As May approaches, we are entering the Los Angeles rental “peak season”! Are you ready to find a safe and comfortable home in this beautiful and competitive city?
Los Angeles is the second most populous city in the United States, with 4 million people from around the world. For those who come to Los Angeles in search of their own California dream, finding a house has become a top priority. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 60 percent of Los Angeles’ population is renters, while the city’s unrented vacant rooms maintain less than 4%. As you can see here, imagine the intensity of the city rental!
Renting in Los Angeles, especially near schools, has a so-called “off-season” and “peak season.” Generally, November to April, about the winter and spring periods, is the off-season, and May to October is the peak rental season. During this period, some students who are going to start school have come early to prepare, and students who signed one-year contracts last year have also begun to look for houses as their rental contracts have expired.
If you are looking for a home in Los Angeles, the following information may be helpful.
Set Expectations
When many people start renting, they only think of living in a location close to school and don’t think carefully about other details until they move into the rented apartment and start to realize that many of the facilities are not what they want and that they need to spend money on their own purchases. So, before you start looking for a house, I suggest you sit down in a quiet place and write down a few key ponits to find out what type of home you really want, such as:
- Live alone or with roommates?
- Sharing an apartment or a room?
- What is the approximate size of the room?
- Need to be near your classes or work, or can you live farther away?
- Do you need a kitchen for cooking?
- Do you need a parking garage or live near a bus or MRT station?
- Required equipment, such as dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, heater, etc., listed one by one;
- Do you want to share the living room, kitchen and toilet with other people besides the room?
- What living facility would you like nearby, such as a grocery store, bar, or fitness centre?
Set a Budget
The most challenging problem is setting a budget. In general, the budget for rent can be set at one-quarter of the monthly cost or up to one-third. In addition to rent, there are also tuition fees, insurance, food, transportation expenses, miscellaneous expenses, etc. If the rent exceeds one-third of the monthly expenses, I am afraid that every month will be very difficult.
The rent for a one-bedroom flat in Los Angeles is about $2,400, a two-bedroom flat is about $3,000, and a studio flat ranges from about $700 to $1,500. Rent generally varies with the location, size, and facilities of the flat or room. For those on a lower budget, you can also look for shared rooms, where several people live in one room.
Pick a Hood
After setting the budget and the type of house, the next step is to zero in on your preferred nerghborhood. Anyone who has spent any time in Los Angeles must have seen the traffic jams here! In a report by INRIX, a traffic data company, Los Angeles has been ranked as the city with the worst traffic jams for six consecutive years, so choosing a location near work or school is also something people need to consider.
Of course, certain schools will have regular bus routes that take students to and from school for free, which is also something to consider. If your school has such a service, you can search the bus route first, then you have more flexibility in choosing the location of your house.
In addition to the convenience of commuting, safety is another crucial point in choosing a neighbourhood. Los Angeles is the second largest city in the United States, gathering a wide variety of people from all over the world, the population is dense, naturally, crime is there. Therefore, it is essential to choose a safe community, especially for those who have travelled across the ocean to study and work in the United States； paying more for rent and choosing a safe neighbourhood can give you and your family a lot of peace of mind.
The following websites can provide a community security index for reference such as NeighborhoodScout, Family WatchDog, etc.
If you’re still worried, don’t hesitate to contact us. We are willing to recommend safe student housing in Los Angeles.
Find a Trusted Agency
With the specific housing type and community to look for, the next step is to start looking for a particular house. Los Angeles is one of the most active real estate cities in the United States, and many websites can provide real estate information in Los Angeles, which can be said to be dazzling.
Through these sites to find housing, there are many options. Be careful because some sites do not strictly check housing advertising, resulting in fraudulent tenants and fraud deposit events. If, unfortunately, we encounter this situation, it can be said that throw good money after bad; not only is the money gone, but even the house is not. I recommend uhomes.com; we will help you find a safe and comfortable LA apartment.
Another good option is to go to a real estate agent, but you have to pay an agency fee of 12 to 15 percent of the annual rent, equivalent to about a month’s rent.
Apply Right Away
In the United States, it is necessary to prepare documents to rent a house, mainly to help the landlord get the tenant’s personal background and prove that the tenant can pay the monthly rent. Once a tenancy agreement is signed, the interests of tenants will be protected.
These documents include:
- Photocopy of the first page of passport or visa, mainly including personal details and photos;
- Form I-20 or DS-2019;
- Proof of income: such as proof of salary or scholarship. Usually the monthly salary or scholarship needs to be 3 to 4 times the monthly rent;
- Proof of bank deposit: For international students who do not have a job or scholarship, a proof of deposit is required, and the general amount of deposit must be 36 to 48 times the total monthly rent;
- If there is no substantial proof of income or savings, some landlords will ask to find someone with a good credit history in the United States to act as your co-signer;
- In a few cases, some landlords also ask for a Social Security number (SSN);
Once you find a house you like, submit your application immediately. If you fancy several favorite houses at the same time, it is recommended that you submit more than one application, wait for the landlord or intermediary’s reply, and be not afraid of these houses being snatched by others.
See the Place in Person
After receiving the landlord’s consent, it is time to sign the lease agreement and pay the deposit.
Before signing the contract, it is recommended that you meet the landlord in person to make sure that the landlord is the real owner who has signed with you. You should also arrange to visit the housing you see as soon as possible and walk around the housing community to determine whether the place where you will live in the next year meets your needs.This is a key to ensuring you will not get deceived by an online listing.
In conclusion, renting in Los Angeles is not an easy task, but with patience, a little bit of time to do your research, as well as having the necessary documents and money ready, you can still find a good property.
FAQ
Renting a house in Los Angeles requires proper documentation, income verification, and adherence to local rental policies. It’s also essential to carefully consider the neighborhood, the condition of the property, and the terms of the lease before making a commitment.
uhomes: specializes in providing rental services for international students and expatriates. Its app has detailed information on listings that can be filtered and sorted by location, house type, price, and other criteria, making it ideal for renters with specific needs.
Craigslist: This is a non-profit website, mainly used for information exchange, where you can search for properties according to the price point and area you are comfortable with.
In addition, many sites offer a wealth of information on rentals. However, it should be noted that each website has its own characteristics and advantages, and renters can choose according to their own needs and preferences. Meanwhile, in the process of renting an apartment, one must pay attention to check the authenticity and safety of the property and the terms of the contract to ensure that one’s rights and interests are protected.
In Los Angeles, the rent price varies depending on the type of flat, location condition of the amenities, etc. If you want to know about the current rent situation in Los Angeles, checking the latest rent report or contacting a local real estate agent for more accurate information is recommended.
Overall, rents in Los Angeles are relatively high, and renters need to choose the right flat and location based on their budget and needs.
