Apartment Hunting

[ruru107]

In everyone's experience, when is the best time to start apartment hunting for the upcoming school year?

 

When I hunted for my apartment for the current school year, I wasn't able to look at apartments until May, and my options were pretty slim at that point. This year I want to start looking earlier so I have more options. I checked my favorite source today (padmapper.com) and there was virtually nothing showing (at least not in my price range). Is February too early to look? 

[Tall Chai Latte]

It varies. For where I go to school, the apartment hunting scene is fierce given that there are only so many places you can live. The campus does not have any dedicated parking for students, so all of us live within the coverage of public transportation. The wait for an availability could be up to a year, so many of us don't move once settled in somewhere, unless the rent gets too much to handle or there's unpleasant roommate experience. 

 

I suggest you talk to your fellow students, especially the upper classmen. Maybe you can also try rent.com? This is how I found my current place, and I got a 150 dollar (or 100, can't remember now) gift card after I moved in. 

[rising_star]

It really does depend on where you are. If you're moving to a new place, talk to current grad students and maybe some realtors or management companies about the timing of the hunt. Where I live, there are basically two kinds of ads posted right now: those for move in either immediately or March 1 and those that are pre-leasing for August. The latter are generally targeted to undergraduates and are often in these massive houses (6bd/6.5ba; 5bd, 5/ba) or are way overpriced. Today while I was running, I saw a sign for two places for rent pre-leasing for August. The first was 3bd/2ba for $1700 and the second was 2bd/2ba for $1100. Those are ridiculously expensive considering that I live a few blocks a way and my 3bd/1ba rents for $850. So preleasing may not always be the way to go. Also, fwiw, my management company doesn't even ask if we're planning to renew until 60 days before the lease ends.

[michigan girl]

As everyone has stated, it varies by region. I would start looking for housing in May and June. I found my current apartment in May, and was able to snag a great deal (low rent, unit of my choice, etc.). If you wait until July, you will have fewer options.

[Tuck]

Where I live, neighborhood email lists are a great way to find places for rent - especially those managed by an owner rather than a property management company. You could give that a try too.

[Usmivka]

Caveat, everything I say is based on Boston and assumign a similarly terrifying rental market.

 

I agree that you should avoid preleasing for August or September. These places are often the most expensive and int he worst shape because they are geared towards undergrads. If at all possible, sign a lease in Winter or Spring. Selection may be a little lower, but prices will be much lower, and the landlords renting at this are looking for better, long term tenants. As such, they tend to be a bit more invested in you and responsive ot concerns. Also, padmapper seems to show things days after craigslist, which in my market means it is already gone by the time you see it. My first year out here I got sucked into the September housing crush, and places would be rented before I could arrive on site, even if I scheduled an appointment with the landlord within an hour of the posting--this happened several times in a row!

Edited February 20, 2013 by Usmivka

[ZeChocMoose]

I have lived in multiple different places in the US and it depends on whether you are living in a city or a college town.  Cities have a continuous leasing process and generally people start looking 2-3 months before they move.  You usually have multiple areas that you can live in so the supply seems much more plentiful.  

 

College towns (I have discovered) are a whole other animal.  At least where I am at, you can start leasing 10 months in advance for the start of the next academic year.  I personally think that is crazy and causes a lot of stress to figure out if you are staying/leaving only after you have lived there for 2 months, but the big leasing companies do tend to get away with it.  There is also more fierce competition for units that are within walking distance to the university and are nice.  So I suppose it depends on what are the renting norms for your area and whether the type of apartment that you are looking for is in high demand.  

[process chemist]

It depends on the school. Where I go, the town is definitely a small college town, but there is not much in the way of apartments. Since I lived in the area, I went to look at apartments the Thursday before visitation day. I looked around and all of the complexes were 50% full for the upcoming school year. What I suggest you do is go to visitation weekend and talk to the current grad students. Our grad students were hella helpful. They provided a list of apartments, and an itemized budget based on the standard student stipend. This is helpful because you need a sense of the average utility/water, cable/internet, payments in the area you are going to school. If you can start some research in the summer, you can find a place then. Or you could just get a Realtor, and have them look for some places for you. They will know the places that have specific grad housing and grad sections in certain complexes. 

[ruru107]

Yeah, I live in a college town, so almost all leases start August 1st (although my current lease is a July 1st oddball).  When I looked for my apartment in May, many of the people showing apartments to me said I was pushing my luck to have waited so long. I figured starting 3 months earlier would have helped, but now I'm seeing even less available than I saw in May last year, which just perplexes me.

 

Usmivka- I didn't know padmapper was delayed! That's good to know. I'll probably just stick to craigslist from now on.

[Deadmeat]

I've been looking for apartments for about ~3 weeks in State College, PA. It's already a nightmare process of finding a place. Many places are tied up for the new year, plus I suppose I have semi-strict requirements of not wanting to live in a building overrun with undergrads and I want a single. I've never lived away from home on my own, so the whole process is just blowing my mind. It doesn't help that almost everyplace seems like it's overpriced and pretty rundown.

 

Anyone else finding similar situations? I suppose it is mostly due to being a college town in the middle of nowhere. I'm excited for the school but the housing options are bumming me out big time.

[ZeChocMoose]

 Anyone else finding similar situations? I suppose it is mostly due to being a college town in the middle of nowhere. I'm excited for the school but the housing options are bumming me out big time.

I can sympathize. I had a miserable time trying to find a one bedroom in a college town when I was a new student. I ending up taking the best of the worst but unfortunately it didn't work out too well. I had a terrible management company and my neighbors were very loud and inconsiderate. It made for a rough transition.

Have you asked current students where they live? I wish I did a better job with soliciting advice when I was an incoming student. Thankfully, I love my current apartment mostly because I asked people for recommendations and I got on the waitlist early and secured one of the better units.

I definitely feel your pain though. Apartment hunting is tricky in the best of circumstances. Apartment hunting in college towns seems to be a whole other level of awfulness though.

[rising_star]

Craig's List, at least where I am, doesn't capture the entire rental market. There are lots of small owners here with just a few properties that only advertise by putting up a sign and are able to rent that way.

[Tuck]

Getting a realtor is a good idea. There are usually some that specialize in this kind of thing and they have some great inside info sometimes. It's also free to you - the owner pays the realtor for making the match. Unlike when you are selling a house, you can work with as many realtors as you want.

[Deadmeat]

I can sympathize. I had a miserable time trying to find a one bedroom in a college town when I was a new student. I ending up taking the best of the worst but unfortunately it didn't work out too well. I had a terrible management company and my neighbors were very loud and inconsiderate. It made for a rough transition.

Have you asked current students where they live? I wish I did a better job with soliciting advice when I was an incoming student. Thankfully, I love my current apartment mostly because I asked people for recommendations and I got on the waitlist early and secured one of the better units.

I definitely feel your pain though. Apartment hunting is tricky in the best of circumstances. Apartment hunting in college towns seems to be a whole other level of awfulness though.

 

I literally spent two days going over every place... craigslist, padmapper, reddit, etc. Pretty much every retailer company in the area has bad to just downright awful ratings on apartmentratings and google reviews. Not to mention most of the apartments look like dumps. I have found 1, yes ONE apartment that might work for me, but unfortunately it would push my monthly stipend budget to the breaking point. The only newer places are all townhouses which are infested with undergrads and they also require roommates which is something as a very OCD introvert I would like to avoid and keep my privacy. I frankly don't get along with most younger students being an older student there tends to be a maturity gap.

 

I guess the middle of nowhere and the partying undergrad population make for such a sellers market they could care less what they offer. Unlike some people I want a nice quiet place to relax after a long day, free of noise, distractions, and hopefully it is clean.

 

I was actually all set to turn in my paperwork to accept my offer, but the housing situation is so bad I have held off. Now I'm actually getting the growing fear I'll need to attend someplace else I don't want to go just because I'll be able to find a decent apartment there. I'm willing to make sacrifices, I was going to give up my car, and live as thrifty as I can to afford my own place. I don't think I should have to give up a quiet and clean place to live though. 

 

 I asked current students on reddit but most were undergrads suggesting townhouses. The few previous graduate students I know lived in dumps cause they didn't care, or in a house with 3-5 other people.

Edited February 21, 2013 by Deadmeat

[rising_star]

You need to email some current grad students in that program, Deadmeat, and find out what the do. Start with your POI's students and go from there.

[ZeChocMoose]

Yes, I agree with rising_star.  When I said current students, I meant grad students in your program.  I would ask at least five of them or so for their recommendations.  Some grad students from my program said they went walking around in the neighborhoods that they wanted to live in and ended up stumbling on apt for rents signs.  I never tried doing this mostly because I only had one weekend to secure a place- but they had good luck with this method.

 

Are you trying to find a place within walking distance of the university?  I know in my college town if you go further out, you reduce the probability that your neighbors with be undergraduates and increase the probability that your apartment will be cheaper and nicer.  You do need to have a car or take the bus though to get to campus.

 

In the worse case scenario, you could take a non-ideal place for a year that doesn't break the bank and then move next year when you have more time on your side and you have a better idea of where the good places are at.

[michigan girl]

I know in my college town if you go further out, you reduce the probability that your neighbors with be undergraduates and increase the probability that your apartment will be cheaper and nicer.  You do need to have a car or take the bus though to get to campus.

I chose to live off-campus (~two miles) from my university. The rent is cheaper, and the unit is much nicer than what I could have found within walking distance of the university. My neighbors are graduate students and families. Very safe and quiet neighborhood. I couldn't have asked for a better neighborhood. The downside is I must take the bus to campus but I have a car to get around for other errands.

Edited February 23, 2013 by michigan girl

[abeilles]

It's also free to you - the owner pays the realtor for making the match. 

 

Not always the case, unfortunately

[mallorn]

I started around May and found a great place on craigslist- it was directly posted by the owner so it was much easier to talk to him and wrangle out details than through an agency. Try to keep your eyes peeled for things like that, and once you see one, inquire immediately. I also can't agree enough with asking advice from current grad students, you may be even be lucky enough to take the place of someone who is graduating. Another craigslist option is to look for someone who is also looking for a place and then combine forces- I found that there are a lot more options available for 2 bedrooms compared with 1 bedroom apartments. One thing you can do to make sure you're not ending up with a crazy roommate is to email and maybe Skype before agreeing to look for somewhere together- I did this and my roommate ended up being one of my great friends here so far. Of course, all of this is easier if you're applying to a small college town like I was. Like others were saying, craigslist may not be the best option for other cities, but the reason I stuck with it was that university housing would have been much much more expensive than living off-campus. 

 

Good luck!

[MissC]

I'm in a slightly different position than some posters here but I am wondering if anyone else has run into a similar dilemma. I own a home in the town where I currently live and will be moving across the country for school.  I have the home rented out to former friends/roommates and have no concerns about just keeping it for rental income (I owe very little on the property and it is worth much more than I owe so if worse came to worse, I could sell for a very nice profit. However.....

 

What I am running into are property managers who are refusing to allow me to sign a lease because I don't have "rental history". REALLY?!?!?!??! Even providing verification from my mortgage company that I have never missed or had a late payment, they are still giving me hell. I understand that the housing market left a lot of people upside down and owning/owing more than they could handle. I am not one of those people, and yet I have been turned down by three people because I cannot provide a verifiable rental history.  So lame!

 

I will keep looking when I visit the new city later this week and am sure I will find something or someone that will see that my on-time mortgage payments since 2004 and stellar credit might be as good as some rando-landlord saying that I paid and left the place tidy.

 

The other glitch I have run into is that a lot of the larger complexes require that you show proof of employment with an income 3x that of your monthly rent.  I will be moving with the BF but he will be 2 months behind me in moving. As a result, we are not able to show any income from him yet and my stipend is not nearly enough on its own to meet this requirement. Previous proof of employment, tax return showing strong income, and even bank statements showing a stack of dough have been turned down. We have saved and prepared for this move but this is a problem I was not expecting to encounter. I assume we will end up dealing with a private owner of a condo or home via Craigslist, etc. to start because the larger companies have a formula that works for a typical undergrad/grad student renter and we don't fit that mold.

 

I plan on doing what a couple posters mentioned above and talking to faculty and other students when I am in town to visit. I will also do some aimless wandering in desired neighborhoods to see what pops up. I've had better luck going that route in the past anyways, so maybe that's the best plan. Additionally, I'm going to try and get some kind of paperwork from both schools (still undecided but they are in the same city) that shows a funding offer of some sort that will reassure the powers that be about my ability to pay.

 

I thought the 22 year olds would have it hard in this department but I feel like being older and having a record of resposibility is biting me in the behind. For any of you looking or planning to look for places this coming summer/fall, I would recommend doing a couple things:

 

1. Get copies of funding proof and a breakdown of when/how the $ will be disbursed to you to use as proof of future income.

 

2. Ask current tenants permission now to use their contact info for new rental applications. It might also make sense to have them write a letter recommending you as a renter (on their letterhead of course). This way the new tenant can simply call to verify that the letter is genuine. Most places I have contacted want 2 years rental history. One asked for 5.

 

3. Keep a little extra in the bank if possible now so that you can show that you have an extra cushion. I know this isn't always possible, but it helps.

 

4. Be prepared to pass a background/credit check (or at least don't be surprised when they want these things or have questions).

 

5. Find out before you invest time and effort what the rental company or landlord requires in terms of income/credit/prior rental history documentation. This will save you from looking at places you won't be able to live. Falling in love with a place, only to be rejected sucks big time- trust me.

 

Hopefully this might save someone a little headache in this fun transitional phase. Happy Hunting everyone!

[MissC]

^^^^^ Holy smokes that was a long post.  Didn't realize it until I hit "POST". No wonder my friends dont listen to my longwinded voicemails.

[phku]

C-Diggy, I'd like to personally thank you for your post.  I am in the exact same situation, where my wife and I own our house yet will have to rent it out and move across the country to find an apartment.  I have written down all the things you have recommended, I can't thank you enough.

[MissC]

Glad to help.  Someone should benefit from my adventures.

[sociologo]

 

The other glitch I have run into is that a lot of the larger complexes require that you show proof of employment with an income 3x that of your monthly rent.  I will be moving with the BF but he will be 2 months behind me in moving. As a result, we are not able to show any income from him yet and my stipend is not nearly enough on its own to meet this requirement. Previous proof of employment, tax return showing strong income, and even bank statements showing a stack of dough have been turned down. We have saved and prepared for this move but this is a problem I was not expecting to encounter. I assume we will end up dealing with a private owner of a condo or home via Craigslist, etc. to start because the larger companies have a formula that works for a typical undergrad/grad student renter and we don't fit that mold.

 

I had the same problem when I moved in August. In addition to my stipend, I'm also eligible for some federal loans. I had my university send a letter to my rental agency showing that I would also be receiving these loans, and so my income looked much larger than with just my stipend. This satisfied the rental company, and I just re-paid the loans after they had disbursed. Not ideal, but this worked for me in a pinch. 

[Grev]

Does anyone have advice on how to evaluate an apartment sight-unseen?  If you can't make a trip out for home-hunting, what questions should you ask and what should you look out for?