Apartment Hunting

[katieliz456]

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.

Have you asked about putting down a larger security deposit or pre-paying a few months' rent? I know around here landlords typically just ask for a security deposit, and occasionally first/last months' rent, but maybe try using your "stack of dough" to offer more payment up front (say, 3 months' rent plus a security deposit)?

[mnemonic]

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?

 

I'd recommend emailing some of the current graduate students there. They might have some input for apartment complexes and (if they're friendly) maybe even offer to visit some for you.

[Porridge]

I'd like to add to this post. I am an international and would like advice about how to secure an appartment while being out of the country. I will be unable to attend the university's international and graduate housing as I will be bringing my pets from abroad.

[Peter Higgins]

In my situation, I've started looking in August '16 for an apartment to rent in San Francisco and in September I've moved in. My rental price was 2300$ for 1 bedroom condo with all utilities included and security features. For the first time my thoughts were like: "hmm, it looks like the best deal I could ever imagine", but now I have occasionally looked up for some new apartments and found that is ±400$ cheaper. You can make it sure by your own. Now I'm very upset because my lease terminates in September, so the prices will rise again because of the educational season and other circumstances. Now I'm trying to terminate my lease earlier, but landlord don't want in anyway for obvious reasons

Edited May 22, 2017 by fuzzylogician
edited to remove link