Boston & Cambridge, MA

[helpert]

On 5/1/2021 at 10:47 PM, ajak568 said:

Anybody moving to the Boston area from elsewhere and searching for housing? When are you looking to move into the area? What kind of timeline are you thinking about for signing a lease (if you're living off campus)? I'm new to the area and looking to move early September (I hear that's when half the town is moves into the area, haha). From my research it looks like maybe late May or June might be the best time to sign a lease? What do you guys think? I've been keeping an eye on apartments.com, hotpads.com, and Zillow rentals.

I've lived in Boston for 2 years. It's true that 9/1 is a HUGE moving day, since, well, all of the students (it's also called "Allston Christmas" because so many people moving out leave their furniture out on the sidewalk for taking). Apartments.com, zillow, and trulia can all be good sources to find apartments that are completely turning over tenants if you're looking to live by yourself or with a roommate you already picked. If you are looking to move into a place with existing roommate(s), there are many Facebook groups for Boston/Camberville housing where people looking to replace roommates will advertise (you would also have better chances of finding a non-9/1 move-in date there, if you wanted that).

Also, check out this page which outlines your rights as a renter in Boston: https://www.boston.gov/departments/neighborhood-development/know-your-rights-when-you-rent-boston

There are certain things that landlords and brokers CANNOT charge you for (like an application fee or credit check). It's good to know this when getting into an apartment hunt to make sure you're not bamboozled into paying fees you legally shouldn't pay.

[ajak568]

45 minutes ago, helpert said:

Also, check out this page which outlines your rights as a renter in Boston: https://www.boston.gov/departments/neighborhood-development/know-your-rights-when-you-rent-boston

There are certain things that landlords and brokers CANNOT charge you for (like an application fee or credit check). It's good to know this when getting into an apartment hunt to make sure you're not bamboozled into paying fees you legally shouldn't pay.

Thanks for this tip and for the links! I'm hoping to sign a lease soon. It's so hard to be able to get a jump on good deals without being able to go in person to speak with the realtor or landlord!