I hate to say it, but summer is winding down and September 1st is just around the corner, Boston’s biggest apartment turnover day. Every year, thousands of college students and professionals move to new apartments on the 1st of September, but with the economy on edge, this year’s market is far from normal.

Typically, students start looking for their September 1st apartments beginning in January. Over the years, landlords have grown accustom to this trend and the expectation is that the majority of their apartments will be rented by June. This year, the apartment rental market has been strong, but it has been apparent that renters have really been doing their homework and taking their time. Renters have been looking at more apartments and spending more time weighing options. Early in the season, this left landlords worried, and when July hit and they still had excess inventory, some landlords were starting to worry that their apartments would be left vacant for the  next leasing year.

Thankfully (for landlords), the market has been very busy over the last month and Boston apartments are renting at a record pace. After speaking to several prominent area landlords and real estate professionals in the Back Bay, South End, and Fenway, it appears that they are all on pace to meet their historical vacancy rates of sub 5%.  Despite the break from routine, landlords are happy with the last minute rush.

For those still scrambling to find a unit for September 1, 2010, don’t worry, some (picked over) inventory still remains, and with landlords anxious to fill units, Boston renters are in a position to negotiate fees and other items.

There are many ways to find the best apartment, whether to rent or to buy. Here we’re going to talk about five non-newspaper ways to find Boston apartments. Finding an apartment in Boston is not always easy, with inventory sometimes turning very fast. Most people will immediately turn to the newspaper when searching for apartments for rent, but there are many other ways through which you can get a nice apartment that matches your needs, desires and budget. Here are just a handful of the ways you can find the perfect apartment without ever opening up another newspaper.

1. Brokers: You might be aware that there are many broker agencies that work with apartments for rent, oftentimes housing a team of specialists within the brokerage that focus solely on rentals. You can get help from them and they’ll assist you in finding something that is perfect for your needs. Keep in mind that they will oftentimes charge for their services – oftentimes not directly, but indirectly. If you have a budget to afford it, then you can easily get an apartment that has everything you need. This is a great option if you simply don’t have the time to carry out the hunt entirely on your own. They’ll search for you and you’ll only spend time going to look at apartments for rent when they find one that seems to be just what you’re looking for – in terms of budget, needs, location and amenities you’d like to have.

2. Word-of-mouth: Always keep your ears open when you’re on the hunt for an apartment. You can ask your colleagues if they know of any and ask them to also keep an ear out for you. They can contact their neighbors and if something comes up, you’ll find new opportunities you would have possibly never known about before. You will be surprised to know that this way you will be able to save lots of money as well, as you will more than likely not have to pay a broker’s fee.

3. Walking around Boston: Do you have an idea of the area you would like to live in? If so, get out and spend some time walking around in that area. Many times, owners place for rent signs in the windows of a brownstone or rowhouse, or on the gates surrounding a larger complex.

4. Housing offices: Find out what kind of local housing offices and services there are. You may be surprised at the deals you can find through these kinds of organizations. For instance, the Boston Housing Authority has several resources available. If you’re a college student, then you may want to contact the office of student housing at your institution.

5. Boston apartment referral services: These services aren’t particularly well known, but they are growing in popularity. They’re especially helpful if you are searching for apartments for rent on the Internet. The Internet is the perfect way to connect you to any area and you can find websites that offer specialized services to help you find an apartment in a distant area – ideal for students moving into an area of the city that they are not at all familiar with as new transplants. These sites will let you look for apartments based on various features like budget, location, area, number of bedrooms and other amenities.

If you’ve searched any Boston apartment website in the past few weeks, or even months, you’re bound to have run into several apartments for rent with leases that start on September 1, 2010 . So what gives, you’re asking? Why are there rentals for September already and hardly any rentals yet for June, July, or August?

The answer is that a majority of Boston landlords try to accommodate the school schedule by having leases start/end right around the September 1st date in order to attract undergrads, grads, and employees from one of the thirty colleges here in Boston. With more supply and demand for rentals on this schedule – and the turnover that comes with students who graduate, move, and/or switch apartments – it should come as no surprise that these rental listings are posted as early as February to attract the eager crowd.

Another reason for the focus on September 1st apartment leases in Boston is students are often out of the city during the summer and therefore can’t look at apartments during the summer. This means that going by the industry standard lease up time of 30-45 days prior to move in can’t apply to these renters as they need to start looking in May at the latest. Since the rest of the summer months don’t tend to apply to this school schedule, the advanced notice from residing tenants is not needed as the apartments are unlikely to be rented to students, hence the reason you don’t see as many rental listings posted yet for these (summer) months.

If you are looking for a Boston apartment rental for move in during any other month but September, I would suggest starting your search 30-45 days prior to your move. If you are looking to move in September, you can start as soon as you’d like, but get a move on it if you’re looking for an apartment near BU, Northeastern, Berklee or Boston Conservatory, they’re renting quickly!

Ah, Craigslist: Everyone’s go-to web resource for obscure knick-knacks, used furniture, job prospects and rental properties. In a post recently published on Unplgged, the tech-savvy branch of the DIY abode blog Apartment Therapy, tips and tricks are outlined for those looking to sell their stuff on the multi-city classifieds site. These pointers focus primarily on good, modest photography that showcase your hand-me-down wears at their best, and in their surroundings, in order to sway potential buyers. If detailed photos and descriptions are good for hawking your used furniture, why not apply the same logic to apartments and rental properties?

The Unplgged post led to us pondering Craigslist and its relationship with real estate in general. It’s easy to come up with a correlation between the user-generated postings and real estate listings on Craigslist, while making note of how the Unplugged tips can apply to real estate agents that need a little something extra for their listings. Listing properties on Craigslist can be a quick, cheap and easy way to syndicate a real estate listing and get it exposure not otherwise provided by a region’s Multiple Listing Service. A simple “FOR RENT” post for an apartment or home can provide just the boost a property needs to get it rented or sold.

But, with all good things free and easy comes temptation for abuse. In a post published last summer on Canonfire entitled Scammin’, it’s pointed out that finding real ads amidst the con artistry can prove to be a difficult task for consumers. In the post, three scams are exposed and it explains how these scams are designed to take advantage of would be renter’s who are just trying to find a place to live. Here’s a look at the top 3 Craigslist rental scams:

1. Scam number 1 is a rental ad that contains no name, phone number or property location and the only means of contact is an email address. When a potential renter inquires about the property they are asked to fill-out a rental application, send it back, and then they will receive more property information …but they never do. This type ad is usually a “phishing” attempt to get personal information, including a social security number, on a rental application for a property that does not exist.
2. Scam number 2 appears to be an ad to lease an actual home, but instead, is a ploy to get renters to move in a home that is pending foreclosure. In this case, the individual placing the ad pockets rental money without paying their mortgage company …all the while, the home is in foreclosure proceedings and the renter will be evicted once the foreclosure is final.
3. Scam number 3 is an ad to rent a property for an unbelievably low price. When those seeking to rent call they are connected with a rental agency that induces them into paying $170+/- for a “list” that has addresses of several unbelievably priced properties. Needless to say, the addresses for the unbelievably low priced rental properties do not exist or the properties were conveniently rented as soon as the list was delivered.

In an age where people prefer to tweet their thoughts or click a “Like” button on Facebook in order to form an opinion, websites like Craigslist are fast becoming a go to source for listing agents and renters, as well as Internet predators looking to take advantage of the naive. Thus, when using such sites to find bargains or list properties, all users should probably use caution since this is a medium that has been associated with scam artists. The Latin Phrase “Caveat Emptor”, meaning Let the buyer beware, has never rang more true.

Christopher Columbus Plaza Apartments (CCP), located at 145 Commercial Street in Boston’s North End,  is today flourishing as one of the largest rental-only buildings in the North End. With various one and two bedroom floorplans ranging from $1,900 to $3,000, CCP dares to be different from typical North End apartments.

For starters, the smallest floorplan is a 680 square foot one-bedroom, while there are numerous two-bedroom apartments in the area that can’t stack up to that size. To help put this into perspective, I recently showed a one-bedroom apartment in the North End that was 350 square feet – almost half the size of CCP’s.

What really sells people on this building is the outdoor space. The private courtyard, roof deck and balconies allow renters to spend time outside without having to leave the property. And did I mention that there are terrific views of Boston Harbor? This pet friendly, no brokerage fee building also includes heat, hot water, electric, and gas in the rent, while most North End apartments tend to leave these costs to the renter.

With pricing comparable to most rentals in the area, Christopher Columbus Plaza Apartments are truly a diamond in the rough.

Over the past several years I have been very closely in tune with the Boston apartment rental market. In this time, I have had the pleasure of dealing with some spectacular rental agents, and also, some horrible rental agents. It is this dichotomy that has led me to analyze the situation and come to some very logical conclusions regarding rental agents.

For those of you who have not gone through the licensing process, I would like to comment that Massachusetts is one of the easiest states in which to get licensed as a real estate salesperson. To obtain your license, one must take 24 hours of pre-licensing education from an authorized real estate school, which can be done in a single weekend, and then pass a state licensing exam. The required hours of education is relatively low compared to most states, and during my education, little to no discussion of apartment rentals took place. Some states, such as Ohio, require over 100 hours of pre-licensing education, which is over 4 times the requirement in Massachusetts.

My guess is that when the requirements for licensing were first created, the one-month “broker fee” that is oftentimes common in Boston rental apartments was not standard, and most agents had the goal of becoming an agent to sell property, not rent it. Coupled with the lack of salesperson rental education, this creates a potentially growing issue as we see increases in the number of real estate brokerage offices in the Boston area that rely heavily, and almost exclusively, on business models centered on apartment rentals.

I’m not here to knock real estate brokerage offices that focus on rentals, it’s the type of office in which I started my career, and it can be very profitable considering the average rental fee per transaction is in the neighborhood of $2,000, however, I do think that the pre-licensing education and state requirements to become a real estate salesperson should be beefed up. In effect, agents are taught about legal issues and sales transactions in a 24 hour course, then go to work for a rental company and are forced to learn on the go; hence the large quantity of part-time agents who aren’t quite sure how to handle the rental process as a trained professional. This leads to big problems for all salespersons and their brokers in the city, as well as renters, as every agent is a reflection of the entire profession – in sales, one bad impression can ruin years of hard work.

My solution? I think that the education requirement for a Massachusetts real estate salesperson should be increased, and that the additional hours should focus solely on apartment rentals.

Boston is the home to 27 colleges and over 100,000 undergraduate students. With a high number of those students residing off campus, it comes as no surprise to see an entire apartment building filled with a majority of undergraduate students. From Dexter Park in Brookline, Audubon Park in Audubon Circle, to the Atrium in Packard’s Corner, Boston University students especially, make up a good percentage of the residing population. BU’s tuition is priced at such a high level that it is no surprise that students who can afford the tuition can also afford to live in a luxury apartment building. The same goes for many of the other schools in the city. Why is it then that some landlords and apartment buildings chose not to allow undergraduates even when they can afford it?

Why Would Landlords not allow Students?

Of course there’s the perception that undergraduates will wreck the place with their parties and hooliganism. Moreover, when presented with tenants of equal financial stability, a landlord would rather not have to put up with the headaches that might come along with their undergraduate tenant if they don’t have to. Buildings like the Trilogy, Boylston 1330, and Church Park (to name a few) are some examples of these landlords. Since age is a protected class and cannot be used as discrimination when choosing tenants, even a 50 year old undergraduate student (who writes that they are such on their application) would be turned down from these buildings according to their “no undergraduate” policy. Student status is not a protected class, therefore landlords are able to discriminate based on a wide variety of criteria relating to students. For instance, certain apartments are known to expand their no undergraduate policy to include law school students. To these landlords, there’s nothing worse than a know-it-all law school student threatening to sue you as a class exercise. Again, law school students are also not protected in MA, and therefore, can legally be discriminated against when choosing tenants. Beyond law school students and undergraduates, the other most commonly, but legally, discriminated against class is the pet owner (see Pet Friendly Boston Apartments).

Ironically, many of the apartment buildings that allow pets do not allow undergraduates. Interpret that as you will. Some students have been able to bend the rules and work their way around these policies by having a parent sign for an apartment, however, this is not advised as it could result in eviction. The best advice I have is do the research to find out which apartments will allow undergraduates to live there before viewing an apartment.

Searching for an apartment in Boston with a pet can be a frustrating experience. Once you’ve made it through the small selection of apartments that will allow your pet, you are likely to find even further restrictions according to breed and weight that makes it near impossible to rent in Boston with a big dog. Some apartment buildings in Boston allow only cats, while I have yet to find any that allow just dogs—normally if they allow dogs, they’ll allow cats too. Even if you can find a place that will let both you and Sparky live together, you might find yourself shelling out an additional $30-$75 per month in “pet rent.”

So how can you win as a pet owner renting in Boston?

Know your dog or cat’s weight and breed and plan accordingly. If you have a small pet under 50lbs (fully grown) it’s likely that most pet friendly apartment buildings and condo owners will accept them. Weight and breed restrictions mostly exist for insurance purposes. Although cats and small dogs may be more likely to scratch the floors and walls, they are generally quieter and less potentially harmful to other residents. Larger dogs get a bad wrap for biting and louder barking, which makes it harder to insure a building that allows these breeds. If you have one of these breeds you will have to focus your search on condo rentals and hope that you can either: find a landlord sympathetic to your breed, or negotiate a situation that is amicable for both parties, which usually can be done by offering to pay an additional security deposit.

Know Where to Search for Pet Friendly Boston Apartments

There are certain areas of the city with more dog parks and therefore more pet owners tend to live in those areas. Brookline, for instance, has more dog parks than most of Boston, while the South End is known to be relatively dog friendly. The Seaport District, with its open lofts and spacious apartments, has also become a popular area for pets. The areas to avoid with pets tend to be those with more compact city living: Downtown Crossing, Chinatown, the North End, and Copley Square / Prudential are not particularly pet friendly places to live compared with other areas of the city. This shouldn’t come as a surprise as the size of most apartments in these areas hardly accommodates more than one human, let alone humans living with pets.

My suggestion for large dog owners: buy a condo! Rarely do you see condo associations with the same pet weight and breed restrictions as you do with rentals.

Historically, apartment rental turnover is at its peak throughout the summer up until the city’s busiest move in day—September 1st.   During the recent tough economic times and a flailing nationwide housing market, the seasonality and influx of college students created20 a relatively stable volume of apartment rentals; however, it did affect the price tags.

MLS (Multiple Listing Service) data will have you believe that the average monthly rental price from 6/1/2009 to 9/1/2009 was $2,293, which is the same as the amount paid during the same period in 2008. What is neglected to be told in this data, besides the fact that it covers such a small percentage of the overall rental market, is that in many cases, landlords have been picking up some, or all, of the tab for brokerage fees.  Broker fees generally cost the landlord or tenant (or a combination of both) one month’s rent paid upfront at the time of lease signing.  In 2008, and even more so in 2007, I saw more tenants picking up the bill over landlords–however having seen it first hand–this year’s rental season was dominated by negotiation and landlords paying or splitting broker fees.  With broker fees typically amounting to as much as one month’s rent, the indirect result would raise average 2008 rents to roughly $2,500, making 2009 numbers look far less stable.  However, a difference of roughly $200 per month is unfortunately not the only issue that landlords have negotiated on.

Over recent months, landlords have taken fewer security deposits and/or last month’s rent, as well as offered more concessions, and they still saw their properties sit on the rental market for roughly 12 days longer than last year.  The first point is an obvious one. With unemployment so high and our national savings rate increasing, it’s no wonder that renters are no longer willing to shell out four months of rent upfront. Secondly, concessions have come in a variety of forms, but most recently in the form of free rent for up to two months.  Luxury apartment buildings like the Watermark in Kendall Square and the Atrium by BU are currently using this technique to fill their vacancies in hopes that they will avoid leaving units vacant during the winter when rental turnover really dies down.  Some other forms have included waived amenities fees, including certain utilities, and discounted parking.

With all of these concessions and lowered upfront costs, you’d be surprised that apartments are lingering on the market, however, given that asking rents have hardly changed year over year, it’s clear that there are more behind the scenes negotiations rather than overtly advertised deals. That, and of course, people want to save more money and spend less on housing and retail–and just about anything else–and are willing to settle for that smaller apartment or less expensive pair of shoes in the name of saving. I see this savings trend as a positive for long-term growth, and believe that while it’s the landlords who suffer now (to the renter’s benefit), they will see plenty of upside in rents within upcoming years once we’ve all stockpiled enough of our money. Until then, happy renting!

“Regarding the payment, you will be instructed to deposit the amount to a Move.com Agent from [the] United Kingdom. They will hold and insure your money until you check the apartment and decide if you want take it or not. That is how their buyer protection policy works.”

An apartment rental scam is infiltrating Boston, and has largely focused on apartments in the Financial District, namely Broad Street, according to several potential victims who have provided details of their ordeals.

The scam ensues by luring potential renters to respond to a Craigslist advertisement for a high-end Financial District condo that is being offered for rent at a very (unreasonably) attractive price.  The landlord claims that they are in a foreign country, and that in order to preview the unit, the keys will be sent to the prospective renter after a deposit is made – the landlord claims that the “only problem is that I`m the only person who has the keys and I have nobody in [the] United States that could show you the condo. In order to check [it out]”.  To get the keys, the renter must provide a deposit to the landlord, which is facilitated by a website (move.com),  and once the website is holding the funds it is claimed that the keys will be sent.  The landlord claims that “If you do not want to rent the apartment the funds will be returned to you”.  Luckily, we are not aware of any renters who went so far as to send a deposit.

In the most recent account, a potential renter was responding to an advertisement for a unit at the Folio (a full-service luxury condo development) located at 80 Broad Street in the heart of Boston’s Financial District.  A two-bedroom two-bathroom condo was being advertised for rent for $800 per month.  There were several context clues in the advertisement and email exchange that followed between the renter and landlord that pointed to the fact that this was a scam.  For instance, Folio opened to residents in 2006, however, the landlord states in email communication that they have lived in the unit for 5 years.  The pictures of the unit, while they represent a higher-end condominium, do not accurately reflect the Folio’s interiors.  Lastly, no unit number was provided in either the advertisement or any follow on communications, and monthly rent at $800 is unheard of in the downtown Boston market.

There are legitimate rental units available in the Financial District currently, but nonetheless, renters should proceed with caution should they experience anything similar to the apartment rental scam experienced recently by several Bostonians.