Is there a high/low season for apartment rentals in the Bay Area? (Oakland: sublets)

[Flavia84]

Hi all,

Like I mentioned in another treat, I'm contemplating a move to the beautiful Bay Area.

I have an option to get a job transfer as soon as September but in most parts of the country it's one of the most expensive months to sign a lease since most people move in the summer/ early fall. I can also wait until November/December to move.

Now with the housing craze in the Bay Area, does the high/low rule even apply? I've been looking for a studio, and the vacancy rate is incredibly low.

What do you think, should I wait or just do it?

(if it matters, I'm looking at Petaluma or Walnut Creek, a studio apartment)

[04kL4nD]

yep. worst time to look is right before Fall semester begins. good luck!

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Only if you are looking to rent near a college or university. However, there aren't a lot of people generally looking to move during the holiday season, so you would have less competition overall from Thanksgiving to the first of the year.

The weather in the SF Bay Area doesn't affect the rent cycle at all, because there isn't snow/ice or super hot summers.

I retired from an apt manager job in Santa Clara just a couple years ago, so I'm familiar with the rental situation.

Even then, by the way, the prices won't be cheaper in December, because landlords don't have to offer them. They would probably rather just leave it empty for a month (if they had to), and then rent it for full market rent in January.

You'd just have less competition during the holidays.

[Flavia84]

Awesome, very helpful info!

Thanks for such quick replies

[NorCalLover]

I got a great deal on a rent-controlled apartment by looking between Thanksgiving and Christmas. There's definitely still competition, but it's a bit less intense than other times of year. May/June can also be a good time to look, especially in student areas, as a lot of people are vacating their apartment, and summer sublets often come available too.

[Chuck5000]

You should know that Petaluma is going to have a much much much longer commute to SF (if you need to go there) than Walnut Creek.

[Flavia84]

Chuck5000,

Thanks for the heads up.

I will be commuting to SFO airport for work about once a week so it should be ok. I hope...

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Flavia84

Hi all,

Like I mentioned in another treat, I'm contemplating a move to the beautiful Bay Area.

I have an option to get a job transfer as soon as September but in most parts of the country it's one of the most expensive months to sign a lease since most people move in the summer/ early fall. I can also wait until November/December to move.

Now with the housing craze in the Bay Area, does the high/low rule even apply? I've been looking for a studio, and the vacancy rate is incredibly low.

What do you think, should I wait or just do it?

(if it matters, I'm looking at Petaluma or Walnut Creek, a studio apartment)

OP, the rents are the same no matter when you rent. No one's going to lower their rent in winter, and be stuck with a 1-yr. lease of lower rent. People are moving into the area constantly, year-round.

That said, there's definitely an availability window/season in the East Bay, parts of which are dominated by the university academic calendar, rental-wise. Anywhere near UC Berkeley (El Cerrito, Albany, Berkeley, Oakland), the rental market opens wide in June/July. In August, students are coming back in for fall semester, and it gets tight, though not impossible. It's just that you have the most choice after mid-May or so, through July-ish.

That doesn't affect Walnut Creek or anywhere else out on that side of the Berkeley hills, though, and certainly not Petaluma.