How do I get a Caretaker lease?
Welcome to Caretaker! You've come to the right place if you want to find a place to live without the long-term committment of a lease, or simply want the process of getting on a lease to be easier. Here are the steps for getting a rental on Caretaker.
1. Tell us what you're looking for
2. Book a viewing
3. Apply instantly
4. Wait for your application to be accepted
5. For Caretaker-managed listings, sign a lease and pay deposit
Tell us what you're looking for
Set your basic criteria on our search page (start date, length of lease, budget) and we'll send you alerts as soon as we can a new place that fits your criteria. If we're missing a filter that you really want, send our support team a request and we may be able to help out.
Take a tour
This part is important: on most other websites, you need to send a message to settle on a time for a showing (be it virtual or in-person). On Caretaker, you just press the big blue button that says "schedule a viewing" and choose whatever time works for you.
If that button is grayed out so you can't click it, then click the link right above it to let the lister know that they need to add viewing slots!
Apply to the listing you want
Once you've taken a tour in person and you're sure you want the place, apply. We'll compare your application details to the minimum requirements set by the lister and/or the landlord - you need to meet these in order to apply.
Caretaker is designed this way to ensure that the lister only hears about applicants who meet their requirements. Here's the guide on how to apply to a Caretaker listing for more details.
Sign a lease and pay deposit
If and when your application is accepted you should seal the deal with a lease. You can use our standard sublease or lease if you don’t want to think about it (we’ve pored over the legal terms for subleases and other types of leases, and we think our lease is pretty great). You or the lister can also upload your own.
When you add your signature you will also need to put a deposit into escrow to hold the place. All payments made on Caretaker are covered by our Listing Guarantee, which protects you against scams and frauds. Learn more about rent payments and security deposits.