It’s time to start apartment hunting for the upcoming year — if you haven’t already. So we asked the pros for advice.
In East Boston, for example, data from BostonPads shows that real-time availability spikes in May. “You can see the increase in inventory going up and down in real time,” Salpoglou said.
So if you’re set on moving to Eastie, you’ll have plenty of places to choose from come May. By looking at the numbers (and the graphs), you can figure out when to start searching in neighborhoods from Allston to Roslindale.
2. Reach out directly to property managers.
Do you love a particular building but never see units for rent there? Try talking to the property manager directly.
“As a property manager myself, I can tell you: We usually know which units will be turning over before anything goes live online,” said Tony DiMarsico, broker and owner at NFP Realty. “In fact, I already have a list of Sept. 1 availabilities that aren’t posted anywhere yet. A quick email or call to a management company can sometimes get you ahead of the pack.”
3. Be prepared to act fast.
It’s not usually a good idea to start touring apartments if you’re not ready to sign a lease and pay the move-in costs that day. “The Boston market moves so fast that apartments can get rented within hours,” said Emily Downs, a real estate professional with Kingston Real Estate & Management in Brookline.
If you find something you love, come prepared with everything you need, such as a checkbook or enough funds in your account to complete an online payment.
“If you really like a particular apartment and it looks like there are going to be multiple groups interested, it’s a good idea to fill out an application ahead of your tour and learn what deposits, if any, are due upon application,” Downs added. If needed, you can even put down a deposit during the tour.
However, this maneuver is a voluntary way to give yourself a leg up over the competition. A broker should not ask for any money up front. “You are never required to pay money to take a tour of an apartment,” Downs said. “If someone is asking you for money to take a tour, they are a scammer.”
4. Don’t write off the duds immediately.
Some apartments linger on the market for months without being rented. When that’s the case, you have a bit of negotiating power.
“If you see an apartment that’s been out there for 90 days, why not throw in an offer?” Salpoglou said. You could suggest paying a few hundred dollars less than the listing price, for example.
“A landlord may just say, ‘OK, I’ve had enough,’” and rent it at a discount, he said.
Try sorting your search by “days on market” to find these units, or set an alert to track a given apartment for price reductions, allowing you to swoop in quickly.
The bottom line? Don’t scroll past the so-called less desirable listings. “The ones with blurry photos or typos usually get ignored — but if you’re willing to take a look, you might find a great unit that others overlooked simply because the listing wasn’t polished,” DiMarsico added.
5. Use summer sublets as a backdoor in.
Many tenants who rent apartments on Sept. 1 lease cycles are students, meaning they might leave the city after classes end in June. In those cases, it’s common to secure subletters for the summer.
“A lot of June-to-August sublets come with the option to extend, and those tenants are often eager to hand things off early,” DiMarsico said. He called it the backdoor in: Move in as a subletter in June, and then at the end of the summer, sign a Sept. 1 lease to stay there as a tenant for another year.
“You might score a great place and even get discounted rent or free furniture in the process,” he added.
6. Take a walk or drive around the block.
Ever see one of those cardboard “For Rent” signs tacked up in a window? Those are often the ticket to a hidden gem. Consider driving or walking around a neighborhood you’d like to live in to find one.
“It sounds basic, but it works. Some landlords still rely on those simple “For Rent” signs in the window instead of listing online,” DiMarsico said. “I actually found my own house during college this way — just driving around and jotting down numbers.”