As the year rolls by, that delightful time of the year has come around again (at least for those in student towns)… it’s time to go apartment hunting!
I’m moving out of the two bedroom place I’ve been living in for two years now, and I’m hoping to find a studio or one bedroom place to live in on my own. I just can’t take any more roommate shenanigans (my current roommate moved her boyfriend in halfway through the year, and the place is definitely not big enough for the three of us.)
Is anyone else joining me in the apartment hunting trenches? I thought this could be a place to share experiences and advice.
My questions:
Does anyone have any ideas for finding places? I’m relying mostly on Craigslist and occasionally on calling numbers on signs I see when walking through the neighborhood I want to live in (luckily, I’m often there since all my friends live there!)
Have people had luck with finding places? Yesterday, I saw an amazing one bedroom, with an office and a huge backyard, at a VERY reasonable price point and in the heart of my favorite neighborhood. I promptly put in my application and now I’m on tenterhooks waiting to hear back. Is there anything I can do to help my case now? I’m a graduate student without much of an established credit record (although certainly nothing negative) and so I considered calling the landlady and just re-affirming how interested I am in the place, and even mentioning that my parents would be glad to co-sign for the place, if it made her more comfortable–kind of like a follow-up/thank you call after an interview. Would that be weird?
I’m not apartment-hunting right now but I’ve done it many times before. I don’t think it would be weird to call the landlady for a followup. Definitely mention that you can have a cosigner if necessary. I’ve done that before, and I think it made them feel more comfortable with me, even though no one except my very first apartment actually ended up requiring it.
If you don’t get this place or decide against it for some reason, if you wouldn’t mind living in a medium to large complex, just call the places you might be interested in even if they’re not advertising. They don’t always advertise, but a large enough place always has vacancies coming up. Also, check out reviews on apartment review websites.
If you are looking at buildings, it’s fairly straightforward. I found my last place just strolling around calling buildings as I passed. General if you pass the credit check and get your deposit in, you’ll get the place. Dress professionally when you look.
Looking on Craig’s list can be more involved, as they are often looking at personality as well. I try to cast a wide net, going to every showing I can, hitting 2-3 a day until someone bites.
I’ve never had any luck with apartment finding websites, including Craigslist. Craigslist in particular sucks up way too much of my time weeding out scams and liars - time I can spend walking around the neighborhoods I like, talking to people and finding signs.
This is probably a no-brainer, but one tip I do have is to use your cell phone’s camera - take a picture of the sign with the phone/details, and pictures of the place, and save them together on your phone in a folder named with the address. It’s amazing how easily I forget which place was which, and having pictures helps me keep them straight when I’m prioritizing and making follow up calls or visits.
Start with a list of Dreams (2 bedrooms, a pool, a heated garage, 1/2 mile from the train, etc.) Then make a list of Dealbreakers (no storage unit, no on-site laundry, train tracks 9 feet from the building, etc.) You may chose to give up something on your Dream list later, but don’t budge on the Dealbreakers. You’ll end up resenting it in the end.
Try very hard to meet your neighbors before you sign a lease. That often means dropping by in the early evening. I knock or ring the bell and tell them I’m thinking of renting here and do they have any advice/warnings/raves. This gets me information about the landlord from someone who’s had to deal with them, but it also gets me information about the neighbors. Are they friendly and open? Too friendly? (I’m not looking for a new best friend.) Reek of booze at 5:30 on a Tuesday? Is there shouting inside when they hear an unexpected knock on the door? Frantic hiding of Stuff? Are there dozens of shrieking children? (If you don’t have kids, that might be on your list of Dealbreakers. Since I have a kid, I’d love to find neighbors with like-aged kids and a tolerance for a little foot stomping in the mornings.)
Stopping by after 6 also lets you know what the parking is really like (if it’s a street parking neighborhood.) Places that have ample easy parking at 2 in the afternoon often get obscenely packed when everyone’s home from work in the evening.
Consider the immediate environment as it affects quality of life in the unit you will possibly be renting. If the apartment faces the street will there be street lights shining into your room at night, or the exterior lights of the excessively illuminated building opposite? With regard to street-facing units generally it’s usually best to avoid being near schools, although that may be hard to manage in urban areas. At the same time, try to avoid a unit that faces a through street, particularly if there’s a signal allowing easy left turns to get to something nearby like a freeway on-ramp–you will have the noise of through traffic at all times, and especially at peak commuting times.
If the building is near commercial establishments, consider the noise that will emanate from them in the ordinary course of business. A dry cleaner that picks up and delivers? Back-up beepers! A McDonalds? Get ready to hear the big-rig reefer unit for forty five minutes when they get their buns delivered…