How to find an apartment in Boston? That may be a common question that people usually ask, especially incoming students who are going to explore collegiate life in Boston. Finding an apartment in Boston is a tough task, as Boston is not only one of the most desirable cities in USA, but also one of the biggest college towns in the United States, boasting many famous universities and colleges. Each year, not only some of the locals, but also the students and the travelers from all over the world, leading to high demand and limited supply when it comes to rental housing, which creates a rental market unlike any other in the U.S. However, with the right approach, you can easily navigate the competitive Boston rental market and secure to rent an ideal apartment. This guide offers you valuable contents about Boston MA apartment search on timing, neighborhoods, budgeting, rental websites, tips, and much more. We will take you go through this ultimate guide to help you better understand how to find apartments in Boston.
How to Find an Apartment in Boston: Timing
When to Look for Apartments Boston?
The first step in finding an apartment in Boston is to understand the timeline. We suggest to start your apartments search at least two to three months before your intended move-in date, facing the competitive rental market in Boston.
If you’re planning to move to Boston before September 1st, you should begin your apartment search as early as 6 months prior. This is because the most desirable student apartments are often listed and rented out first. If starting your search in the early spring, you will have a better chance of renting an available housing in some popular neighborhood, such as Mission Hill, Cambridge, or Somerville.
For those planning to move to Boston after the September 1st time frame, like the late September, October or December, we still recommend you to start your Boston apt search two or three months in advance. Although the Boston renting rush time has subsided, the landlords will be eager to fill any remaining vacancies.
Regardless of your planning move-in date, starting finding apartments in Boston early and staying organized, you will increase your chances of finding an ideal apartment in Boston when facing the competitive Boston rental market.
How Long Does it Take to Find an Apartment in Boston?
Finding the apartment in Boston MA can be a time-consuming process. On average, it takes from a few days to a couple of weeks to secure a satisfied apartment. However, timing varies depending on the start finding date, season, and the area where you are looking.
How to Find an Apartment in Boston MA: Neighborhood
How to find an apartments in Boston when selecting from the diverse neighborhood in Boston? Boston is a vibrant city, boasting a divers array of neighborhoods. From Allston-Brighton to Back Bay, each neighborhood offers its own unique charm, character, amenities and lifestyles. Research neighborhoods that fit your needs, whether it is with convenient transportation, a lively nightlife, safety and more.
One of the first things to think about is the commute time, accessibility and transportation. Boston is a highly walkable city, but some neighborhoods boast better public transit than others. If you plan to commute regularly, can look for areas with easy access to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) subway system or bus routes, like Charlestown, Somerville, and East Boston.
Another important factor is your lifestyle. Are you looking for a lively, urban environment with plenty of dining, shopping, entertainment, and nightlife options? Or do you prefer a more tranquil and residential area with a strong sense of community? Neighborhoods like the North End, Beacon Hill, and Back Bay cater to those seeking an urban living experience, while areas like Charlestown, Jamaica Plain, and West Roxbury offer a more suburban feel and surrounding.
Safety and crime rates should also be considered when choosing the neighborhoods. Although Boston is a safer city, comparing to most of the cities in the United States, some neighborhoods in Boston have a lower crime rates than others. Researching the specific crime data of the neighborhood in Boston can help you make an informed decision.
How to Find Apartments in Boston: Budgeting
How to find an apartment in Boston when you have the limited budget? When searching for an apartment in Boston, it’s crucial to have a clear understanding of your budget and financial constraints. Boston rental market is competitive and expensive, so careful planning your budget and do the research on budget are essential.
One of the top thing is to determine your monthly budget for rent, utilities, and other living expenses. Experts recommend that the monthly rent should within 30% of the total monthly living expenses or the total monthly income. In Boston, the rent for a studio ranges from $1,200 to $4,500 per month. so you will need to ensure your income or your planned each-month living expense can accommodate the costs.
If you have the limited budgets on renting an apartment in Boston, you can consider to have roommates. Sharing an apartment with one or more people can significantly reduce your individual housing costs.
How to Search for an Apartment in Boston: Rental Websites
How to find an apartment in Boston before I reaching Boston? One of the best way to remotely find apartments in Boston is to use online rental websites. Those sites provide not only various of housing options, but also detailed descriptions, photos, videos, price ranges, and more to help you better find an ideal apartment to live. Some rental websites that are popular in the United States are as follows:
Zillow
Founded in 2006, Zillow provides the platform for buying, selling, renting, and financing homes. Also this site offers a vast array of search tools and filters to help users find the apartments, especially, there is an calculator on the website, which is useful to help calculate the housing price.
Apartments.com
This site offers just a box in the upper half to search, which is similar to Google. Apartments.com tend to provide newer, luxury and more expensive housing listings. But you can also filter the suitable student housing, short-term housing or the corporate housing.
uhomes.com boasts a large database of apartment listings, allowing users to browse through a wide selection of rental options. The site covers a variety of neighborhoods and price points to cater to different budgets and preferences. One of the standout features of uhomes.com is its ability to provide personalized rental recommendations, taking into account factors like budget, commute distance, essential amenities, and safety to suggest the most suitable apartments for each user.
Craigslist
It is the wizened granddaddy of online apartment searches in the Boston area. This site first local housing listings in 2000. There are varying quality apartments in Craigslist which is also worth checking. Besides, users can search for sublets or single rooms for rent on the site.
How to Find an Apartment in Boston: Creating a Checking List
After deciding the move-in date, residence location and budget, you will start to check the inner characters of the apartments in Boston. So how to check if an apartment in Boston cater your preferences? In order to avoid missing any of your personal preferences and the basic features that the apartment unit should have, you can create a checking list. Here we list a detailed checklist to help you ensure to find the satisfied apartment in Boston.
| Area | Character |
|---|---|
| Living Room | Floor |
| Window | |
| Ceiling | |
| Door | |
| Light | |
| Private balcony | |
| … | |
| Bedroom | Bed |
| Closet | |
| Desk | |
| Chair | |
| Light | |
| Window | |
| … | |
| Kitchen | Dishwasher |
| Refrigerator | |
| Microwave | |
| Stove | |
| Oven | |
| Range hood | |
| … | |
| Bathroom | Shower |
| Bath tub | |
| Toilet | |
| Sink | |
| … | |
| Shared Amenities | Fitness center |
| Swimming pool | |
| Elevator | |
| Garage | |
| Community room | |
| Laundry facilities | |
| Doorman | |
| Garden | |
| Rooftop | |
| … | |
| Others | Air conditioning |
| Heating | |
| WiFi | |
| In-unit washer and dryer | |
| Pet-friendly | |
| Furnished | |
| Smoke-free | |
| … |
Tips for How to Find Apartments in Boston
Start Early
Boston apartments are in highly competitive and it is recommended to start searching your Boston housing as early as possible, better 6 months prior. With starting earlier, you will have much more time to visit more renting apartments, make an informed decision and find the ideal apartments in Boston.
Be Prepared and Act Quickly
If you find an apartment you like, be ready to fill out an application and submit a deposit on the spot. Have references, employment history, credit score, and enough money for a deposit ready to go.
FAQ on How to Find an Apartment in Boston
How to find apartments in Boston with the cheap price?
In Boston, the apartments rentals are different in different neighborhoods. You can choose to live in Brighton, Dorchester, and East Boston which boast more affordable apartments in Boston. Besides, uhomes.com offers a wide range of cheap apartments in Boston. If you are interested, you can directly contact us for more information.
Is it better to choose to live higher floor or lower floor in the Boston apartment?
Conclusions are different according to various estimated criteria. Living in higher floor, sounds of traffic and other noisy commotion will not bother you much. Besides, you can enjoy the beautiful city skyline and breath more fresh air, compared to lower floors. In contrast, living in lower floor can move effortlessly and do not need to depend on elevators, especially during working days, which can help save more time. Also, the rental price of lower floors is more affordable than that of higher floors.
Do you need a broker to find an apartment in Boston?
Facing the competitive Boston rental market, if you do not have enough time to search the apartments and are in a hurry to move in, you can choose to enlist the services of a broker. With their experience and exclusive housing listings, you can save much time and have the legal guidance to rent an ideal apartment in Boston efficiently.
If you’re thinking about studying in the US, it’s crucial to find the right student accommodation. That’s where uhomes.com comes in. It’s a reliable platform that helps students like you find the perfect place to live in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and many other cities. So far, they’ve helped more than 55,000 students successfully find their dream homes.
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