Tips/Advice in searching for apartment

Hi everyone,

My partner and I are moving to Gent next month, but finding an apartment has been much harder than we expected. Compared to Leuven, where rents are expensive, Gent feels incredibly competitive.

A lot of the listings we find either don't offer viewing appointments (fully booked) or the appointment dates are fixed. Because of that, I've had to travel from Leuven multiple times just to attend viewings, which ends up costing around €32 each trip only to be rejected later.

Another issue is that I recently left my job, also my partner got a great opportunity in Gent and I wanted to focus on finding work there. Unfortunately, that seems to make our application less attractive compared to other candidates.

At this point, it feels like renting directly from a private owner might give us a better chance, but it's been difficult to find decent listings. Does anyone have recommendations for websites or places to look besides Immoweb, Zimmo, and Facebook groups? Also, what are the localities outskirt of Gent would you recommend me to look?

For reference, we're looking for a 1-bedroom apartment (or two), preferably with a good EPC/energy rating (B or better), and a budget of around €1,200/month.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!