Question about 6 month rentals in Los Angeles (apartment, good credit)

[DJJ125]

Are 6 month rentals in Los Angeles fairly common? I would like to move to the Los Angeles area after college but I would most likely not have a job lined up beforehand. I'd probably be looking for a studio/bachelor in the Koreatown/Mid-Wilshire area for as cheap as I could find. I see on websites like Westside Rentals that $600-$700 rents for a small studio might be common.

If I were to find a 6-month lease for an apartment such as this, how much money would it be necessary for me to come out with in savings? Is it as simple as just having the money for rent/food/gas for 6 months while searching for a job or is there something else I'm missing? I understand landlords are all different, but would they not even consider renting to me if they saw that I was planning to pay for my apartment off of savings? Any information would be great, thank you!

[Ceece]

I don't think landlords care where the money is that you plan to use to pay them. Some may want income verification and some may require more up front if you don't have a job but others base it off your credit score. It's is as simple as having enough savings to live on until you find work that will support you. The only thing missing is having enough to get out of there if you don't. Think positive, but always have an exit strategy . Don't overlook the option to rent a room from someone either, you usually get more flexability, better places, possiblely instant contacts and social interaction, and whatnot. Many people I know went that route.

[DJJ125]

So if I were to show them that I have, say, 5k in savings to cover rent for the 6 month term, would it be reasonable to say they'd rent to me? Would I instead need to show them that I have three times the rent (similar to the 1/3 rule for your rent:income ratio) in savings? Sorry if this comes off as a stupid question, I have no experience with this and have nobody to really ask about it (hence why I'm asking on a forum). I'd have the ability to get back home if need be.

[Spikett]

They are most likely going to want a larger deposit. If so, I'd offer to just pay a couple of months rent in advance.

[Dunbar42]

I think good credit goes a long way but beyond that I don't know what landlords are looking for. I don't think $5k is enough though, you can run through that real fast in LA. Maybe $15k in the bank would ease their worries. And yeah, if you can pay first, last and security up front on a six month lease that would probably help.