Seasoned Renters--how do you find nice places?

[C J]

Hello all,

Noob real estate scholar here. I am inexperienced as a tenant and would like to see how the pros conduct their due diligence when renting.

I like to drive to a candidate rental neighborhood at night, preferably on the weekend and park, to observe what goes on. This helps me assess potential crime risk.

Also, at one place I was sure I wanted, I paid the entire lease (12 mos) up front in order to get a 10% discount, after haggling them down from the initial asking price of course!

Any and all apartment/rental hunting tips are appreciated.