City Year LA Orientation Guide May. 2015 | Page 47
How to conduct an apartment search in LA
Whether if this is your first apartment search you’ve conducted, or the 50th, there are some nuances to Los
Angeles’s rental market that you’ll want to know about before you get started.
When should I start? Unlike other cities where you’ll be able to rent an apartmen t months in advance,
the rentals are usually only available 2 months in advance in LA. First thing you’ll want to figure out is when
you plan on moving to LA. From here, start doing research on the various neighborhoods, transit routes, and
price ranges; you’ll want to figure out what neighborhood(s) you’d like to live in about 8 weeks before your
scheduled move. About 3-6 weeks before your scheduled move in date is the primetime to conduct your actual
search, at this point apartments will start to be advertised that will be available during your time frame.
How long will it take? If you find a place you like and it’s in your price range, act quickly! Once you
complete an application and submit it to the landlord, the approval process is usually rather quick, about a 2-4
day turnaround. The market is really competitive so when you go to an apartment viewing it’s a good idea to
bring a checkbook so you can act quickly and put down deposit to reserve it, if it’s the one. Make sure you
have multiple places you’re interested in as backups just in case one gets rented out to someone else!
Where should I look? Realtors aren’t a necessity in LA but certainly can help if you and your
roommates are all coming from out of town and won’t be visiting beforehand to lock down an apartment. Other
great places to look are the following:
o
Online: Is the most common way to find a place. There is a great list of websites to check out in the
next part of this housing section.
o
Walking the neighborhood: Many landlords don't bother listing their properties online if they only have
one or two, so if you know a neighborhood you like, searching
for *For Rent* signs can prove fruitful.
o
Word of mouth: You’d be surprised by how many places you
can find by asking around both the Facebook group and
friends/family. Also, landlords often have multiple rental
properties so if you are at an apartment viewing and don’t like
what you see, ask if they have any other apartments that are
available to lease.
When should you plan to move in? You will have to attend in person registration in the second or
final week of July prior to your start date on August 3rd. With that in mind consider the expenses of starting a
lease in July or August, and what time you will have to settle in. Can you stay with friends or family? Can you
afford a motel or Airbnb until your move in date? When is the place you want available? Your move it date
will depend on where you are moving from and your personal circumstances, but remember
registration and your start date are non-negotiable.
47 | C o r p s M e m b e r O r i e n t a t i o n & R e s o u r c e G u i d e
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