Apartment hunting in STL
Best websites to find an apartment in St. Louis (2026)
Which sites actually work for St. Louis rentals, what each is good at, and where the scams are — from a local landlord who lists on several of them.
The short answer
- Big apartment communities: Apartments.com and Apartment List.
- Houses, duplexes and private landlords: Zillow first, then walk the neighborhoods you like.
- Affordable or accessible units: STLhousingsearch.com (free, St. Louis-only).
- Craigslist and Facebook: real deals exist, but two out of three rental scams reported to the FTC started there — never pay before you’ve seen the place.
How the main sites compare in St. Louis
Details as of September 24, 2026. Fees and policies change; check each site. Scam figures: FTC Consumer Sentinel reports that named a platform, July 2024 – June 2025.
| Site | Best for | Can small landlords list? | Cost to renters | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zillow (also Trulia and HotPads — same company) | The biggest mix: houses, duplexes and private owners as well as complexes | Yes — basic listings are free for landlords | Free to search; Zillow’s own application is $35, reusable for 30 days | Scammers copy real listings. Check who owns the property before paying anything |
| Apartments.com (its network includes ApartmentFinder, ForRent and Homes.com) | Large apartment communities, with floor plans and amenity filters | Owners of 1–4 units list free; bigger buildings pay | Free to search; screening fee around $32 when you apply through the site | Paid listings are shown first, so small owners sit lower in results |
| Redfin (shares rentals with Rent.com and ApartmentGuide) | Houses and small buildings alongside complexes | Yes — free for small landlords | Free to search | Large-complex coverage now leans on a Zillow partnership |
| Apartment List | A matching quiz that suggests professionally managed communities | No — small landlords can’t post directly | Free | Mostly larger complexes |
| Zumper (also PadMapper) | A clean map search with a mix of owners and managers | Yes — a few free listings, with ID verification for landlords | Free to search | Confirm a listing is current before you tour |
| Craigslist St. Louis | Private owners and small buildings, often not listed anywhere else | Yes — free to post in St. Louis | Free | High scam risk: 16% of rental-scam reports to the FTC started here (FTC, 2024–25) |
| Facebook Marketplace and neighborhood groups | Private owners, sublets and word-of-mouth openings | Yes — personal accounts only | Free | Highest scam risk: 51% of rental-scam reports to the FTC started with a Facebook ad (FTC, 2024–25) |
| STLhousingsearch.com | St. Louis-only listings from market-rate to affordable, plus accessible units | Yes — free for landlords | Free; toll-free help line 1-877-428-8844 | Smaller, and some listings are income-restricted |
| Apartment locators | Someone else doing the searching and touring for large complexes | Rarely — locators are usually paid by apartment communities | Usually free to renters | You’ll mostly see the complexes that pay them |
| Walking the neighborhood | Small buildings in Shaw, Tower Grove, Benton Park, Soulard and the CWE with just a sign in the window | — | Free | Takes time; best on a weekend morning, a few weeks before you need to move |
Zillow vs. Apartments.com for St. Louis
If you’re after a unit in a larger, professionally managed building — the Central West End high-rises, Downtown lofts, newer complexes in Clayton or West County — Apartments.com usually has the fullest detail: floor plans, fees and amenity filters. Its results put paid listings first.
If you want a house, one side of a two-family flat, or a unit from a private owner — common in Shaw, Tower Grove South, Benton Park, Soulard, Dogtown and University City — Zillow tends to have more, because basic listings are free for landlords. Zillow also shows Trulia’s and HotPads’ rentals, so you don’t need to search those separately.
Either way, many small St. Louis owners never list online at all. Walking the blocks you like is still one of the best ways to find a good place here.
What rent to expect
The average St. Louis apartment rent was about $1,448 a month in August 2026 — roughly 18% below the U.S. average of $1,773 (RentCafe / Yardi Matrix, large buildings). A one-bedroom averaged about $1,358 and a two-bedroom about $1,626. Older buildings from small owners often give you more space for the money. Our moving guide has the full chart.
Six checks before you pay anything
- Search the address online. The same home at a different price or with a different contact — or listed for sale — is a red flag (FTC).
- See the home in person (or on a live video call with someone you can verify).
- Check the owner’s name against the City Assessor or St. Louis County records.
- Get a written lease before paying a deposit — in Missouri a deposit can’t exceed two months’ rent.
- Never pay by wire transfer, gift card, cryptocurrency or a payment app to someone you haven’t met.
- Be suspicious of rent far below similar homes, or an “owner” who is out of town and can’t show it.
Questions renters ask
What is the best website to find an apartment in St. Louis?
There isn’t one best site — it depends on what you want. For large apartment communities, Apartments.com and Apartment List are the most complete. For houses, duplexes and private owners, start with Zillow, then add Craigslist and Facebook with extra caution. For affordable or accessible units, use STLhousingsearch.com. Many of the best small-building apartments in St. Louis are only advertised with a sign in the window.
Is Zillow or Apartments.com better in St. Louis?
They’re good at different things. Apartments.com is strongest for large, professionally managed buildings and shows paid listings first. Zillow — which also runs Trulia and HotPads — has more houses and private landlords because basic listings are free for owners. Most renters here check both.
How do I find apartments in St. Louis that aren’t on Zillow?
Walk or drive the blocks you like and call the numbers on window signs, check neighborhood Facebook and Nextdoor groups, look at Craigslist (carefully), and search local sites such as STLhousingsearch.com and lease314.com.
Where can I find affordable housing in St. Louis?
STLhousingsearch.com lists affordable and income-restricted rentals for free and has a help line (1-877-428-8844). The St. Louis Housing Authority runs public housing and the Housing Choice Voucher program.
How do I avoid rental scams in St. Louis?
Never pay a deposit or fee before you’ve seen the home in person and signed a lease; never pay by wire, gift card or crypto; be wary if the rent is far below similar homes or the “owner” can’t meet you. You can check who owns a property through the City of St. Louis Assessor or the St. Louis County real-estate search. The FTC’s guide has more.
About lease314.com
lease314.com is run by EJ Properties LLC, a St. Louis landlord, so we’re not neutral: it lists our own homes (right now 3808 Flad Ave — Upper Unit ($1,300/mo) and 5630 Pershing Ave — Unit 10 ($2,000/mo)), and a free listing service for other local landlords is coming soon. We’ve tried to be fair to every site above. lease314.com is not affiliated with Zillow, Apartments.com, Redfin, Apartment List, Zumper, Craigslist, Facebook or STLhousingsearch.com; their names are used only to compare them.