Apartment rent in Newport Beach (Santa Ana, Anaheim: 2009, apartments, to rent)

[Sergey1989]

Hello!
We are 3 international students, planning to study in Newport Beach since October, 2009. I've been looking for a cheap housing for quite a long time, but the best deals I found were about 1200-1400. I probably should search somewhere else than Newport Beach...
Our university is located close to John Wayne Orange County Airport. How is the neighborhood there? Is it easy to find an apartment during fall and winter seasons?
How many people do landlords usually allow to live in studio, 1br, 2br? I just wonder if it's possible to live together in a small studio (I know it's not comfortable). And how can we rent an apartment if we don';t have a credit history and have never rented anything else before?
Thanks for your answers in advance.

[RobE]

Sorry dude, but unless you are a male-female couple or two gay guys in a committed relationship, they are not going to allow two guys in a one bedroom let alone three.

You might be able to get away with being in a two bedroom, but in a decent neighborhood those go around $1500 a month. Three bedroom apartments are more.

Good luck, but you need to look in a different state unless you decide to live in a more rundown neighborhood where there are gangs and crime.

What school is it you are going to anyway?

[Sergey1989]

I'm going to Southern States University.
We are not three guys. Me, my girlfriend and just friend. I'm not sure if landlords allow to live somebody in a living room, but who on earth cares?
Before I moved tp New York, there were 9 guys living in our 1br apartment, nobody was against it. Later there were 4, but it was ok.
I don't care if I'll have to live in a bad neighborhood. Nothing compares to Brooklyn and Baltimore with more than 80% blacks

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by Sergey1989

I'm going to Southern States University.
We are not three guys. Me, my girlfriend and just friend. I'm not sure if landlords allow to live somebody in a living room, but who on earth cares?
Before I moved tp New York, there were 9 guys living in our 1br apartment, nobody was against it. Later there were 4, but it was ok.
I don't care if I'll have to live in a bad neighborhood. Nothing compares to Brooklyn and Baltimore with more than 80% blacks

Santa Ana is the place for you.

[killer2021]

You have to look for a slumlord landlord to do it. Trust me, the market is bad right now so landlords are desperate to rent out their units for a decent amount.

There are alot in Santa Ana and Anaheim. If there are alot of Mexicans in the area (ie. just standing around) and the place looks trashed then that is a good sign.

but in NB, you won't find that. Most landlords over there know that people are willing to pay a premium to live in upper class areas so they avoid slumlord type activities.

[Sergey1989]

OK, I will check those areas. What can you say about Fountain Valley? It's closer to NB.
I'm wondering how did living together became "slumlord type activities"

[bhcompy]

I believe legal occupancy is 2 per room + 1..

[aggrofish]

Forget Santa Ana, concentrate on Costa Mesa. I'm not familiar with the school you mentioned but if it's by John Wayne it's in Irvine. Costa Mesa is nice and central and less expensive than either Irvine or Newport.

[Coldjensens]

The local goverrnment cannot limit legal occupancy, that is dictated by the State and it is very very high. However the landlord can limit legal occupancy and many landlords will nto knowingly rent a one bedroom out to three people. Many other landlords do nto care as long as you pay the rent.

When we lived in Balboa, it was common to find apartments crammed full of people. It was the only way many of them could afford to live there. One frience shared a bedroom with 3 other people (bunk beds) and had 2 more people living in the common room. It was cramped, but they spent most of their time outside at the beach anyway. I would not want to live that way, but they seemed to get by ok. I doubt that the landlord knew how many people were living there.


We also met a group of guys from Austrailia who were living in a tent on the roof of the building next door to us. I am not sure where they showered. Sometimes some of them borrowed our bathroom.

[Sergey1989]

In the ocean probably My uncle was living for 2 years on the Miami Beach.
Anyway, thanks for your replies. We'll try figure it out when we move there.