often detailed in the listing description.
Step 6: Start exploring listings
Once you click on a listing from either the map or the list, a new window will pop open with more pictures and details about the rental property. You’ll see one main image and four additional images with an option to explore more images in the bottom right corner. Be sure to click through these images to get a good idea of the property because most of the time you will be signing leases site-unseen.
In the next section of the page are some crucial aspects that can be difficult to find at first glance.
As highlighted, we are always confirming monthly rent, that utilities are included, the minimum stay (usually 1-3 months), the various property fees and deposits, the latest update timeline, how many bedrooms and bathrooms, the house style (i.e. apartment, condo, house, etc), availability. If we have liked the photo, and these line up to our criteria, that’s 75% of the work in finding a potential location.
In the summer of 2024, Furnished Finder updated its interface and included “last updated” as available information and it's one of the few changes they made that we appreciate. As early adopters, we ran into a large number of listings where the landlords were either no longer active or just weren’t as active as they once were and it was frustrating taking the time to explore places and get no response. With this added feature you will be able to notice if a landlord is keeping up with their listing.
Step 7: Explore the listing deeper
Read through the description, the landlord’s bio, property offerings, bedroom details including the sizes of the mattresses in each room, look through to see if the place has an in-unit, washer and dryer vs an in-building and read the reviews** from previous tenants. There is a lot to unpack and learn about each listing.
**Note: Reviews for every listing aren’t as common as they will be in the future, so don’t be deterred if there aren’t any reviews.
Step 8: Save the listing, dismiss it or repeat step 4
Furnished Finder is an incredible tool that has a small learning curve. The hardest part is to start, so don’t get overwhelmed and follow this step-by-step to simplify the process and help you efficiently navigate the platform. By starting with clear search criteria and utilizing the filters, map, and detailed listings, you can quickly narrow down your options to find the perfect rental for your needs. Pay attention to key details such as availability, pricing, and property amenities, and don’t forget to explore images and reviews to ensure you’re making an informed decision. With a little patience and persistence, Furnished Finder can be a valuable tool in finding short-term rentals that meet your specific requirements. Happy house hunting!
