RentCafe Property Scraper: Extract Rental Listings with Complete Property Data

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What Is RentCafe?

RentCafe is a major online rental property marketplace connecting landlords and property managers with millions of apartment hunters. It features rental listings across the United States with detailed property information, photos, pricing, and leasing options. Manually searching and collecting rental data is tedious and error-prone — the RentCafe Property Scraper automates extraction of complete property records, enabling scale and consistency.

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Overview

The RentCafe Property Scraper extracts comprehensive rental property listings from RentCafe search result pages and detail views. It captures 74+ structured fields per property, including pricing, amenities, photos, ratings, and leasing availability. Ideal for:

• Real estate investors building property databases and market analysis
• Market researchers studying rental trends and pricing patterns
• Property aggregators powering rental platforms and comparison sites
• Data analysts benchmarking rental markets by region and property type

Key strengths include flexible URL input supporting geographic filters, configurable item limits, and fault tolerance through ignore_url_failures.

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Input Format

The scraper accepts a JSON configuration with three main parameters:

{
    "urls": [
        "https://www.rentcafe.com/apartments-for-rent/new-york-city-ny/?geopicker_type=viewport&viewport=-74.96707724023436,39.89833919021087,-73.02249716210936,41.46864414228076&zoom=9"
    ],
    "max_items_per_url": 200,
    "ignore_url_failures": true
}

Parameter	Type	Description
urls	Array of strings	Direct links to RentCafe property search pages. URLs may include geographic filters, search queries, and viewport parameters for targeted scraping.
max_items_per_url	Integer	Maximum number of property listings to extract per URL (e.g., 200). Useful for controlling data volume and API costs.
ignore_url_failures	Boolean	If true, the scraper continues if individual URLs fail; if false, the entire run stops on the first error. Recommended: true for bulk operations.

Tips:

• Use RentCafe's built-in search filters (city, price range, amenities) to construct targeted URLs
• Geographic viewport parameters enable regional market analysis
• Higher max_items_per_url values capture more listings but increase runtime

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Output Format

Sample output

{
  "property_id": "653582",
  "name": "Watermark LIC",
  "is_rent_cafe_listing": true,
  "details_url": "https://www.rentcafe.com/apartments/ny/long-island-city/watermark-lic/default.aspx",
  "phone": "6465861201",
  "address": {
    "address": "27-19 44Th Drive",
    "city": "Long Island City",
    "state": "NY",
    "zip_code": "11101",
    "pretty_address": "27-19 44Th Drive, Long Island City, NY 11101"
  },
  "address_formatted": "27-19 44Th Drive, Long Island City, NY 11101",
  "current_image": {
    "url": "https://cdngeneral.rentcafe.com/dmslivecafe/2/102601/ILS_24(2).jpg?width=480&quality=90",
    "alt_text": "a living room with a blue couch and a glass coffee table",
    "is_default_image": false,
    "is_no_image": false
  },
  "fallback_alt_text": "27-19 44Th Drive Studio-2 Beds Apartment for Rent",
  "is_company_img": false,
  "show_price": true,
  "price_value": "$3,995",
  "beds": "Studio-2 Beds",
  "floorplan_bed_price": [
    {
      "beds": "Studio",
      "rent": "Ask for pricing",
      "rent_css_class": "data-rent-ask",
      "display_price": false
    },
    {
      "beds": "1 bd",
      "rent": "$3,995+",
      "rent_css_class": "",
      "display_price": true
    },
    {
      "beds": "2 bd",
      "rent": "Ask for pricing",
      "rent_css_class": "data-rent-ask",
      "display_price": false
    }
  ],
  "has_price": true,
  "baths": "1-2 Baths",
  "area": "421 - 1,121 Sqft",
  "latitude": 40.7466,
  "longitude": -73.9421,
  "has_action_button": true,
  "company_display_name": "Greystar",
  "company_logo": {
    "title": "",
    "url": "https://cdngeneral.rentcafe.com/dmslivecafe/2/102601/Greystarcorplogobluegrey.png?crop=(0,0,200,44)&cropxunits=200&cropyunits=44&width=75&quality=90",
    "alt_text": " Company",
    "is_default_image": false,
    "is_no_image": false
  },
  "is_matrix_listing": false,
  "is_favorite_listing": false,
  "property_short_name": "watermark-lic",
  "specials_available": false,
  "featured_type": 0,
  "is_premium_featured": false,
  "photo_gallery": [
    {
      "url": "https://cdngeneral.rentcafe.com/dmslivecafe/2/102601/ILS_24(2).jpg?width=480&quality=90",
      "alt_text": "a living room with a blue couch and a glass coffee table",
      "is_default_image": false,
      "is_no_image": false
    },
    {
      "title": "",
      "url": "https://cdngeneral.rentcafe.com/dmslivecafe/2/102601/ILS_9(1).jpg?crop=(0,0,300,200)&cropxunits=300&cropyunits=200&width=480&quality=90",
      "alt_text": "a kitchen and dining room with a table and chairs",
      "is_default_image": false,
      "is_no_image": false
    }
  ],
  "photo_gallery_images_count": 30,
  "amenities": [
    {
      "value": "c1",
      "name": "Air Conditioner",
      "is_selected": false,
      "css_class_name": "air-conditioner"
    },
    {
      "value": "c10",
      "name": "Washer/Dryer",
      "is_selected": false,
      "css_class_name": "washer-dryer"
    },
    {
      "value": "c2",
      "name": "Dishwasher",
      "is_selected": false,
      "css_class_name": "dishwasher"
    },
    {
      "value": "c18",
      "name": "Garage",
      "is_selected": false,
      "css_class_name": "garage"
    },
    {
      "value": "c8",
      "name": "Large Closets",
      "is_selected": false,
      "css_class_name": "large-closets"
    },
    {
      "value": "c7",
      "name": "Hardwood Floors",
      "is_selected": false,
      "css_class_name": "hardwood-floors"
    }
  ],
  "listing_card_amenities": [
    "Apply online",
    "Pet friendly",
    "Parking"
  ],
  "has_availability_label": true,
  "has_phone_number": false,
  "is_campaign": 0,
  "use_lazy_load_for_image": false,
  "is_contact_us_disabled": false,
  "last_updated_date": "Today",
  "star_rating": 4,
  "units_available": "1 Unit available",
  "reviews_count": 13,
  "show_reviews": true,
  "verified_listing_text": "RentCafe.com has verified that this listing comes from a reputable and reliable source. Your safety and trust are our top priorities.",
  "description": {
    "value": ""
  },
  "has_video": false,
  "is_clone": false,
  "cafe_type": 0,
  "index": 25,
  "number_of_rentals": 0,
  "is_contacted": false,
  "is_not_a_fit": false,
  "lead_context": "SearchPage",
  "is_live_content": false,
  "ils_enable_schedule_tour": null,
  "enable_sgt_schedule_tour": null,
  "ils_show_tour_form": null,
  "is_partially_affordable": true,
  "is_fully_affordable": false,
  "is_contacted_and_units_are_available": false,
  "online_leasing_url": "https://www.rentcafe.com/onlineleasing/apartmentsforrent/oleapplication.aspx?propleadsource_653582=rentcafe&stepname=Apartments&myOlePropertyId=653582",
  "has_online_leasing": true,
  "is_non_yardi_listing": false,
  "non_voy_import_code": 100,
  "is_rewards_partner": false,
  "new_units_label": "",
  "new_listing_label": "",
  "no_of_units_label": "Only 1 unit left",
  "has_3d_tour": null,
  "has_cost_calculator": true,
  "cost_label": {
    "text": "Total monthly cost",
    "tooltip": "Total monthly cost is the base rent including recurring monthly fees and costs as provided by the property. It does not include application fees, variable costs, and optional charges such as application fees, utility costs, pet charges, etc."
  },
  "monthly_rent_display_type": 2,
  "from_url": "https://www.rentcafe.com/apartments-for-rent/new-york-city-ny/"
}

Each property record includes 74+ fields across identification, pricing, amenities, leasing, and engagement metrics:

Property Identification & Basics

Field	Meaning
Property ID	Unique RentCafe identifier for the property
Name	Official property name as displayed
Property Short Name	Abbreviated or alternate name
Address	Full street address
Address Formatted	Standardized, machine-readable address format
Details URL	Direct link to the full property detail page
Latitude / Longitude	Geographic coordinates for mapping and location analysis
Index	Internal order index within the scrape result set

Pricing & Availability

Field	Meaning
Price Value	Current rental price in dollars (numeric)
Show Price	Boolean flag indicating whether price is publicly displayed
Has Price	Whether pricing data is available for this property
Beds	Number of bedrooms in the primary unit
Floorplan Bed Price	Price breakdown by bedroom count (if available)
Baths	Number of bathrooms
Area	Square footage or rentable area
Units Available	Count of available units for rent
Has Availability Label	Whether availability status is shown
Is Partially Affordable	Flag for mixed-affordability units
Is Fully Affordable	Flag for affordable housing designation
New Units Label	Text indicating newly added units
New Listing Label	Text indicating a new listing
No Of Units Label	Descriptive label for total unit count

Visuals & Media

Field	Meaning
Current Image	URL of the primary listing photo
Fallback Alt Text	Alternative text for image accessibility
Is Company Image	Boolean indicating if image is property-managed
Photo Gallery	Array of photo URLs from the property gallery
Photo Gallery Images Count	Total number of photos available
Has Video	Whether the listing includes a video tour
Has 3D Tour	Whether a 3D virtual tour is available
Company Logo	URL of the property manager/landlord logo

Company & Ownership

Field	Meaning
Company Display Name	Name of property management company or landlord
Is Rent Cafe Listing	Boolean: managed directly through RentCafe
Is Matrix Listing	Boolean: property data from MLS/Matrix feed
Is Non Yardi Listing	Boolean: not managed through Yardi property software
Non Voy Import Code	Alternative property management system identifier

Amenities & Features

Field	Meaning
Amenities	Full list of property amenities (JSON array or string)
Listing Card Amenities	Curated amenities shown on search cards
Specials Available	Current promotional offers or move-in specials
Cost Label	Label describing rental cost display
Monthly Rent Display Type	Format of monthly rent presentation (e.g., "from $X")
Has Cost Calculator	Whether an affordability calculator is available

Leasing & Application

Field	Meaning
Has Action Button	Boolean: visible call-to-action button present
Phone	Contact phone number for inquiries
Has Phone Number	Whether phone contact is available
Is Contact Us Disabled	Boolean: contact form disabled or restricted
Online Leasing URL	URL for online lease application/execution
Has Online Leasing	Whether online leasing is supported
ILS Enable Schedule Tour	Integrated Leasing System: tour scheduling enabled
Enable SGT Schedule Tour	Smart Guided Tour: scheduling enabled
ILS Show Tour Form	Whether tour booking form displays
Is Campaign	Boolean: property part of a marketing campaign

Ratings & User Engagement

Field	Meaning
Star Rating	Average resident rating (1-5 scale)
Reviews Count	Total number of resident reviews
Show Reviews	Whether reviews are publicly visible
Verified Listing Text	Verification badge or text (if applicable)
Is Favorite Listing	Boolean: marked as favorite by current user
Is Contacted	Boolean: user has contacted this property
Is Not A Fit	Boolean: user marked as "not a fit"
Is Contacted And Units Are Available	Combined engagement and availability flag

Premium Features & Listings

Field	Meaning
Featured Type	Premium feature level (e.g., "premium featured", "standard")
Is Premium Featured	Boolean: paid premium placement
Is Favorite Listing	Favorited by the end user
Is Live Content	Content is current and live
Is Rewards Partner	Property offers rewards/loyalty program
Cafe Type	RentCafe listing category or source type

Data Quality & Metadata

Field	Meaning
Last Updated Date	Timestamp of last data refresh
Description	Full property description and selling points
Lead Context	Metadata about the lead source or context
Number Of Rentals	Historical count of rental transactions
Is Clone	Boolean: property is a duplicate/clone record

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How to Use

1. Construct URLs — Visit RentCafe and build search queries using filters (city, price, amenities, pet-friendly, etc.). Copy the full URL including any geographic or filter parameters.

2. Prepare input — Paste URLs into the urls array. Set max_items_per_url based on your data needs (100-200 is typical; higher values increase runtime).

3. Enable fault tolerance — Set ignore_url_failures: true for production runs to avoid interruptions if a single URL fails.

4. Execute scraper — Start the actor and monitor the run log for progress.

5. Export results — Download data as JSON, CSV, or Excel. Import into spreadsheets, databases, or BI tools for analysis.

Best practices:

• Use geographic viewport parameters to limit results to specific regions
• Combine max_items_per_url with pagination parameters for large markets
• Validate addresses and coordinates before downstream use
• Monitor Last Updated Date to track data freshness

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Use Cases & Applications

• Market analysis: Track rental price trends, vacancy rates, and competitive positioning by city or neighborhood
• Investment research: Analyze property types, amenities, and pricing to inform real estate investment decisions
• Platform aggregation: Feed live RentCafe listings into your rental comparison or aggregator site
• Affordable housing tracking: Filter and monitor properties marked as Is Fully Affordable or Is Partially Affordable
• Competitive intelligence: Monitor competitor properties, pricing strategies, and promotional offers

The RentCafe Property Scraper transforms labor-intensive manual research into efficient, scalable data collection. With 74+ structured fields per listing, you gain comprehensive property insights ready for analysis, modeling, or real-time integration.

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Conclusion

The RentCafe Property Scraper is an essential tool for real estate professionals, investors, and data-driven teams. Whether you're analyzing market trends, building a rental aggregator, or conducting investment research, this scraper delivers complete property data at scale. Start scraping today and unlock actionable rental market intelligence.