Timeline for Pasadena Apartment Hunting?? (August, Columbia: apartments, rentals, house)

[CrossCountryGrad]

Hello everyone!
I am going to be starting graduate school in LA in the Fall, and am planning to live in Pasadena. I'll be coming from the East Coast, so I'm trying to be as prepared as possible for the move! Unfortunately, I'm a little unfamiliar with the "speedy turn around" of LA-area rentals:

Given the number of colleges in the Pasadena area (I am hoping to live between Caltech and one of the Gold Line stations, if at all possible), I initially thought that apartments with 12-month August leases would be filling up now. So far, though, everything I've found starts a month after it was advertised (at the latest), and the landlords I've spoken to have told me that I should plan to apartment hunt in June or July if I want to move in at the beginning of August.

So, my question: Is it risky to wait until June or July to find a small, affordable, grad-student-type apartment if I hope to live near Caltech? Or is that normal?

If it is risky, what should I do? Am I doomed to paying rent for two months before I get out there, just to hold a reasonably priced studio apartment? I just dont want all of the affordable studios/1-beds to be taken

Thank you so much!

[drshang]

Originally Posted by CrossCountryGrad

Hello everyone!
I am going to be starting graduate school in LA in the Fall, and am planning to live in Pasadena. I'll be coming from the East Coast, so I'm trying to be as prepared as possible for the move! Unfortunately, I'm a little unfamiliar with the "speedy turn around" of LA-area rentals:

Given the number of colleges in the Pasadena area (I am hoping to live between Caltech and one of the Gold Line stations, if at all possible), I initially thought that apartments with 12-month August leases would be filling up now. So far, though, everything I've found starts a month after it was advertised (at the latest), and the landlords I've spoken to have told me that I should plan to apartment hunt in June or July if I want to move in at the beginning of August.

So, my question: Is it risky to wait until June or July to find a small, affordable, grad-student-type apartment if I hope to live near Caltech? Or is that normal?

If it is risky, what should I do? Am I doomed to paying rent for two months before I get out there, just to hold a reasonably priced studio apartment? I just dont want all of the affordable studios/1-beds to be taken

Thank you so much!

Totally normal. When we moved here, we came for a week six weeks prior to moving, and even then, a lot of landlords said we were here way too early. California has a 30 day notice rule so landlords typically only know about vacancies 30 days in advance, and if it's vacant, they are loathe to "hold it for you" for more than a week or two in my experience.

I'd come 2-4 weeks before moving, and find a place then. Pasadena is not really a "college" town just so you know. Most PCC students don't live in apts near campus, and Caltech is a very small school. It's absolutely a great place to live. One suggestion, esp if you are going to Caltech, is try to network for a place using contacts within the university, you might be able to get a cheaper place from a previous student or faculty member. I know the house we rent (we are not affiliated with Caltech) had previous tenants on 3 occasions from Caltech, faculty or postdoc level I believe. Generally landlords will appreciate tenants in that situation so if you are renting a former student's place it might be to your advantage, both lease wise and price wise, to network within the university.

[CrossCountryGrad]

Thank you so much! That is very, very helpful (and reassuring)!

[Adrianw2]

I've moved around a lot for school and work the past few years (not in LA mind you, but the 30 day notice is the same in British Columbia) and I've found the best time to start looking is the first week of the month before you plan to move in. That's usually when most landlords know the rent status for next month and will have started posting ads.