Relocating to Cambridge, need apartment searching advice (Boston: real estate, sublets)

[trup522]

I just accepted a position in Cambridge and will be starting in early June. I am relocating from St. Louis and was hoping to move up to Boston in late May to get settled in. I am having a lot of trouble finding an apartment, It seems like apartment hunting in Boston is much different than what I'm used to. I don't know what a broker is exactly but I see them referenced quite a lot. And it seems like most apartments are sublets around this time of year, or are rooms in a shared rental unit.

I'm looking for a studio around the $1200-$1500 price range preferably on the red line, but I can't seem to find anything that would work. It's very difficult doing this search since my wife and I have no contacts in Boston to help out. I can probably only make one trip before the actually move, so I'd like to make that trip count and hopefully have chosen after the trip.

Is there any advice you can give me? My wife and I are completely lost and don't have very much time to find something that will work.

Thanks in advance.

[MassVt]

Check out "www.boston.com", and go to the Rentals section. You'll also be able to find local realtors with websites..

As far as Cambridge is concerned, look for apts in the Porter Square or Davis Square areas. Both of these sections had Red Line access, and are fairly lively communities, with all the amenities. With the Boston area being flooded with college students, many leases end in May, and this would be a logical time to look for a new apartment. Be forewarned--many landlords will require 3-4 months rent up front before you can move in ( first, last, security, possible realtor's fee). Make comparisons--soemtimes, you can get a better deal if the heat/hot water is included in the rent...

[Verseau]

Among the places you've already seen online, what about them makes them "not work"? What are you looking for in a place?

The issue is that there just aren't that many studio apartments in Boston, aside from in the highly expensive core neighborhoods - and I'm guessing that most of the studios under $1500 in, say, Beacon Hill, wouldn't "work" for you (too small). There are probably more reasonable studio options in Fenway-Kenmore and Allston-Brighton, but these neighborhoods aren't on the Red Line. Depending on which part of Cambridge you're working in, a bus commute from these areas might not be terrible. Do you know the neighborhood of your job?

Most of the housing stock in the Boston area consists of large multi-level houses with separate apartments on each floor (usually 2-4 bedrooms). This is why it's so much easier (and more affordable) to live with roommates. There are always a lot of people looking for roommates to fill up those extra bedrooms.

The reason you see so many sublets this time of year is because Boston's rental market is closely tied to the academic year. Right now is actually a good time to find a place (as students start fleeing the city before June 1st), because many of those sublets can lead to a permanent lease in September. Finding a place for the next big vacancy date - September 1st - is much more difficult because you're competing with all the college students moving into town.

If you're looking at studio apartments, then you're mostly going to see listings by real estate brokers (whereas a vacant room in a 3br apartment is most likely going to be listed by the other people who live there). The advantage of using a broker is that it makes it easier to secure a place from out-of-town, because you have someone at a real estate agency doing the legwork to help you find a place. The disadvantage of using a broker is that they almost always charge a broker fee once you find a place, which is usually equivalent to one month's rent or (sometimes) half of that. You're also limiting yourself to the small number of properties listed with that agency.

Paying 4 months' rent up front is pretty extreme and rare. The majority of places, especially listings by owner, only require first and last to move in. When you start looking at apartment complexes and other properties owned by real estate agencies then you're more likely to encounter an additional security deposit.