How to Find Cheap Apartments in San Francisco

For whatever reason you have ended up in San Francisco, looking for a new place to call home. Most likely, you have moved to San Francisco for work or to attend school. With one of the highest costs of living in the United States, finding housing in San Francisco can be a challenge. Here are some great tips and resources on how to find a cheap apartment in San Francisco.

Step 1: The Location

Your first task is to decide what location suits your needs. If you plan on attending San Francisco State University, you may want to live as close to the university as possible. You will also need to become familiar with the San Francisco neighborhoods or districts. Having a map of the area will help eliminate confusion. You can either Google "San Francisco neighborhoods" and then click on "image results" or you can down load a map from www.rentalguide.com/sf-map.html. Once you have a breakdown of the area, you will want to find out some general information about the neighborhoods or districts. San Francisco State University has great 17 page handbook for students living off campus http://www.sfsu.edu/~oip/Handbook/LivinginSF.pdf. The handbook does a great job of summarizing the districts and covers the price ranges you can expect to find. If you plan on living near the university, you will find just about everything you need in the handbook to get settled in. The handbook includes a good list of apartment complexes near the school. Each listing has a phone number, address, and a website with online pictures of the properties. This handbook is a valuable resource for learning about specific areas in and around San Francisco, and it can give you an idea of the neighborhood that is right for you.

The Cheap Apartment District

The Tenderloin district of San Francisco is probably the most affordable neighborhood. It encompasses about fifty square blocks. While it is well know for its cultural diversity, it has the highest crime rate and homeless population in San Francisco. According to Wikipedia, it is called "The Tenderloin" because in the old days the cops who patrolled this, ahem, feisty area were paid extra for their hardship and were therefore able to afford the better cuts of meat. The locals call it "The 'Loin".

Listings Online:

Start your housing search early (at least 4 weeks prior). Starting your search online will allow you to begin your search well in advance. There are several online apartment finder websites. Most of these sites allow you to view apartments based on your individual preferences and allow you to filter down to exactly what you have in mind.

www.craigslist.org

www.ApartmentHunterz.com

www.Apartments.com

www.RentinSanFrancisco.com

Print Advertisements

If you check the classified listings in the newspapers, you will find plenty of rental listings. There are several free print papers in circulation. They can be picked up at newsstands, supermarkets, and corner stores. Several ethnic newspapers are also available to include Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese. You will also find bulletin board postings on nearly all of the college campuses and laundry mats throughout the community. Some papers you might want to check are:

The S.F. Chronicle (Morning Paper)

San Francisco Examiner (Afternoon Paper)

San Francisco Advertiser (Free)

The Bay Guardian (Free)

S.F. Weekly (Free)

The Advertiser (Free)

The Rental Guide (Free)

Make a List

You should make a list of properties that you are interested in. Make sure you have directions and a contact number for each listing. Remember to bring the following:

- Driver's license or Photo ID

- Money for a security deposit

Other Options:

At this point, if you are still looking and everything seems just out of your budget, you may want to consider finding roommate. If you already have a place to live and you need a roommate, you can place a listing for a roommate. However, if you need a roommate and a new place to live, you will have to search the listings. One of most popular sites is www.roommates.com. The site is very easy to use and is free to preview. The site allows you to enter all of your preferences, such as gender, age, distance parameters, smoking preference, move in dates, bathroom occupancy, pets allowed, price ranges (House, Apartment, or Condo), sexual preferences, etc. Once you find something that you are interested in, you can contact members by email. Only after upgrading from a free member to a paying member are you able to open messages from other members. This unlocks other feature, such as full photos, comments, and maps. The prices for an upgraded membership are relatively inexpensive.

$5.99 - 3 day trial unlimited access

$19.99 - 30 days unlimited access

$29.99 - 60 days unlimited access

Things to Take Note of:

Payment amount

Deposit amount

Rental Term (or lease)

Date available

Utilities included

Features (Cable T.V., telephone hookup)

Bathrooms

High speed internet

Washer/eryer

Microwave

Alarm system

What's nearby?

Bus line

Elementary schools

Freeway access

Number of occupants & ages

Occupation

Smoking habits

Cleanliness

Children

Covered parking

Fitness center

Spa/hot tub

Advice & Warnings

1) Many specials and discounts are available for signing a one-year lease (be prepared to pay a penalty if you break your lease early).

2) Be prepared to put down a minimum of one month's rent and/or a security deposit.

3) If you are thinking about taking on a roommate, you might want to think about a background check (they start around $50).