Renting Season? (Seattle: sublets, 2014, apartment)

[MrFreeze2014]

Hey, all.

Can anyone tell me the best time of year to find an apartment in Seattle? I've been looking around and haven't found much. Mind you, I'm looking for a room in a shared apartment or house. Is this just a bad season to be looking or what?

Thanks, everyone. (^_^)

[amaiunmei]

Actually, now is the best time to be looking because a lot of your competition is away (on vacation or otherwise busy).

If you are looking for rooms, now is college break. Start looking around January 1 when the students start coming back. You will probably find a little bit more then.

Spring and summer are the busy times for looking for places to rent.

[PNWGuy]

Typically spring and summer have the highest supply and demand. Winter season would have the least.

[homesinseattle]

Never a good time in this heated market, all you need is one, though. Keep the faith!

[CrazyDonkey]

Considering your other thread, I would recommend looking at First Hill, Capitol Hill (lower Pike-Pine area or near the light-rail station on Broadway), and Belltown.

Note: Rents in central Seattle are HIGH, so shared housing can be expensive as well: while you might find a place for $500-600, you're more likely looking at $600-800, if not more.

One possibility is to look for a sublet or temporary rental, which you are more liable to arrange before moving, and then use it as a base for looking for more permanent housing.

[sunburned_in_seattle]

$600-$800 sounds cheap to me, CrazyDonkey, even for shared rental, but maybe I'm looking at different properties.

MrFreeze, this is actually the easiest time, if you can believe it, to find rentals in Seattle. Summertime is more difficult, although you may be able to sublet some cheap "rooms for rent" as sublets in the University District in summer, like less than $500/month.

The good properties go fast. Good luck!

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by sunburned_in_seattle

$600-$800 sounds cheap to me, CrazyDonkey, even for shared rental, but maybe I'm looking at different properties.

There are a good number of listings in that range now in central Seattle, granted more toward the top end. I think $900-1,000 would be high, although still much less than what a 1-bdrm would go for.

A lot of older 2-bd apts have a larger bedroom and a smaller bedroom. If being squeezed into a "baby-bear" bedroom, you might be charged less than half the rent. A room in a 2bd/1ba will likely be less than one in a 2bd/2ba, for instance. Some rents include utilities, cable, phone, etc., some don't. Shared housing rents can also be more sensitive to downturns in demand, since the one seeking a roommate can less afford to not find one.

[MrFreeze2014]

Subletting a temporary place might be a good idea. I'll probably have to start my new job before I've found a place to live and I've been trying to figure out where I can stay while I look for more permenant digs. I was gonna look for a series of couches to surf on.

[Bolo99]

TS, that is a good idea. More info below:

https://www.couchsurfing.com/places/...States/Seattle

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by MrFreeze2014

Subletting a temporary place might be a good idea. I'll probably have to start my new job before I've found a place to live and I've been trying to figure out where I can stay while I look for more permenant digs. I was gonna look for a series of couches to surf on.

https://seattle.craigslist.org/search/see/sub