"If you really want to see a mess, go visit the nation's greatest apartment-hunting site, the first likely choice of anybody searching for a rental or a roommate," writes Gary Wolf in "Why Craigslist Is Such a Mess," Wired magazine cover story, Aug. 24, 2009.
Craigslist, a mass of classified ads for everything from jobs to dates to furniture, has a love/hate relationship with apartment seekers and apartment providers alike.
Why Renters Love Craigslist
1. They like feeling like they found a good deal/value, under the radar of large apartment communities.
2. Craigslist allows searches by units rather than by property.
3. Renters prefer non-traditional marketing sources--craigslist doesn't have the look or feel of a corporate-designed site.
Why Renters Hate Craigslist
1. They cannot easily browse pictures of apartments for rent.
2. The site's help desk provides minimal help.
3. Fair-housing violations are commonplace.
(Moreover, craiglist's skeletal staff is resistant to resolve these issues, and has squashed attempts by programmers to introduce applications that would improve operations.)
Perhaps contrary to popular belief, apartment listings on craigslist are not just from subletters and people who are renting out their single-family homes. Says Heather Blume, an apartment marketing and management consultant, "I know very few apartment communities up here in Seattle that don't utilize craigslist. It lets you compete more directly with the shadow market."
Do you post vacant apartments on craigslist? Why or why not? What is the appeal of this site for apartment renters and owners?