What will rent prices do between now and August? And Why NO dogs!? (apartment, rentals)

[joshsmessages]

Hi All,

My girlfriend and I are (possibly) moving to SD this summer from Baltimore. She will be working at UCSD (and I will hopefully be working somewhere). Im an attorney looking for a job (non-litigation). The areas we are thinking are west of I-5. La Jolla, south of there, north PB. Our budget is $2k+ (ish), which appears to be close. I have been REALLY surprised with the lack of rental units not allowing small dogs. I keep hearing how dog friendly SD is, but housing sure appears tough. When is the best time to rent in those above areas? The school year starts at the end of September, but we could be out there as early as July.

[msgsing]

It’s a tight rental market and landlords can be picky. Why borrow trouble with pet damaged carpeting and noise complaints by neighbors and potential HOA fines.

[max.b]

Not having a job while you are looking for an apartment could be a problem too. If I'm not mistaken, the job market for lawyers is not too great in SD either.

[cruitr]

You can usually fix the lack-of-job problem by paying 6 - 12 months rent up front.

Money will often also fix any dog objections. When I rented my first house here many years ago, I put down a $10k pet deposit for our 2 small dogs. We went as far as to have resumes with references for our dogs. And we did a 'meet and greet' with the owners. Yes, the $10k was returned to us when we left.

Also, you'll have your best luck dealing directly with owners of properties. Large property managers often have rules that cannot be broken.

[max.b]

Originally Posted by cruitr

You can usually fix the lack-of-job problem by paying 6 - 12 months rent up front.

Not sure if it's legal, but landlords are skittish about that too, as I understand it:
//www.city-data.com/forum/renti...-12-month.html

I put down a $10k pet deposit

The law limits maximum deposit in CA.

[GuyInSD]

speaking as a landlord - why would I want to purposely put a creature in my property that will likely mean having to replace the carpeting, increase insurance costs, and potentially mean p*ssing off neighbors and the HOA? Much easier to just rent to someone else that doesn't include those hassles as part of the deal...

[jnojr]

Originally Posted by max.b

The law limits maximum deposit in CA.

If someone willingly offers me a deposit that someone else thinks is "too big", I am not under any moral or ethical obligation to refuse. That third party has no role in our transaction.

I doubt I would ever look for, or want, a $10,000 deposit... if there's really that much risk, I don't want that tenant at all. I have a tenant in a Mission Valley condo who has a dog, and the dog is within HOA rules, so I'm fine with it. She's taken good care of that property for years now.

[eastcoastbias]

July-September tough time to secure a rental.

Private landlords have no particular rhyme or reason why who and when they release there rentals and sometimes who they pick. For instance, My friend posts an ad and takes the first email or call. Not too picky at all. Some have pet restrictions, some don’t. Some care about credit while some don’t and some care that you are gainfully employed. You don’t know.

If you are aggressive with the process - spot an Ad- CALL right away make an appointment and have a deposit ready you face fewer obstacles.

I have one bedroom condo that I rent out - my preference is no pets, still sometimes people are messier. I care less about credit and more about income and my deal breaker- I ask/tell right away that my unit is for max 2 people. I’d get calls with 4-5 people wanting to move into a one bedroom.

[loveautumn]

Rentals along the coast might be more dog friendly but you’ll most likely have to pay higher rents. Rental prices generally increase 10% and a lot of people spend 50% of their income on rent.

[CNYC]

Originally Posted by msgsing

it’s a tight rental market and landlords can be picky. Why borrow trouble with pet damaged carpeting and noise complaints by neighbors and potential hoa fines.

bingo !