On the hunt for an apartment? Try these 9 Craigslist alternatives (2024)

Let’s get real: Craigslist is the best way to find an apartment in the Bay Area. Replete with loads of listings and images, it’s where most people score a home in the city. But it’s not the only place to look. If you’re looking for a pad in San Francisco, give these alternative outlets a shot. While they can’t promise you a sweet deal on a living space—the median rent in San Francisco hovers around the $3,700 mark for a one-bedroom apartment—they can offer you a slew of apartments to peruse.

Besides, no one should have to sleep in a bunkbed for $1,200 per month.

Apartments.com

This site, which is one of our favorite alternatives, has some exclusive features. It lets you draw your own neighborhood rather than sticking to the boundaries of a neighborhood that has been defined for you. (Ideal for large neighborhoods like SoMa and the Richmond.) There are property videos, 3-D tours, and more than 1,600 rentals currently available in San Francisco. There's also an option to plan your commute for each listing.

Zumper

Zumper has been making a big effort in the San Francisco market with an outdoor advertising campaign. The interface is easy to use, and you can check availability of apartments and apply to most through the site itself. It also vets all of its listings, meaning that you won't get scammed. Like many other Craigslist competitors, Zumper can suffer from low inventory, and many of its listings are from the city's bigger, newer buildings.

Apartment List

Apartment List starts the rental search process with an interactive questionnaire that asks you about your ideal apartment, from size and price to pets and amenities. It even double-checks your income to make sure you are qualified for the price range you are looking at. Apartment List will email you new matches to make sure that you see all of the latest apartments that come on the market, but the downside is that you're not allowed to see your matches until you pony up your contact details.

Nextdoor

It will only be useful if you want to move within your own neighborhood, but this local posting board often has ads from people looking for roommates. You can only sign up for the neighborhood that you currently live in, so it works as a great resource if you need to move but want to stay in the same area. Postings are irregular and there's no search tool, but you just might come across something here that doesn't show up anywhere else.

Padmapper

This site is based around a map search tool. It pulls data from several other sources, including Craigslist and Airbnb, to show listings. You can add filters to narrow down data both by normal search criteria like size and price and also what sites you want to pull from. There's also the option to add commute time. There are a lot of listings, but the interface isn't quite as slick as those on other sites.

Hotpads

Hotpads started out as a rental website but was acquired by Zillow last year and now shows properties available both to rent and buy. You can see how many people have recently looked at the listing and how often the listing's owner has been contacted lately, along with lots of stats about the neighborhood. It's easy to send the landlord a message through the site, but unfortunately many of the listings are weeks old.

Roomiematch

The slogan of this roommate-finding website is "We take out the trash for you," meaning that humans review all roommate profiles to weed out the "scam, spam, or scum red flags." The site uses IP addresses to determine a potential roommate's exact location and has "roommate behavior ratings" that delete anyone who sounds "insincere, completely off base, or completely unwell."

Roomster

This site allows people to look both for roommates and for entire places, something that many of the Craigslist competitors are missing. You can connect with other site members using social networks like Facebook to verify that people are who they say they are. Roomster has been around since 2003 and operates in 192 countries but still doesn't seem to have dethroned Craigslist as the place to go to look for a new roommate.

Facebook’s Marketplace

Facebook’s MarketPlace now comes with housing listings, including rentals. While the offerings are not as bountiful as the other sites listed above, it might have a home or two that’s not found anywhere else.

On the hunt for an apartment? Try these 9 Craigslist alternatives (2024)

FAQs

On the hunt for an apartment? Try these 9 Craigslist alternatives? ›

Drive around and see which area you'd like to live, then check craigslist and calling the numbers on the FOR RENT signs as long as it's not a corporation or listing site like westsiderentals.

How do I hunt for my first apartment? ›

10 Tips for Apartment Hunting
  1. Budget. Prior to touring apartments, know what you can afford. ...
  2. Consider the season. Most people choose to move in the warmer months so high demand can increase the price. ...
  3. Tour and Inspect. ...
  4. Measure. ...
  5. Ask Questions. ...
  6. Pet Policies. ...
  7. Research the community. ...
  8. Insurance.
Dec 20, 2022

How to find an apartment in California reddit? ›

Drive around and see which area you'd like to live, then check craigslist and calling the numbers on the FOR RENT signs as long as it's not a corporation or listing site like westsiderentals.

Why is apartment hunting so difficult? ›

One of the main reasons apartment hunting can be so difficult especially for beginners is because of the sheer number of options available. There are countless apartment complexes, rental websites, and property managers all vying for your attention.

What is the 30% rule? ›

A popular standard for budgeting rent is to follow the 30% rule, where you spend a maximum of 30% of your monthly income before taxes (your gross income) on your rent. 1 This has been a rule of thumb since 1981, when the government found that people who spent over 30% of their income on housing were "cost-burdened."

How do I get approved for an apartment in California? ›

A completed application form per adult - your application can be applied to one property at a time. Proof of income; such as three months of pay stubs, three months of bank statements, or tax documents if self-employed.

Can you rent an apartment without a job in California? ›

Can I rent an apartment without a job? Yes you can rent an apartment without a job. That's not a problem . As long as you have a good credit standing and can show income or savings and that you can pay for your place at least until the lease is up you should have no problem renting .

How to get an apartment in California with bad credit? ›

How to get an apartment with bad credit
  1. Show off your stellar rental history. ...
  2. Showcase a high salary to overshadow your bad credit. ...
  3. Have and continue to build your savings. ...
  4. Be honest (and communicate well) about your bad credit. ...
  5. Offer to set up automatic payments. ...
  6. Agree to pay more upfront. ...
  7. Use a co-signer.

What I wish I knew before getting my first apartment? ›

17 Things I Wish I'd Known Before Moving Into My First Apartment
  • Creating a Cleaning Schedule Is Key. ...
  • Don't Bring Your Best Cooking Equipment. ...
  • Your Roommates Don't Care If That's Your Favorite Mug. ...
  • Yes, You Can Overcrowd Your Freezer. ...
  • Claim a Shelf in the Fridge ASAP. ...
  • Dirty Dishes Are a Thing—So Get Over It.

How do I set up my first apartment? ›

Here are seven things to do to prepare for your move:
  1. Get Renter's Insurance. ...
  2. Set Up Utilities. ...
  3. Cancel Services and Memberships. ...
  4. Update Your Address. ...
  5. Make a Moving Day Plan. ...
  6. Complete Your Move-In Inspection. ...
  7. Get Your Rent Reported to Credit Bureaus.
Oct 19, 2023

How do you get big bucks on a small property? ›

Small properties pose big challenges for those who hope to hold more deer and mature bucks, but it is doable.
  1. Understand Whitetail Needs. ...
  2. Set Management Goals. ...
  3. Develop Relationships with Neighbors. ...
  4. Remove Non-Valuable Vegetation. ...
  5. Use Wasted Space. ...
  6. Create Bedding Areas (and Bedding Area Variations) ...
  7. Offer Ample Food Sources.
Apr 25, 2022

How do you hunt for a living? ›

Hunting Guide Jobs

If you own prime hunting land or can negotiate with a landowner, open your own private guide service utilizing the skills you already have. If not, apply to be a guide for one of the many hunting or safari services. Consider a guide school if you need training on how to assist other hunters.

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