4 ms·

I'm looking to make this move in August and some of the advice here won't work for me. For instance, I can't get a reference from a past landlord or a list of

by azylman 14y ago

I'm looking to make this move in August and some of the advice here won't work for me. For instance, I can't get a reference from a past landlord or a list of past landlords - I'm just graduating college and have lived in on-campus housing my whole time. I'm hoping having a very good credit score and a very good offer letter in hand will solve this issue, but I'm not sure. Additionally, I can't move out mid-month and look for an apartment starting at the beginning of the next - my job starts mid-month and I've moving out at the beginning. Any advice for how to deal with these situations? Thanks!

gatsby 14y ago
Try to get a reference letter from your RA or director of campus housing. Most landlords are flexible on recommendation letters, but something is better than nothing. If you can't move in at the beginning of the month, it's not the end of the world. Tons of people in SF move out of their apartments mid-month, and you'll rarely see a shortage of housing inventory for mid-month move-ins. The key is moving in on them quickly and being willing to sign an application or lease on the spot. If all else fails, you can always do a short term sublet or Airbnb from the 15th through the 30th and use that time to find a lease that begins on the 1st.
borski 14y ago
You won't have a problem. Exceptions are made for students provided they have great credit and a great offer letter.
potatolicious 14y ago
There are several ways to resolve your situation, few of which you will find palatable... which really sucks: - Rent a less desirable place. Desirable places in SF will have easily 20 people lined up out front, with the landlord taking his/her pick of the crowd based on income, credit, and references - and as a recent grad you will lose on all 3 counts. - Seek roommate situations. Houses are more flexible about all of the above criteria and care more about personality, this is where you might have an edge (I don't know, I don't know you at all). - Live outside the city. This is going to be a real bummer sometimes - your friends will want to hang out in the Mission till the crack of dawn, but you'd have to hop the BART or Caltrain before midnight to get home. But places outside SF proper experience far, far, far less competition. And here's the one that works, but really stinks: - Offer to pay more than face value of apartment. This is just insult upon injury - but it does work. Odds are, if you have a Unreasonably Wealthy Startup Guy(tm) viewing the apartment with you, he/she will bid the apartment up. It's become more and more common, and that's incredibly depressing.
jevanish 14y ago
Honestly, I think if you replace the landlord reference letter with anything from your school that demonstrates your a responsible student, that will suffice. Your key will be the offer letter. If you're making significantly more than the monthly rent amount, that will alleviate a lot of their concerns about you making rent (which is what most of those materials are really all about proving).

by azylman 14y ago

gatsby 14y ago

Try to get a reference letter from your RA or director of campus housing. Most landlords are flexible on recommendation letters, but something is better than nothing. If you can't move in at the beginning of the month, it's not the end of the world. Tons of people in SF move out of their apartments mid-month, and you'll rarely see a shortage of housing inventory for mid-month move-ins. The key is moving in on them quickly and being willing to sign an application or lease on the spot. If all else fails, you can always do a short term sublet or Airbnb from the 15th through the 30th and use that time to find a lease that begins on the 1st.

borski 14y ago

You won't have a problem. Exceptions are made for students provided they have great credit and a great offer letter.

potatolicious 14y ago

There are several ways to resolve your situation, few of which you will find palatable... which really sucks: - Rent a less desirable place. Desirable places in SF will have easily 20 people lined up out front, with the landlord taking his/her pick of the crowd based on income, credit, and references - and as a recent grad you will lose on all 3 counts. - Seek roommate situations. Houses are more flexible about all of the above criteria and care more about personality, this is where you might have an edge (I don't know, I don't know you at all). - Live outside the city. This is going to be a real bummer sometimes - your friends will want to hang out in the Mission till the crack of dawn, but you'd have to hop the BART or Caltrain before midnight to get home. But places outside SF proper experience far, far, far less competition. And here's the one that works, but really stinks: - Offer to pay more than face value of apartment. This is just insult upon injury - but it does work. Odds are, if you have a Unreasonably Wealthy Startup Guy(tm) viewing the apartment with you, he/she will bid the apartment up. It's become more and more common, and that's incredibly depressing.

jevanish 14y ago

Honestly, I think if you replace the landlord reference letter with anything from your school that demonstrates your a responsible student, that will suffice. Your key will be the offer letter. If you're making significantly more than the monthly rent amount, that will alleviate a lot of their concerns about you making rent (which is what most of those materials are really all about proving).