Relocating to SanFrancisco...please help

[Relocateme33]

Thanks all for all your replies.
Today, I viewed an apt. that someone had tipped me to in a good neighborhoods, they were about to put thisunit on Craigslist, but they were going to schedule that for later this week. I asked if I could see this today, they said ok. Saw it, liked it.
Went to their office and filled out the application and paid the credit check fee.
I hope this works out, I am looking at another one tomorrow, but hopefully I got the jump on this, I am skeptical, but who knows.
Also, I don't want my report run countless times, this does more harm than good.

[mayorhaggar]

Really just do a credit check yourself, get a printout that clearly shows your credit score, then make like 10 backup copies at least and bring one to landlords, that way they don't have to run one and you don't have to pay them each time to run one.

[Relocateme33]

I have copies of my current report on hand, but they told me they don't accept third party reports, so I had to pay the fee.
In your opinion, if my past landlords give good reports, my credit score is excellent, is this pretty much set since I was first?
Maybe I have read too many SF rental horror stories, and I'm worrying too much.

Thanks.

[carigennarelli]

I manage a 17-unit apartment building in SF and never print the credit reports for prospective tenants because of the points against their score and I think charging a fee is ridiculous but I think I am not the norm. Management companies typically charge a feee and each one wants to run their own report.

personally I think it's a disservice to the tenants and as long as they pull a report from one of the 3 reputable reporting companies it shouldn't matter who runs it.

It is a competative rental market right now but getting the jump should give you the upper hand if all your info checks out and they can verify your employment and past residences.

Good luck!

[Scott Gould]

Please forgive me for sounding like a naive fool, but what about for a little less money? Can I find a one-room or studio apartment for like...$1200/month, in the city?

[mayorhaggar]

In SF I would say that for a decent studio in a nice part of the city, $1200 would be a pretty typical price. You sometimes see them for less, I moved out of one last year in Hayes Valley that was $830 but I couldn't stand living there anymore because it was next to a very noisy nightclub. Oakland would be more like $750 to $1000.