Searching for a new apartment or condo frustrating because there are limited vacancies in Cincinnati

CINCINNATI - Some people have found trying to find an apartment to rent in Cincinnati is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Many leasing companies and realtors say this has been one of the hottest periods for apartment and condo rentals in the area in several years.

Audreen Robinson says she has had no luck finding a new place to call home.

"I'm apartment shopping and very frustrated," Robinson said.

The dust hasn't even settled at the construction site of the newest apartments in Clifton Heights at 65 West, but the president of Uptown Rental Properties says every single apartment, 129 units, have already been pre-leased.   

"We're finding that the pre-leasing for the university, around the university, but also urban apartments in general have very, very strong leasing right now. We are portfolio wide in the 3/4 rented already for next year, but a lot of our prime buildings in great locations are already 100 percent pre-leased for next year," said Dan Schimberg, President Uptown Rental Properties.

Many searching for apartments over the past several months have found no vacancies.

You can add your name to the waitlist, but that still leaves you with no place to go.

"Put you on a waiting list and about June or July we'll give you a call back or you can call us back, but by the time you're like I need a place to stay. I'm not about to wait until that time," said Daronce Daniels of Lincoln Heights.

Daniels says he was wanting to move closer to his job Downtown to save on gas.

"I've been trying to find locations in the Greater Cincinnati area, Mt. Airy, Downtown, Northern Kentucky obviously being close to the working environment and gas prices being high. It seemed like Lincoln Heights was the best one that fit me economically," Daniels said.

What's driving the trend? Some speculate many people are choosing to rent because they're unsure about the economy and don't want to commit to purchasing a home.

Others have foreclosed on their home and need to rent an apartment.

"A lot of people got a little scared after the housing downfall and so people are saving a little more money and we're not seeing the attrition out of the apartments into home ownership quite as rapidly," Schimberg explained.

Daniels is encouraging those looking to not give up.

He says it took him three months to find his new apartment.