How to Apartment Hunt?

Apartment hunting is a pain in the a**!!! My friends warned me it could take me weeks, if not months, to find a decent place within my small budget. Luckily, I had a lot of help; it took me one week to find my new home. :)

This post is intend for those that are looking for a new place and for my own future reference (when I forget what a pain it was to find a new place).

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Step 1: List your top priorities and must haves for the apartment (For me, it was safety, kitchen, and within 5 miles radius from work).

Step 2: Tell everyone you're looking and ask them to keep an eye out for you. I got many great advices that way.

Step 3: Drive around the areas you're considering. Watch out for "Vacancy" or "For Rent" sign. Don't be afraid to get lost because along the way, you may discover area that fits your needs. I ended up crossed out several recommended areas and my new apt is in area that was not part of the original consideration.

Step 4: Internet is your friend. I found my place via craigslist. And I found a cheaper alternative to westside rental: property management companies' websites.

Property management companies are better than paying services (like westside rental) since their job is to make sure their clients' rental properties stay full. Most of the companies have free rental list. You can also call them up and tell them you are looking for a place, they will point you to their own vacancies.

Below are lists of websites I used during my search.

For Safety:
http://lalife.com
(try find one that's high on both safety # and school #)
http://www.spotcrime.com/ca/los+angeles

For review of big complex:
http://www.apartmentratings.com/

For Search:
www.craigslist.com
http://www.ultimatela.com/apartmentrentals.htm
Classified section in all local newspapers

For L.A. neighborhood briefing:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_neighborhoods