Shopping for St. John Apartments: How to Find a Place to Live in the USVI

While St. John is a popular tourist destination, it's also the full-time home of a few thousand people. You, too, could buy a home or rent an apartment here, but it's important to know that you'll find limited options to choose from: It's a small island to begin with, and much of the land area is taken up by Virgin Islands National Park, leaving little space to build new housing. Since tourism is the main industry of St. John, there are many more hotels and villa rentals than there are apartments meant for full-time living. But despite these hurdles, it's not impossible to find St. John apartments available for rent. You'll just need to do some digging.

If you're looking for an apartment, plan on staying at a short-term rental property while you do your search. You'll need some time on the ground here to be able to find a place to call your own. It's possible to search for apartments online, but you'll generally have better luck by looking in the local newspaper or on bulletin boards at local shops. Once you find somewhere that looks promising, call or text the number in the listing to make an appointment to see the property. While you're checking out an apartment, take the time to learn as much as you can about the area, including parking and nearby amenities. Find out what costs are included in the lease, and ask how long the lease would be for; many landlords will require a six-month or one-year lease, but some don't mind renting month to month.

Even if you do everything right and start visiting apartments the second you reach the island, it may take you some time to find the right place, so don't get discouraged. This is especially true if you're visiting during the busy season (mid-November through mid-May), when there's a huge influx of seasonal workers who need a place to live. It can also be hard to find a place to live on St. John if you're bringing a pet with you, as many landlords don't allow pets in their rental properties. But if you're patient and persistent, you should be able to find somewhere to make your home full-time.