<p>My daughter, a freshman MT major, is currently searching for an apartment close to BoCo as she wants to move off campus next year with two other students. She’s checking out the recommended BoCo resources for off campus housing (realtors, newspapers, students, etc.). I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations they’d be willing to share. Thanks!</p>
<p>My D graduated in 2011 and we went with the recommended sources and we were very happy.</p>
<p>Thanks @beenthereMTdad. My daughter just found a two bedroom split very close to BoCo. Let’s hope it’s not too much of a dive! LOL</p>
<p>Where is it?</p>
<p>Sent you a PM</p>
<p>There is also some kind of lottery for apartments that is MUCH cheaper than other routes. I will need to see exactly how it works but my son’s Freshman year at BoCo he locked in an apartment on Westland, I believe with Boston Realty, and they made us pay 4 MONTHS of rent up front (in February!!!) - 1st, last, security deposit, broker’s fee. The lottery only made us pay something like a $500 deposit (that may have been $1000 divided by my son and his roommate). Point being, I had a ton of money tied up 7 months before my kid would even move in. Have you child ask around.</p>
<p>The lottery you mentioned I believe to be the upper class housing option. When I looked into it a ways back it was further then I wanted my daughter to travel back and forth.</p>
<p>We had to pay the first month’s rent when signing the lease, and the last month’s rent and finder’s fee is due soon. From what I understand, this is pretty common but nonetheless painful (financially)! The apartment is close to campus, and that was important to us from a safety standpoint.</p>
<p>We had the same thing but because it was a 2BR it was only 1/2 of first, last, broker, security.</p>
<p>We had the same scenario… 2 bedroom split (living room converted to a bedroom), so three roommates to divide the fees.</p>
<p>My D has rented two apartments and we never paid a fee.</p>
<p>Care to share any details @skwidjymom?</p>
<p>I misspoke when I called it a lottery. My son was on a waitlist. His apartment is literally straight across the street from the theater building on Heminway. It could not be closer and he loves it. He did have to endure some remodeling they did a month after he moved in - they literally tore out the entire kitchen and a wall and converted the 1+ into a 2 bedroom by adding a closet to the +. They had no use of the kitchen for a month and were credited $400 for their trouble. But then they were given a renewal contract a month after that which included a $75 a month rent increase for next year! Ha ha!</p>
<p>The landlords in Boston have you by the short hairs!!! But like I said, beware of some of these companies. The fees my son paid the first year he rented an apartment were SICK SICK SICK!!! Last year it was Boston Realty. This year he is with Forrest Properties and they are pretty nice.</p>
<p>My D is at Berklee and is switching apartments next year. This year she shares a studio apartment with a roommate that goes to BU, and they can both walk to their campuses in 10 minutes or so. The studio was small, but they are friends and sharing wasn’t much worse than a dorm that they shared the year before, plus they had their own kitchen and bathroom. Her monthly rate was $650/month or $1300/month for the two of them. They did not have to pay a fee, but they both moved into the place in January, so maybe being off season seemed to be a buyer’s market. (Hub Realty was her realtor and they were extremely generous with their time in showing places.)</p>
<p>Now they are moving to another place whee they each have their own bedroom (great security, still on T route towards BU and Berklee) and will pay $900/month each, but this time they do have to pay add’l fees.</p>
<p>They worked with a realtor to find a place, and he showed them many options, but in the end they were happy to have a place that met all their needs, even though Boston apartments in that area are so expensive.</p>
<p>If your daughter already has a roommate lined up, but needs a place, then working with a realtor is the easiest. If she just wants pay her share of rent in an apartment where someone already found the place, then she may have luck with the Boston ProArts Connect website.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses MTPOPS and SnowflakeVT. I appreciate the information and will keep in mind if we need to find a new place next year. I’m hoping that the roommates will be compatible (for the next three years) and this will be the one and only time we’ll be searching for an apartment in Boston!</p>
<p>My kid handled everything herself (except for paying for it!) so I can offer no details. She is now in a nice building down on Hemenway across from Northeastern’s cafeteria. It is expensive but you pay for proximity…given the schedules these kids keep you want them as close to school as possible.</p>
<p>^^^^ Agreed. Because there are always late nights.</p>