mcrentcast/docs/claude-setup.md

Adding mcrentcast to Claude MCP

Quick Setup with claude mcp add

The easiest way to add the mcrentcast MCP server to Claude:

# 1. Navigate to the mcrentcast directory
cd /path/to/mcrentcast

# 2. Install dependencies and initialize
./install.sh

# 3. Add to Claude
claude mcp add .

Manual Configuration

If you prefer manual configuration, add this to your Claude MCP config file (usually ~/.config/claude/mcp.json or similar):

{
  "servers": {
    "mcrentcast": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": ["run", "python", "-m", "mcrentcast.server"],
      "cwd": "/home/rpm/claude/mcrentcast",
      "env": {
        "PYTHONPATH": "/home/rpm/claude/mcrentcast/src:${PYTHONPATH}",
        "RENTCAST_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here",
        "USE_MOCK_API": "false",
        "DATABASE_URL": "sqlite:////home/rpm/claude/mcrentcast/data/mcrentcast.db"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration Options

Environment Variables

You can configure the server behavior through environment variables:

Variable	Default	Description
RENTCAST_API_KEY	-	Your Rentcast API key (required for real API)
USE_MOCK_API	false	Use mock API for testing (no credits)
MOCK_API_URL	http://mock-rentcast-api:8001/v1	Mock API URL
CACHE_TTL_HOURS	24	Cache expiration time in hours
DAILY_API_LIMIT	100	Daily API request limit
MONTHLY_API_LIMIT	1000	Monthly API request limit
REQUESTS_PER_MINUTE	3	Rate limit per minute
DATABASE_URL	sqlite:///./data/mcrentcast.db	Database connection URL

Testing with Mock API

To test without consuming API credits:

{
  "servers": {
    "mcrentcast-mock": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": ["run", "python", "-m", "mcrentcast.server"],
      "cwd": "/home/rpm/claude/mcrentcast",
      "env": {
        "USE_MOCK_API": "true",
        "RENTCAST_API_KEY": "test_key_basic"
      }
    }
  }
}

Available Tools

Once added, you'll have access to these MCP tools in Claude:

• set_api_key - Configure your Rentcast API key
• search_properties - Search property records by location
• get_property - Get specific property details
• get_value_estimate - Property value estimates
• get_rent_estimate - Rental price estimates
• search_sale_listings - Properties for sale
• search_rental_listings - Rental properties
• get_market_statistics - Market analysis data
• expire_cache - Manage cache entries
• get_cache_stats - View cache performance
• get_usage_stats - Track API usage and costs
• set_api_limits - Configure rate limits
• get_api_limits - View current limits

Usage Examples

After adding the server, you can use it in Claude like this:

User: Search for properties in Austin, Texas

Claude: I'll search for properties in Austin, Texas using the Rentcast API.
[Uses search_properties tool with city="Austin", state="TX"]

User: What's the estimated value of 123 Main St, Dallas, TX?

Claude: I'll get the value estimate for that property.
[Uses get_value_estimate tool with address="123 Main St, Dallas, TX"]

Troubleshooting

Server won't start

• Ensure uv is installed: curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
• Check Python version: Requires Python 3.13+
• Verify dependencies: Run uv sync in the project directory

API key issues

• For production: Set RENTCAST_API_KEY with your actual key
• For testing: Set USE_MOCK_API=true to use test keys

Database errors

• Delete data/mcrentcast.db and restart to recreate
• Ensure write permissions in the data directory

Rate limiting

• Adjust limits in environment variables
• Use mock API for unlimited testing

Support

• Documentation: /docs directory
• Mock API guide: /docs/mock-api.md
• GitHub issues: Create an issue in the repository