Los Angeles Rental research tips: We love it!

Los Angeles is such a big place, not all of us are lucky to be born there or grow up there.  Very often, urban centers like LA hold a key step in providing the educational or career advancement we need in our lives. I made a partial move to LA in college, but was still very attached to my home in Buena Park, which is where I’ve stayed for years. However, there are times I consider moving.

Something we all need to learn about sometime in our lives is the cost of renting places in new cities. I haven’t rented in many places aside from Los Angeles (and sort of San Francisco), which was during my last 3 years of college. Back then, my first 2 bedroom apartments was only about $1600 a month. But I was also sharing the place with 3 other people, so you can’t expect such low prices now.

According to Zumper, the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles, CA is currently $1,912. This is a 15% decrease compared to the previous year. Rent decreases seem pretty closely related to our current pandemic, though people who can choose to work remotely would often choose a cheaper city than LA to live. Given that live music is also not happening as much, LA has lost even more reasons to stay.

However, lower rents definitely make it a more attractive option. Over the past month, the average rent for a studio apartment in Los Angeles decreased by -1% to $1,450. The average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment decreased by -2% to $1,912, and the average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment decreased by -2% to $2,650.

Craig’s List 

Everything’s on Craig’s List and it has plenty of rental listings in areas all over Southern California, including Los Angeles. It’s probably the first source in learning what kind of places are available where. It does require a lot of actual research in person after getting in contact, but it is a good starting point.

Curbed.com

Curbed LA has changed over the years, from an aggregator with attitude, to a gossipy real-estate blog, to a trusted local-news source. Though Curbed.LA is closed, they continue to publish articles on Curbed.com. Also, Curbed LA’s unapologetically Southern Californian point of view will live on, as will the Curbed LA newsletter, which blasts into inboxes every other Friday.

RentHop

There are some scary stats on this site, but it’s important to know what areas are safe when renting in Los Angeles, which is known to have higher crime in certain areas. Crime and cost of living are important considerations in deciding whether or not to move and definitely not something to ignore.

Zumper

We didn’t have as many resources back in the early 2000s as we do now, mostly relying on other students and housing listings online. Fortunately, there’s a site called Zumper which is used by millions of renters to find houses, rooms, condos, or apartments for rent.

Zumper can be used to apply online and submit digital rental applications and credit reports with Zumper’s screening service, powered by TransUnion™. Their inventory is updated in real-time, so you’ll always see new rentals on Zumper first. Also, you can filter by location, price range, bedroom count, pet-friendly, or amenity and set an alert to get notifications when a new listing is posted.

Don’t forget your friends

Online sources aside, your friends and connections are the most important sources of information you can get on locations and areas you’re interested in moving to. They can give you an insider look on what areas are safe, nice, expensive, whatever… I think it also helps if you’re moving close to someone you know and want to hang out with in person!

Additionally, night life and culture might also play a big decision on whether it’s a place you want to be. I’m bigger on culture and art than night life, but I would say LA is tops for music lovers like myself!