With the spring semester just around the corner, I am trying to figure out my living situation. Since living on campus isn’t an option right now, my friends and I have been house hunting. Houses tend to be cheaper than apartments but house hunting in downtown Los Angeles is just as hard as you would expect it to be. Here are a couple tips and tricks I’ve picked up since we started looking over a month ago!
1) A group between 5-6 is ideal. This gives you more options since you can split the price of rent amongst more people without having to find an eight bedroom place.
2) CALL rental agencies. The websites are complicated and often don’t have ways to filter all of the things you want. Calling the agency and letting them know what features you are looking for saves you time. They do the work, you write down addresses.
3) For everything that is dear, stay within USC’s patrol zone. It is much safer and also more likely your parents will agree to co-signing.
4) Try to find a street that is mostly student housing. I toured a couple places where my neighbors would be random adults living in LA and the places were not appealing. Also, with other students as neighbors there is less of a chance for noise complaints.
5) Be flexible. There is not a dream house that will check off everyone’s boxes but there can be something close.
6) If possible, bring a parent. These agencies know we are newly minted adults who don’t really know how to house hunt. Having someone with experience lessens the chances of being scammed.
Currently, I am still house hunting but there is one place we are looking at that hopefully works. Goes to show that this is an ongoing process that takes time. Wish me luck!
