In my area, Craigslist is my number one way. However, I also drive the neighborhood looking for "for rent" signs since not all rentals make it onto Craigslist. If I see a sign, I always call and ask about the property, and sometimes even take a tour so I can see how the interior compares against mine.
Call an agent & have them send you comps for what they rented out for. it will have pics of the interior as well so you can get a good idea. also, it'll list the vacancy time.
with rents going higher, i get counter offers from possible renters. i will tell them i have the comps & can send them over. this stops the negotiation process rather quickly.
you can do the same when raising the rents on your current tenants as well.
I'm new here, and have lots of questions. :-)
Have you found those rental zestimates to be accurate? I wondered because when I look at the supposed market sale price for the same property, the selling price seems to be wildly out of whack with the actual asking price (the asking price is much, much lower). I wonder what algorthm they are using?
Also, I haven't seen much advice out there on how to figure out rents when the area you are buying in is largely owner-occupied (which is the areas that I often see recommended for where to buy). Any ideas?