best way to search for apartment?

<p>i am looking for a southside apartment, around 2000~ a month budget, hopefully with parking. where should i look? and more importantly, when do yall think i should start?</p>

<p>now's a good time to start looking. craigslist and word-of-mouth, ie. senior friends or people who know senior friends who are moving out.</p>

<p>2000/mo will give you good options, especially on the south side. Of course, that depends on what amenities and how many bedrooms you're looking for.</p>

<p>Craigslist is the best, and certainly has the greatest volume. Word-of-mouth can help you find deals no one else has access to. Cal Rentals has its moments, but... probably not worth the $30 unless you're really desperate.</p>

<p>For rentals beginning this summer, now is a good time to start looking. The volume of rentals with leases beginning May/June or later this summer will increase exponentially in the coming months. If you're looking for fall term or next academic year type leases, now is a bit on the early side, but it doesn't hurt to keep an eye on the ads. Some buildings that are frequently populated with students run academic term leasing schemes, and they advertise very early to make sure they fill their spots.</p>

<p>what about on the northside near foothill?
I am looking for a 2 br or 3 br apartment for 3 people with a budget at around $2500 exclude utilities.</p>

<p>It doesn't go quite as far on the northside as it does on the southside, but it still does quite well. The main problem with it on the northside/downtown is that it's where all the big, brand new luxury apartments are, and they run $2600-$3500 for 2-3 bedrooms. But those are also only a few buildlings.</p>

<p>It should be more than enough for stuff up near Foothill, especially if you aren't including utilities in that budget. You could probably even find a smaller house at that range (though many start at $3000).</p>

<p>im looking for two bedroom for four people during next academic year, not summertime
im keeping an eye on craigslist and things arent really great over there...then again it may just be alittle to early for me
thanks for your info though</p>

<p>It's probably too early for next academic year if you're looking on northside, since southside is where most of the students tend to live. Right now, the biggest advertisers are the big new luxury apartment complexes and pre-furnished high-end homes for visiting scholars and the like.</p>

<p>Keep an eye out, but anything you find now (and probably before June or July) will be a rarity.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

<p>If I will not be here over the summer, do I still need to rent a couple months in advance in order to secure an apartment for the academic year? It seems like a waste of money, but I've heard that it's impossible to secure an apartment in August. </p>

<p>How early should we actually begin the lease for the academic year?</p>

<p>Yes, you should rent in advance and pay the rent over the summer. Most people sign leases in May.</p>

<p>Some places don't have leases, but you still sign the contract in May so that you can guarantee a place come August.</p>

<p>I found my apartment in one go, in May. Most people I know started looking in March though....that may be a good idea.</p>

<p>If you can swing it, I highly recommend staying during the summer. It will make your options much more appealing.</p>

<p>Godfrey covered the rest -- since this is definitely a college town, they work things on a college schedule. They want to secure as many people as they can for the fall term before the students leave for the summer, so they advertise really heavily March-April-May for summer-academic year-fall leases.</p>

<p>Whatever you find come August will most definitely be the dregs.</p>

<p>The exception to this is on a lot of northside. The majority of availability will indeed run around a college schedule (leases beginning/ending in May/August), but as the part of northside close to campus is far more "Berkeley resident" than the part of southside close to campus, you might also find a few normal apartments/homes/rooms available.</p>

<p>The bottom line is that if you find a good deal, you don't want to pass it up. If it means you have to swing staying during the summer, I highly recommend it. You might even be able to get a place with a lease beginning in May and then sublet it (and consider eating $100-$200 a month of rent yourself to make it more appealing) to a student taking the summer session.</p>

<p>Apartment hunting in the city is fun times. 9_9</p>