# RentCafe Scraper (`parsebird/rentcafe-scraper`) Actor Extract RentCafe apartment listings: rent prices, beds/baths, square footage, amenities, photos, and contact info from any city or search results page. - **URL**: https://apify.com/parsebird/rentcafe-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [ParseBird](https://apify.com/parsebird) (community) - **Categories:** Real estate, Lead generation, Automation - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 1 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $0.80 / 1,000 listings This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. - **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use). - **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`. - **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`. - **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`. - **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ### RentCafe Scraper Scrape apartment listings from [RentCafe](https://www.rentcafe.com/) — one of the largest apartment listing networks in the US, covering thousands of managed communities across every major metro. Point RentCafe Scraper at any city or filtered search page and get structured data back: rent prices, bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, amenities, photos, and leasing contact info.
Reads RentCafe's own search-results data directly from the page, so every listing comes back with real numeric rent ranges, bed/bath counts, square footage, amenity lists, and a full photo gallery — not just the text shown on the card.
##### Copy to your AI assistant Copy this block into ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, or any LLM to start using this Actor. ``` RentCafe Scraper (parsebird/rentcafe-scraper) — Scrapes RentCafe.com apartment listings by city or search results URL. Input: {"startUrl": "https://www.rentcafe.com/apartments-for-rent/new-york-city-ny/", "results_wanted": 20, "max_pages": 1}. Key inputs: startUrl (string, a RentCafe city or filtered search page — apply filters on rentcafe.com first, then paste the URL), results_wanted (integer, default 20, max number of listings to save), max_pages (integer, default 1, safety cap on how many result pages to fetch), proxyConfiguration (object, default {"useApifyProxy": false}, Residential proxy recommended for larger runs). Output per listing: identity (property_name, property_short_name, property_id, company_name), location (address, city, state, zip_code, full_address, latitude, longitude), pricing (min_rent, max_rent, price_display, beds_display, baths_display, area_display, min_bedrooms/max_bedrooms, min_bathrooms/max_bathrooms, min_area_sqft/max_area_sqft), media (image_url, image_urls, image_count), signals (amenities, available_units_count, specials_available, is_fully_occupied, featured_property, has_online_leasing, verification_type), links (site_url, detail_url, phone). API: POST https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/parsebird~rentcafe-scraper/runs?token=YOUR_TOKEN. Get token: https://console.apify.com/account#/integrations ``` ### What does RentCafe Scraper do? **RentCafe Scraper** turns a RentCafe city or search page into structured, spreadsheet-ready apartment data. Give it a URL and it: - 🏙️ Accepts any RentCafe city page, or a search page with your own filters already applied (price, beds, pet policy, amenities — whatever RentCafe.com's own filter UI supports) - 💵 Returns real numeric rent ranges (`min_rent` / `max_rent`), not just the display text — ready to sort, filter, or average without re-parsing strings - 🛏️ Extracts bed and bath ranges and square footage as both numbers and the original display text - 📸 Collects the full photo gallery for each property, not just the thumbnail - 🏷️ Surfaces amenities, specials, featured status, online-leasing availability, and verification signals as filterable fields - 📍 Includes latitude/longitude and full address for every listing, ready to drop on a map - 📄 Paginates automatically — set `results_wanted` and `max_pages` and it keeps fetching result pages until it has enough listings or hits the safety limit - 🌐 Runs a real browser under the hood, routed through [Apify Residential Proxy](https://apify.com/proxy) by default, to get past RentCafe's Cloudflare protection - ⚡ No RentCafe account, no login, no manual copy-pasting from listing cards RentCafe Scraper reads the same structured listing data RentCafe's own search page uses to render its property cards and map pins, so prices, bed/bath counts, and amenities match exactly what's shown on rentcafe.com. ### What data can you extract from RentCafe? | Field | Description | |-------|-------------| | `property_name` / `property_short_name` | Community name and its URL slug | | `full_address` / `city` / `state` / `zip_code` | Location, split and combined | | `latitude` / `longitude` | Geographic coordinates | | `min_rent` / `max_rent` / `price_display` | Advertised rent as numbers and as shown (e.g. `"Ask for pricing"` when unlisted) | | `min_bedrooms` / `max_bedrooms` / `beds_display` | Bedroom range, numeric and as shown (e.g. `"Studio-3 Beds"`) | | `min_bathrooms` / `max_bathrooms` / `baths_display` | Bathroom range, numeric and as shown (e.g. `"1-2.5 Baths"`) | | `min_area_sqft` / `max_area_sqft` / `area_display` | Square footage range, numeric and as shown | | `amenities` | List of published amenities (Washer/Dryer, Pool, Garage, ...) | | `image_url` / `image_urls` / `image_count` | Primary photo and the full gallery | | `phone` / `company_name` | Leasing contact and management company | | `available_units_count` / `specials_available` / `featured_property` | Availability and marketing signals | That's 14 of 34 output fields. See the [output example](#output-example) below for the complete record. ### How to scrape RentCafe with RentCafe Scraper 1. Open [RentCafe Scraper](https://apify.com/parsebird/rentcafe-scraper) on Apify 2. Go to [RentCafe.com](https://www.rentcafe.com/), search a city, and apply any filters you want (price, beds, pets, amenities) 3. Copy the resulting URL from your browser's address bar and paste it into **Start URL** 4. Set **Results wanted** to how many listings you need 5. Set **Max pages** as a safety cap — the Actor stops once it reaches Results wanted or this page limit, whichever comes first 6. Leave **Proxy configuration** on Residential (the default) — RentCafe blocks most requests without it 7. Click **Start** and wait for the run to finish 8. Export your data as **JSON, CSV, or Excel** from the dataset tab, or pull it via the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2) **Basic apartment collection:** ```json { "startUrl": "https://www.rentcafe.com/apartments-for-rent/new-york-city-ny/", "results_wanted": 20 } ``` **Larger market dataset:** ```json { "startUrl": "https://www.rentcafe.com/apartments-for-rent/chicago-il/", "results_wanted": 200, "max_pages": 8 } ``` **Filtered run with Residential proxy, for a recurring collection:** ```json { "startUrl": "https://www.rentcafe.com/apartments-for-rent/austin-tx/", "results_wanted": 100, "max_pages": 6, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"] } } ``` ### Output example ```json { "property_name": "SKY", "property_short_name": "sky", "property_id": "1737527", "address": "605 West 42Nd Street", "city": "New York", "state": "NY", "zip_code": "10036", "full_address": "605 West 42Nd Street, New York, NY 10036", "phone": "(833) 391-1704", "company_name": "Columbus Property Management", "detail_url": "https://www.rentcafe.com/apartments/ny/new-york/sky/default.aspx", "latitude": 40.7615, "longitude": -73.9986, "min_bedrooms": 0, "max_bedrooms": 3, "min_bathrooms": 1, "max_bathrooms": 3, "min_rent": 4636, "max_rent": 8695, "price_display": "$4,636 - $8,695", "beds_display": "Studio-3 Beds", "baths_display": "1-3 Baths", "amenities": ["Washer/Dryer", "Patio/Balcony", "Garage", "Hardwood Floors", "Fitness Center", "Pets Allowed"], "image_url": "https://cdngeneral.rentcafe.com/dmslivecafe/2/206960/Moinian-SKY-Sky-Pool-Lounge.jpg?width=480&quality=90", "image_count": 5, "specials_available": false, "featured_property": true, "has_online_leasing": true, "source_page_url": "https://www.rentcafe.com/apartments-for-rent/new-york-city-ny/", "scraped_at": "2026-08-21T12:15:11.312167Z" } ``` (Some always-present fields trimmed from this example for brevity — the full row carries every column in the [data table](#what-data-can-you-extract-from-rentcafe) above, including `image_urls`, `min_area_sqft`/`max_area_sqft`, `available_units_count`, `is_fully_occupied`, `verification_type`, and more.) ### Use cases - **Market research** — Compare rent ranges, unit mix, and amenities across a city or between neighborhoods - **Competitive analysis** — Track competitor pricing, specials, and availability over time with scheduled runs - **Lead generation** — Build a contact list of leasing offices and management companies in a target market - **Investment analysis** — Feed rent comps and occupancy signals into an underwriting model - **Relocation and apartment-hunting tools** — Power a search or comparison feature with structured, current listing data - **Mapping and visualization** — Plot listings by `latitude`/`longitude` on a map, colored by price or amenities ### How much does it cost to scrape RentCafe? RentCafe Scraper uses [pay-per-event pricing](https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event) — you're charged per listing saved to the dataset, not for compute time. | Event | Price per event | Price per 1,000 | |-------|-----------------|------------------| | `listing-scraped` (Free plan) | $0.0009 | **$0.90** | | `listing-scraped` (Bronze/Silver/Gold plans) | $0.0008 | **$0.80** | **Cost examples (paid plans):** | Scenario | Listings | Cost | |----------|----------|------| | Quick city check (default `results_wanted`) | 20 | $0.02 | | Market comparison (Example 2 above) | 200 | $0.16 | | Large multi-city collection | 1,000 | $0.80 | The [Apify Free plan](https://apify.com/pricing) includes $5/month in platform credits — enough for roughly 5,500 listings a month at the free-tier rate, no credit card required. RentCafe Scraper runs through [Apify Residential Proxy](https://apify.com/proxy) by default to get past Cloudflare, which is billed separately from PPE against your Apify plan's proxy allowance. You can switch proxy groups or turn it off in the **Proxy configuration** input, though runs will likely fail without it. ### Integrations and API access Use RentCafe Scraper programmatically via the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2), the [JavaScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js), or the [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python). **Python:** ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient client = ApifyClient("YOUR_API_TOKEN") run = client.actor("parsebird/rentcafe-scraper").call(run_input={ "startUrl": "https://www.rentcafe.com/apartments-for-rent/chicago-il/", "results_wanted": 200, "max_pages": 8, }) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item["property_name"], item["price_display"]) ``` **JavaScript:** ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from "apify-client"; const client = new ApifyClient({ token: "YOUR_API_TOKEN" }); const run = await client.actor("parsebird/rentcafe-scraper").call({ startUrl: "https://www.rentcafe.com/apartments-for-rent/chicago-il/", results_wanted: 200, max_pages: 8, }); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => console.log(item.property_name, item.price_display)); ``` You can also connect RentCafe Scraper to [Google Sheets](https://apify.com/integrations/google-sheets), [Slack](https://apify.com/integrations/slack), [Zapier](https://apify.com/integrations/zapier), [Make](https://apify.com/integrations/make), and other platforms via [Apify integrations](https://apify.com/integrations). Schedule runs with [Apify Schedules](https://docs.apify.com/platform/schedules) to track rent changes and new listings over time. ### Is it legal to scrape RentCafe? Scraping publicly available data is generally considered legal, based on the [2022 US appeals court ruling](https://blog.apify.com/is-web-scraping-legal/) in *hiQ Labs v. LinkedIn*. This Actor only reads listing data that's already publicly visible on RentCafe.com search pages — it does not log in, bypass paywalls, or access any non-public account data. Always review [RentCafe's Terms of Service](https://www.rentcafe.com/apartments-for-rent/terms-of-use/) and comply with applicable laws in your jurisdiction. For guidance, see [Apify's guide to web scraping legality](https://blog.apify.com/is-web-scraping-legal/). ### FAQ **Why does this need a browser and proxy, when some scrapers don't?** RentCafe.com is protected by Cloudflare, which blocks plain HTTP requests with a JavaScript challenge and blocks most requests from datacenter IPs outright — including Apify's own default IPs. This Actor runs a real (headless) browser routed through Residential proxy by default to get past both. **What counts as a "page" for `max_pages`?** One RentCafe search-results page, typically 25 listings. `max_pages` is a hard safety cap — the Actor stops fetching new pages once it reaches this limit, even if `results_wanted` hasn't been met yet and more listings exist. **Can I use search filters (price, beds, pets, amenities)?** Yes. Apply any filters you want on RentCafe.com itself, then copy the resulting URL into `startUrl`. The Actor scrapes whatever results that URL produces. **Why are some fields `null`?** RentCafe doesn't publish every field for every listing — for example, `area_display` is `null` when a property doesn't list square footage, and `available_units_count` is `null` when the site only shows a generic "Available" badge instead of a unit count. `property_code` is always `null`: RentCafe's public search results don't expose a separate property code field. These are genuine gaps in the source data, not scraping errors. **Does this scrape individual property detail pages?** No. All output fields come from the search-results page itself, which already carries rent ranges, bed/bath counts, amenities, and a photo gallery per property — so results come back fast without an extra request per listing. **Can I schedule recurring runs?** Yes. Use [Apify's scheduling feature](https://docs.apify.com/platform/schedules) to re-run a saved search daily, weekly, or at any interval, and track how pricing and availability change. **Can I use this with my AI assistant or MCP server?** Yes. Copy the AI assistant block from the top of this page into ChatGPT, Claude, or Cursor, or connect it to any agent framework through the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp). **Something isn't working. How do I get help?** Open an issue in the [Issues tab](https://apify.com/parsebird/rentcafe-scraper/issues) on the Actor page. Include your input configuration and any error messages. # Actor input Schema ## `startUrl` (type: `string`): Public RentCafe city or search results page to scrape. Apply any filters you want on RentCafe.com first, then paste the resulting URL here. ## `results_wanted` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of listings to save. ## `max_pages` (type: `integer`): Safety limit on how many result pages to fetch. The Actor stops early once 'Results wanted' is reached, and stops at this limit even if more listings exist. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Leave this on Residential for the most reliable results. ## Actor input object example ```json { "startUrl": "https://www.rentcafe.com/apartments-for-rent/new-york-city-ny/", "results_wanted": 20, "max_pages": 1, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `dataset` (type: `string`): No description # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "startUrl": "https://www.rentcafe.com/apartments-for-rent/new-york-city-ny/", "results_wanted": 20, "max_pages": 1, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("parsebird/rentcafe-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "startUrl": "https://www.rentcafe.com/apartments-for-rent/new-york-city-ny/", "results_wanted": 20, "max_pages": 1, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"], }, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("parsebird/rentcafe-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}") for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "startUrl": "https://www.rentcafe.com/apartments-for-rent/new-york-city-ny/", "results_wanted": 20, "max_pages": 1, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } }' | apify call parsebird/rentcafe-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "type": "http", "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parsebird/rentcafe-scraper" } } } ``` The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer ` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations). ## OpenAPI specification Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/5YdBhvxlwItelJula/builds/irhbsN6cENeKk4rUm/openapi.json