ApartmentRatings.com is an online user generated database of information about apartment buildings in the United States.

History

ApartmentRatings was founded in 2000 by Jeremy and Katie Bencken in Austin. The site was developed to provide transparency into the quality of apartment life, and claims to be an unbiased resource because it does not accept advertising from apartment building managers, owners, or corporations.^[1] It does, however, charge a fee to any apartment that wishes to respond to the reviews written about it.^[2]

ApartmentRatings was acquired by Internet Brands in 2007.^[3]

Functionality

ApartmentRatings maintains a database of tenant-generated reviews of apartment buildings. According to the site s homepage, the site currently contains more than 750,000 reviews of apartments and apartment complexes. In addition to reviews, the site features a database of building features, user ratings, and a database of tenant-reported average rental prices called "What the Neighbors Pay."^[4][5]

The site also has a Google Maps-based registered sex offender database^[6], and a question-and-answer feature that allows apartment hunters to ask questions about particular apartment buildings they are interested in, and have their questions answered by apartment renters currently living in the building in question.^[7]

References