Is Apartments.com Safe?

If you use or plan to use Apartments.com, you need to know: Is Apartments.com safe? 

Below, we explain whether Apartments.com is: 

• Safe to use. 
• Good for privacy. 

We also look at some steps you can take to improve both your safety and privacy when using this online service. 

What Is Apartments.com?

Apartments.com is an online site that helps people look for rental places ‒ like apartments, condos, townhomes, and houses. 

Renters can narrow their search results by using filters such as price, location, number of bedrooms, and pet rules. 

Listings typically include pictures, virtual tours, floor plans, and neighborhood details. They also show up-to-date availability, and many have contact details for leasing offices or landlords, making it easy for users to set up tours or apply online. The platform includes user reviews.

Apartments.com belongs to a larger group of real estate websites ‒ including Rent.com and Apartment Finder ‒ all owned by CoStar Group. 

Is Apartments.com Safe?

People generally trust Apartments.com for renting out and finding rental homes.

In its privacy policy, Apartments.com says it takes “administrative, technical and physical safeguards designed to protect against the risk of accidental, unlawful or unauthorized destructions, loss, alteration, access, disclosure or use.” 

This is pretty standard. One safeguard example Apartments.com mentions is the encryption of payment card information in accordance with the PCI DSS and the storage of sensitive information on servers located in the US, with access limited to authorized employees only. 

It also provides an email address for a designated cybersecurity team that investigates and responds to all security vulnerabilities and issues. 

Users can enable two-factor authentication on their Apartments.com accounts. 

However, scams might still happen on Apartments.com and users need to stay alert with property listings. Apartments.com tries to check listings and cut down on scams ‒ but some still pop up. 

Landlords should also be aware of scams. Some landlords say they have had issues while using Apartments.com. 

Apartments.com has a low rating from the Better Business Bureau (D- at the time of writing).

No data breaches associated with Apartments.com at the time of writing. 

Is Apartments.com Private?

Depends on your definition of “private.” 

Like many online sites, Apartments.com gathers and uses personal details for different reasons. 

Apartments.com collects information like your contact information, search terms, views, clicks, and more when you use the site. This information mainly helps make your experience better. 

Apartments.com might share some of this information with third parties, like advertisers and service providers, to show specific ads and improve the site.

If you apply for a lease, your (redacted) SSN and date of birth are shared with TransUnion for a background check. 

Those who choose to use the site’s Free Listing Service should note that whatever information is included in a listing (e.g., phone number or email address) may become publicly available. Apartment.com warns not to include any information (besides required information) in a listing that you wouldn’t want other parties to see/use.

Apartments.com hasn’t been reviewed by external review sites, such as Terms of Service; Didn’t Read (ToS;DR) at the time of writing.

How to Improve Your Safety and Privacy On Apartments.com

Follow the below steps for a safer and more private experience while using Apartments.com. 

• Share less about yourself. When you fill out forms, ask questions, or use the site’s Free Listing Service, only provide details that are necessary. 
• Use a different email address for questions. Make a special email account for rental questions ‒ this protects your main email from too many marketing messages or spam, keeping your personal inbox private.
• Be careful with talking. When you talk to landlords or property managers, don’t give too much personal info right away. Use safe ways to talk until you know the listing and the person are real.
• Browse with a VPN. A virtual private network hides your IP address ‒ keeping your location and browsing private from Apartments.com and advertisers.
• Clear cookies and browsing data often. Apartments.com, like many sites, uses cookies to track your behavior. Clearing cookies and browsing history often can limit how your online actions are tracked over time.
• Opt out of third-party data collection for targeted advertising. As per Apartments.com privacy policy, you can do so by going to the Digital Advertising Alliance’s (DAA) opt-out page. 
• Opt out of the sale/sharing of your personal information. If you’re a California resident, you can fill out the CoStar Group privacy webform to opt out of the sale of your personal information. 
• Unsubscribe from CoStar marketing emails. To do so, click the “Unsubscribe” link in any of the emails from CoStar.