On the “apartment hunt?” The Rental Girl Answers your TOP Questions!

Word on the street is that you’re looking for an apartment.

But where do you start?

Right here!

I’m looking for an apartment to rent. Can you help?

Yes, that’s what we’re here for! There are two things that you can do to help turn that “dream place” into a “reality place.”

1. The first step is searching through our current listings to see if we already have something that’s perfect for you. These are divided by regions. Each agent covers a certain area of the city. If you don’t see the name of the neighborhood you want to live in under the descriptors by the agent, scroll down from there to find “Search by Neighborhood” and you’ll find an extensive list of all the specific hoods in the area that will lead you to the proper agent. As we’re a boutique brokerage, thankfully, the task isn’t an unending one.
2. The second step is to sign up for our VIP list, which allows you to enter your desired criteria for said dream place. That way, any time there is a new listing that fulfills your specifications, you’ll get an immediate notice of it, allowing you to snag a spot for a viewing and get in on the literal and figurative “ground floor.”

Do you offer pet-friendly apartments?

Take a look at our comprehensive list of our available properties. Under each listing tab, you’ll see a short description to the left of the image. Right beneath the number of beds and baths, you’ll see that the property will include: Pets Allowed, Will Consider Pet, Cats Only, Dogs Only, or No Pets.

My price range is $x/month. Do you have something for that price?

If you take a look at our current listings, under each listing tab, you’ll see a short description to the left of the image. Right beneath the number of beds and baths, you’ll find the rental price. That is the monthly rent. If you don’t find one that fits your price range, that is our comprehensive list currently, so we recommend you sign up for our VIP List to specify what price range you are looking for, and you’ll receive an email whenever any future listing are posted that fall within that range.

What are the price ranges generally in X neighborhood?

That’s a tough question to answer as each property is unique.  For a better idea on rents, neighborhoods and general leasing help, check out our blog where you can find a plethora of great information: https://therentalgirl.com/blog.  We also suggest padmapper.com as a resource to find out what properties rent for in various areas. This is mostly just to get an idea of what you can expect, as the market can fluctuate based on many factors.

Do you have short term rentals? Furnished rentals?

We have the occasional short term or furnished rental, but are currently hammering out a specific link on our website that will consolidate all of these unique rentals. Most of our short term rentals are also furnished.  I would recommend signing up for our VIP list in the meantime to update you with any new furnished listings which will mostly apply to short term as well.

Do you do sublets?

At the moment, we don’t find sublets or roommates. In an effort to ensure that we place each listing with a reliable, responsible tenant, we only represent the housing provider on the initial lease signing, not in subsequent subleases.

What neighborhood is good?

We recommend you narrow down the neighborhood you desire to live. If you’re not sure which neighborhood you want to live in, you can utilize our blog, talk to friends who live here, and post on your social media. Also, if you’re moving for a job, consider how far you would want to drive for your daily commute and that can help narrow down the neighborhoods. Next, do some research and figure out a realistic budget for the area you want to live in. We suggest padmapper.com as a resource to find out what properties rent for in various areas. Last, keep in mind LA is competitive. Be prepared. You should have a complete application packet and lease signing funds ready before you start looking.

Do you assist with apartment searches?

We offer our listings to renters as a free service, but we generally don’t work with individual renters to find a property in LA.  If you don’t see something you like today, feel free to join our VIP list – it’s free! Go to our login page, then click the Subscribe tab.  You can enter your info and criteria and we’ll notify you as soon as we list a property that matches your criteria.

Can you keep me in mind for an upcoming/current listing?

That’s a great question. We get new listings all the time. Click here to join our VIP list – it’s free! Go to our login page, then click the Subscribe tab.  You can enter your info and criteria and we’ll notify you as soon as we list a property that matches your criteria.

Is this comprehensive? Or are there more properties?

This is a comprehensive list of only our listings.  If you don’t see something you like today, feel free to join our VIP list – it’s free! Go to our login page, then click the Subscribe tab.  You can enter your info and criteria and we’ll notify you as soon as we list a property that matches your criteria.  

Do you help find places not listed on your website?

We offer our listings to renters as a free service, but we generally don’t work with individual renters to find a property in LA.  If you don’t see something you like today, feel free to join our VIP list – it’s free! Go to our login page, then click the Subscribe tab.  You can enter your info and criteria and we’ll notify you as soon as we list a property that matches your criteria.

I reached out to an agent and haven’t heard back. When will I?

We offer our services to renters for free so our agents generally get a lot of inquiries, please give them 24 hours to respond. If you don’t hear back after that period, please email [email protected] with details about the property and when you initially reached out and our Office Manager will return your inquiry.

Can I set up a time to see the properties? Can I see them later when I’m in town?

Of course! I would highly recommend checking out our Rent Crawl which takes place every Saturday. It’s a great opportunity to check out multiple properties in one day! All of our agents organize and post all of their by Fridays at noon so you can plan out your day accordingly. Check out the schedule here! If you are here at any other point throughout the week, we recommend you connect with each agent via the specific listing that you are interested in. If you like two listings with the same agent, then make sure to request a showing for both listings on each listing’s tab. That way, you’ll get a response notifying you of the next showing for each listing and can plan your visit. Give the agent 24-48 hours to update you as there might not yet be a showing in the books.

What is the timeline for a typical apartment search? Are there deadlines for applying?

Properties rent fast in Los Angeles. Most landlords are looking for immediate move-ins. So be prepared to sign a lease that starts right away in order to be competitive. We suggest you start seriously looking 2-3 weeks before your ideal move in date. And come to each showing with a completed application package to help get your name to the top of the pile.

Can I speak with someone at the company live?

We do our best to include all the pertinent information and means of communication on our website directly. If you have additional questions, please email [email protected] and our team will do its best to get back to you as soon as possible.

Do you do sales, too?

Absolutely! We do sales too! If you have a house you are looking to sell, give our Sales Team Lead and Broker, Liz McDonald a call at (323) 275-9273 ext. 17. If you’re looking to buy, check out our sales page!

Can I see anything today?

Possibly.  All are agents work independently and have their own schedules.  The best thing to do would be to go to the listing you are interested in and click the Contact/Showing Times tab and schedule or request a showing.  An agent should get back to you within 24 hours. If there is a showing that day, it will be listed underneath that tab as well in a schedule format.

Can you help people from out of state? Out of country?

Absolutely! It might make it a bit more challenging in terms of securing the spot, it’s not impossible. So, when should you start looking? Properties rent fast in Los Angeles. Most landlords are looking for immediate move-ins. So be prepared to sign a lease that starts right away in order to be competitive. We suggest you start seriously looking 2-3 weeks before your ideal move in date. And though we rent to renters “sight unseen” frequently, we don’t recommend it. Our #1 advice to those of you moving from out of town is this: put your stuff in storage and rent a short term rental for 1 month (search sublets on craigslist.org, airbnb.com or vrbo.com). Take a month to get to know L.A. neighborhoods and research the rental market.

Do you list live/work spaces?

Sometimes, but you’ll have to check individual listings for that information.  Usually, downtown has some Live/Work options, however, as of this moment, we do not have a specific page on our site dedicated to those live/work spaces as our boutique identity doesn’t allow for a hyper-focus on these type of commercial/residential hybrids. As always, check our current listings to see if there is something that provides what you are looking for.

Do you work as a Renter’s agent/Renter’s broker?

We offer our listings to renters as a free service, but we generally don’t work with individual renters to find a property in LA.  If you don’t see something you like today, feel free to join our VIP list – it’s free! Go to our login page, then click the Subscribe tab.  You can enter your info and criteria and we’ll notify you as soon as we list a property that matches your criteria.

I’m new to apartment hunting. Where do I start the search?

That’s a great question! We get that question a lot.  If you don’t know where you want to live check out our blog where we’ve compiled a ton of information about LA’s neighborhoods..

https://therentalgirl.com/blog/top-10-tips-choosing-a-rental/

https://therentalgirl.com/blog/new-town-freaking/

Furthermore, talk to friends who live here, and post on your social media to get the opinions of those you value. Also, if you’re moving for a job, consider how far you would want to drive for your daily commute and that can help narrow down the neighborhoods. Next, do some research and figure out a realistic budget for the area you want to live in. We suggest padmapper.com as a resource to find out what properties rent for in various areas. Last, keep in mind LA is competitive. Be prepared. You should have a complete application packet and lease signing funds ready before you start looking, to help ensure you get that perfect place when you find it.

Once you know where you want to live and what you are able to spend, check out what’s available there by searching through our current listings to see if we already have something that’s perfect for you. These are divided by regions. Each agent covers a certain area of the city. If you don’t see the name of the neighborhood you want to live in under the descriptors by the agent, scroll down from there to find “Search by Neighborhood” and you’ll find an extensive list of all the specific hoods in the area that will lead you to the proper agent. As we’re a boutique brokerage, thankfully, the task isn’t an unending one.

The follow-up step is to sign up for our VIP list, which allows you to enter your desired criteria for said dream place. That way, any time there is a new listing that fulfills your specifications, you’ll get an immediate notice of it, allowing you to snag a spot for a viewing and get in on the literal and figurative “ground floor.”

We hope this helps! Happy home hunting!