Where to look for an apartment in Los Angeles
I compiled this list in summer 2004, when I
spent a month apartment-hunting around LA.
Since then, I've added some new
information and removed some dead links, but the bulk of this information comes
from that summer.
At the time, I thought it would
be best to live closer to UCLA, so this info leans toward West LA.
Last update: 13 January 2006
| Where to start | Free rental listings | Tips for searching | Features to consider | What to do afterward | Sample rental application |
…at Craigslist. It’s the most comprehensive list you’ll find, and it’s free. Look here for roommate listings as well as sublets, guest houses, rooms in private homes, and other situations.
http://losangeles.craigslist.org
Listings with photos. Not many listings when I looked, but useful information at a glance.
Art Deco Apartments
Listings and
tons of photos for beautiful (and expensive) art deco era apartments.
BA Management
Photo-rich listings with maps, rents, etc.
Listings with photos. See address, rent, number of bedrooms, date available, and brief description at a glance. In my experience, their people are nice to deal with.
Commercial Property Management (LA Rentals)
LA listings. Vacancies are not posted online, but the website has maps and photos of all the properties. To apply, or find out about their current vacancies, visit their office at 3251 W 6th St, Suite 109 (cross street New Hampshire). I found them nice and helpful.
Listings with info at a glance. Some with photos.
Empire West Property Management
Listings for places all over the area, not just in LA.
View current listings by bedroom on their website. Photos included. If you want to see one of their places, they can buzz you in, but they won’t be on-site to show it to you. You have to go to their offices at 9929 Venice Blvd in LA to apply.
Hollywood Hills Apartments
Horizon Realty
Listings by neighborhood, with photos and very useful details: viewing times,
approximate square footage, and descriptions of both the unit and the property.
Howard Management
Vacancies listed by neighborhood.
Photos, maps, details, and other useful info.
Listings by bedroom, details at a glance. Most listings with photos.
Apartments, houses, townhomes, and condos for rent with photos and maps. Not many listings when I looked, but a good amount of detail for each.
Listings by area. Pictures included.
Short listing of properties in West LA. Photos.
Property Growth Fund
Apartments in Glendale, Sherman Oaks, and WeHo adjacent. Somewhat awkwardly made
site, but photo-rich with descriptions of each property and contact information.
Vacancy/availability information on the site.
Visit their offices at 2802 Santa Monica Blvd in Santa Monica in person to pick up a list of available rentals, or check out their website to view the listings by number of bedrooms. Or call (310) 453-1736 to hear listings by phone or have them faxed to you. The list is updated weekly. If you want to see one of their places, you have to go to their offices, pay a deposit, get the key, then view the place and return the key before the end of the business day.
Useful listings (see rent, bedrooms, thumbnail photo, location, and date available at a glance) with lots of photos.
Pick up a free copy at the offices of Roque & Mark Realtors, at 2802 Santa Monica Blvd in Santa Monica, or read the daily classifieds online.
Online listings, but no photos.
Listings with photos, but these include properties for sale as well as for lease, and a lot of them are no longer available (marked "sold").
Looking
When you find a listing that sounds promising, it’s better to call than email. Most of the time you’ll be leaving messages anyway. When you do leave a message, speak clearly and say your phone number twice. Many people won’t even call you back—my guess is the place has been rented already.
While you’re out looking, when you find neighborhoods that you like, park your car and walk around. Many properties have “for rent” signs, and some of these signs even say the number of bedrooms available and the rent. They also give phone numbers you can call, and I’ve found that a surprising number of these people are at home and willing to show the place immediately. This saves you time and trouble driving around, and you already know what the neighborhood is like!
Before you view
Get a rental application form from someplace. You can Google for one, or go to the website of one of the management companies listed above and print out their form. There's also a sample form at the bottom of this page. Most of the forms ask for exactly the same information, so if you’ve filled out one, all you have to do for the others is just copy in the blanks. Keep one of these forms on you when you are apartment-hunting, so that if you find a place you like, you can apply right away.
Most places go very quickly once they’re listed. So there is a bit of a hurry—once you find a place you like, the best thing to do is apply right away. With this in mind, do your research before you go out. Know what you want and build your search around that. If, for example, being close to a bus line is important to you, find out beforehand whether the places you’re looking at are close to bus lines. Ask questions when you call. Ask more questions when you visit. Walk around the neighborhood before you see the unit. You want to know everything you need so that if you show up and like it, you can apply on the spot. You shouldn’t have to compromise too much on what you want. There are lots of places available, even if it doesn’t look like it at first, and you don’t want to just jump in and take the first thing you see that’s acceptable to you. It’s best to look at several places in different areas before you make any kind of decision, especially if you’re new to the area. Yes, if you find a place you like, you should apply right away, but if you do this at the start of your search, your simple ignorance may be preventing you from finding a better place. The chances of you finding The Perfect Place in your first couple of days are slim. But it could happen. Trust your instincts. And don’t be afraid to negotiate.
parking
“Street parking only” might not be as bad as you think. (On the other hand, it might be.) Ask the manager or someone else who lives
there. There may be guaranteed parking on-site, but you might have to pay for it.
on-site laundry room
If there isn't one, ask the location of the nearest laundromat. You might also want to check out the laundry room and/or local laundromat.
secured or gated buildings/controlled access entry/window and door bars
It’s also safer to be on upper units than lower/ground floor units.
kitchen
Bachelors and efficiencies do not have kitchens; studios should, but some people (especially on Craigslist) say studio even when they
mean the other kind. Some apartments have no kitchen but provide mini-fridge, hot plate, microwave, toaster oven, or any combination of
these.
paid utilities
Most places pay water and trash (if they don't, that will raise your monthly living cost considerably). Some pay gas. Others will even
include electricity, cable, high-speed internet. Factor this in to your maximum rent: if a place seems too expensive but includes all utilities, it
might be the same as paying for a cheaper place without included utilities.
square footage
Less than 400 is almost definitely too small, even for a studio. There are some seriously huge places available that aren’t too expensive, so if
having a spacious apartment is important to you, don’t settle for less.
on-site manager
If the manager is the one who shows you the apartment, s/he should be willing to take time with you and talk about any concerns you might
have. S/he's the one you'll likely be dealing with when your apartment has maintenance problems, so keep that in mind. If there isn't a
manager on site, ask what happens if you need maintenance on your apartment--is there a number to call? Is it 24/7?
proximity to bus or subway lines
Check on www.mta.net to see if the Metro runs close by, but don’t forget other buses like the Culver CityBus
(http://www.culvercity.org/bus/gen_info.html) or the Big Blue Bus (http://www.bigbluebus.com).
pets
Most places that allow pets will also require a separate pet deposit.
AC
Some places have ceiling fans instead of air-conditioning; some places have nothing. If you’re concerned, check out the windows and ask if you can install a
window AC unit.
Even after you’ve applied to a place, it’s useful to keep looking while they are processing your application. Sometimes something sketchy or unexpected comes up, or, after looking at other places you realize your original choice wasn’t so great, and you may decide not to take the place after all. If you can afford it, applying to more than one place isn’t a bad idea. It will ease your mind and keep your options open.
SAMPLE RENTAL APPLICATION
|
PERSONAL INFORMATION |
Full
Name____________________________________ Home Phone ( ) _________________________
Date of Birth__________________________________ Social Security
#____________________________
Email Address:__________________________(optional) Other Phone ( )
__________________________
Co-Applicant Name____________________________ Names of Dependents_________________________
Co-Applicant Date of Birth_______________________ Social Security
#____________________________
Dependents’ Dates of
Birth_____________________________________________________________________
List All
Pets________________________________________________________________________________
|
RESIDENTIAL HISTORY (LAST 3 YEARS) |
Current Address___________________________________ Apt#________ City_____________________ State______ Zip________ Month/Year Moved In____________
Reasons
for Leaving____________________________ Rent $__________
Owner/Agent_________________________ Phone ( )
_______________________________
Previous Address (last 3
years)_________________________________________________________ Rent
$____________ Owner/Agent___________________________ Phone ( )
__________________
|
CREDIT HISTORY |
|
Have you declared bankruptcy in the past seven (7) years? |
Yes___________ No____________ |
|
Have you ever been evicted from a rental residence? |
Yes___________ No____________ |
|
Have you had two or more late rental payments in the past year? |
Yes___________ No____________ |
|
Have you ever willfully or intentionally refused to pay rent when due? |
Yes___________ No____________ |
|
EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION |
Your
Status: _____Full Time _____Part Time
_____Student _____Unemployed
Employer____________________________________________________________________________
Dates employed_________________ Employed
as___________________________________________
Supervisor Name___________________________________ Phone (
)__________________
Salary $_________________per________________. (If employed by above less than
12 months, give name & phone of previous employer or school:
____________________ _____________________________________________.)
If you have other sources of income that you would like us to consider, please
list income, source, and person (banker, employer, etc.) who we may contact for
confirmation. You do not have to reveal alimony, child support, or spouse's
annual income unless you want us to consider it in this application.
Amount $___________________ Source/Contact Name_________________________________
|
REFERENCES |
Banking Accounts:
Name_________________ Type of Account_________________ Account
Number_________________
Name_________________ Type of Account_________________ Account
Number_________________
Personal Reference or Emergency Contact:
Name _______________________ Address
_______________________________________________
Phone _______________________ Relationship_______________________
Driver's License:
Your Driver's License Number_________________ State_________________
Vehicle Information:
Make / Model _________________Year _________________License Plate_______________
State_________________