When you first come over, where you stay initially depends largely on your finances and whether you know people over here already. Of course, those with a large source of finance have the choice of places to stay. Those on a limited budget would best be advised to check out the accommodation section in the directory. It runs through a list of temporary accommodations, their pricing, and agencies to find more permanent living quarters.
San Francisco is an apartment-orientated city. About 65% of all housing units are rentals. For the past few years, there has been a serious accommodation crisis in San Francisco. There is a 99% residential occupancy rate and when people find a place they rarely move as lease prices escalate each year.
Having found a place, the landlord will go through a very strict screening process which involves credit reports and references etc. Usually, the first and last month's rent needs to be paid up-front as well as a deposit (generally in the amount of one months rent.) In today's rising rental prices, that can mean anything from $3,000 to $5,000 upfront to move in. Housing in San Francisco is in very high demand. Houses for sale are few and apartments rent very quickly. Many houses and apartments are unfurnished but you can get good, cheap furniture at garage sales which happen most weekends in the summer, or in the Goodwill stores or Salvation Army stores etc.
There are 12 residential areas; each with well developed shopping areas, schools and recreational facilities. The residential areas are all within easy access to the downtown area. Monthly rents generally range from $700-$1200 for studio apartments, $800-$1,600 per month for one and two bedroom units, and $1,600-$3,000 for two and three bedroom units. Home sale prices range from approximately $300,000 to more than $1,000,000.
The classified section in the local newspaper is a good place to begin. The Sunday editions are usually more helpful as they have an expanded classified section. Many of the newspapers now have website pages on the Internet and you can locate classified ads there. Try http://www.sfgate.com This is very helpful, especially if you wish to do some research from abroad. Many of the search engines like Yahoo http://www.yahoo.com and Excite http://www.excite.com also have a list of the classifieds. Other sites recommended by the IIPC are http://www.craigslist.org and http://www.sf4rent.com Do not hesitate if you see something you like as apartments are rented very quickly.
If you are close by a university, it is a good idea to check out their notice board as there are often students moving out or looking for a roommate.
Before availing of this service you must normally pay a fee. You then have access to lists of people looking for roommates, or apartments that are available to rent. Roommate does not mean sharing a room. Check out our directory.
Normally when you rent through a real estate agent you
will probably be charged a fee. A listing of real estate agents is available in
the directory.
Unlike Ireland, the majority of apartments rented here
are unfurnished. This is an important factor to consider when you determine your
budget. If you have the time and the patience your apartment can be furnished
quite reasonably; great bargains can be picked up at garage sales or second hand
shops.
Advertisements normally offer an apartment for rent,
sublet or to share. When you rent an apartment you actually sign the lease with
the landlord. When you sublet an apartment, you do not sign the lease, but
legally rent the apartment from the person who has signed the original lease.
Regardless of whether you rent directly from the landlord or sublet you should
always sign a rental agreement and keep a copy for yourself. A lease may be
optional but you should still insist in seeing one and signing one if possible.
Such a written document should define the terms by which a particular apartment
is rented. It is presented by the landlord to the tenant and protects both the
tenant and landlord by stating the rental price, and the time period the tenancy
will reside in the apartment and pay rent. Be sure to read it carefully before
signing it. The majority of landlords look for at least one month' s rent as a
security deposit.
If a landlord wants to evict you he\she must give you a 30 day or a three day notice. This notice must be given to you by your landlord, his representative or by his attorney. Immediately call for legal assistance if you receive a notice of this nature. After the period stated in the notice runs out, the landlord must still go through the court and give you a 5 day summons or an "Unlawful Detainer", in order to evict you. You will have a chance to respond to the court order, but you must respond to the summons within the given time. If you do not answer the summons or if the judgment is in the landlord's favor, and you do not move, then the sheriff can forcibly remove you from the premises.
If you have already found accommodation and are having problems, you can locate a mediation program in your area, get in touch with the Dispute Resolution Co-ordinator, Department of Consumer Affairs, 1020 N Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, (916) 322-5254, and ask the free copy of a directory of dispute resolution programs. A directory of non-profit dispute resolution programs is available from the Office of Legal Services, State Bar of California, 555 Franklin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102-44984.
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