Help! What are the best sources of off-campus single apartment suggestions

<p>S is looking for a studio or one-bedroom. As co-signers of the lease, we are more than happy to help with this search. We know about Craigslist. Are there any other good sources of off-campus housing ads? What scams have you encountered? Where are the best areas/complexes/places for UCLA student to live? Are there places to avoid? Our son will have a car, but proximity to campus is a definite plus.</p>

<p>Ideally, walking around should yield the best results, if you're looking for something in Westwood. I haven't looked so much at 1-bed/studio complexes since those usually don't occur in tandem with the 2 bedroom units I looked for this year. </p>

<p>Here are some that I remember:
El Greco
Los</a> Angeles California Homes - Floor Plans - El Greco</p>

<p>The Westwood 4 (Westwood Apartments)
Westwood</a> Apartments near UCLA for students, in Westwood California, Westwood Apartments, Westwood Apartment complex</p>

<p>if you're looking for proximity, the area immediately west of campus is recommended. it's where the bulk of off-campus students live. sometimes you'll see ads for units in this area on craigslist but the vast majority of them don't advertise beyond signs in the lawn because they don't really have to. walking around, as deuces suggested, is your best bet. also keep in mind that parking is severely limited in this area- if you do end up with a unit here make sure that it comes with parking. otherwise bringing a car is much more of a hassle than it's worth. </p>

<p>if your son is willing to live further away, there are apartments south of wilshire (maybe a mile south of campus and beyond) which are usually somewhat cheaper. parking also tends to be more plentiful here. further areas that some students will look in include santa monica, palms, culver city, and brentwood. rents and parking availability in these areas will vary. i'd really recommend craigslist over pay listing services if youre willing to look further from campus because listings are pretty plentiful for all of these areas on CL and it's free. </p>

<p>really though, i'd recommend living in the immediate neighborhood even though it's more expensive and even though it's something of a hassle. the proximity to campus and the <em>huge</em> community of students tend to overshadow the negatives. Streets to look on include Gayley, Kelton, Midvale, Veteran, Landfair, Levering, Strathmore, & Ophir. Also, i've personally been really happy renting a unit in a smaller, older building (which are plentiful in this area) as opposed to some of the newer tower-style apartments. the older units tend to be bigger and less expensive than the newer hi-rise units. most small buildings usually have at least one parking spot per unit and parking is usually including in the cost of rent, which isn't always the case with the bigger buildings. walking around the neighborhood is usually the only way to find these- they don't have websites and they don't usually have anything beyond a "for rent" sign on the lawn. but they're worth checking out. i've been in mine for 3 years.</p>

<p>Thank you Deuces and allie!</p>

<p>We are trying to find some of the less expensive units in the area right around UCLA.</p>

<p>"really though, i'd recommend living in the immediate neighborhood even though it's more expensive and even though it's something of a hassle. the proximity to campus and the <em>huge</em> community of students tend to overshadow the negatives."</p>

<p>I agree with you on this...</p>

<p>"Also, i've personally been really happy renting a unit in a smaller, older building (which are plentiful in this area)" </p>

<p>Which streets have these buildings? I am not in Westwood, and I would like to be able to tell S about these so he could meet the managers and get on waiting lists. These sound just right for his situation. He will finally have time to look this weekend.</p>

<p>all of the streets i mentioned have buildings like this. they usually don't have more than 6-8 units per building and look more like a house than an apartment complex. it's pretty easy to overlook them so he really will just have to walk around and see what's available.</p>

<p>they likely won't have managers on site and there may or may not be waiting lists- sometimes its open availability and first come first serve. more often than not he'll just see a sign with a phone number which will get him in touch with management.</p>