Best way to find a place to live from out of state? (Portland: apartments)

[erbfarm]

Hi

I'm moving to Portland in the next month or so for a new job. I currently live in Pittsburgh. How tough would it be to find a decent 2-bedroom apartment (that accepts small dogs) near the Univ of Portland? I moved to Pittsburgh from out of state and had a horrible time finding any place that accepted dogs. And the place I ended up in was pretty gross, (even had a friend check it out before I arrived) because there just wasn't much to choose from at all. So I would hate for that to happen again with this move to Portland. We'll be looking to buy a home after living in the area for a few months so if we could find something with a month-to-month lease that would be optimal. Do you think I would have a chance of finding something decent via Craig's List or Padmapper? We do have some friends in Portland who would be willing to check out places for us in advance of our moving there. Thanks!

[Twilighter]

I don't know how updated their list is, but there is a site called portlandpooch.com that has a listing of apartments that accept dogs.

[peaceloveandtattoos]

I'm getting ready to head up to Portland from Arizona and we secured a rental already. You just have to talk to the people. Online apps and fax machines/email make everything pretty easy! This is the second time we have made this move and it's been pretty easy both times. Craigslist, hotpads and other reputable sites are a good way to start. Beware of potential scams on Craigslist. Totally do-able and easy!

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by erbfarm

Hi

I'm moving to Portland in the next month or so for a new job. I currently live in Pittsburgh. How tough would it be to find a decent 2-bedroom apartment (that accepts small dogs) near the Univ of Portland?

Not a lot of Apartments in the UP area FYI, and many of those that do exist are taken up by students. You may want to expand your search out a bit. I'd suggest looking more up in St. Johns. There are several small apartments complexes (no clue about dogs though,) near the bridge that I'd personally be looking at.

If you look along Lombard you'll find more apartments. But keep in mind that used to be a bad part of town and it can still look like it in places.

Great area for houses though. Lots of older Portland Style and Craftsman Style homes. Arbor Lodge used to have a blog dedicated to exploring the history of some of the older homes in the neighborhood.

[J24]

I just moved to Portland from Oklahoma in December. I just did a lot of research on apartments. I read all the reviews I could find, but keeping in mind that a lot of those reviews can be misleading as not a lot of people review places until they have something negative to say.

If you have friends willing to check out the places for you, that's great! That will help out a lot. After that, decide on a place or two, call them and see if you can apply via online, fax, or email and go from there. I was able to apply, pay the deposit, and get approved for my apartment before I even set foot in the state.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

If you are only wanting to rent for a few months, that is going to be a bigger issue than the dogs are. I suggest that you rent a short term or vacation rental. No landlord wants to rent to anyone who only plans to stay for a couple of months.