Located 25 miles from Manhattan, Plainfield's rental houses showcase the city's historic architecture in this established New Jersey community. Known as the "Queen City," Plainfield attracts residents with its spacious homes and convenient access to New York City via two NJ Transit stations on the Raritan Valley Line.

The city's distinguished Van Wyck Brooks Historic District showcases some of the most desirable rental houses, featuring tree-lined streets and well-preserved Victorian and Colonial-era homes. The Sleepy Hollow section attracts renters with its winding roads and stately properties, while the Netherwood Heights area near the Netherwood Train Station offers a mix of vintage and updated rental houses within walking distance to transportation. The NJ Transit service provides direct trains to Manhattan's Penn Station, with additional accessibility to major highways connecting to regional employment centers in Newark, Edison, and New Brunswick.

Plainfield's rental market includes an array of single-family homes, from classic American Foursquares to Tudor Revival styles, with monthly rents typically ranging from $2,000 to $4,000 depending on size and location. The city's six historic districts provide protected streetscapes that maintain property values and neighborhood character. The 87-acre Cedar Brook Park, featuring formal gardens, walking paths, and the renowned Shakespeare Garden, enhances the community along with the historic downtown district's independent shops and the retail conveniences along Route 22.