8 COMMANDMENTS

photo by: Stefan – SF Intercom
article by: Samantha Rubenstein

The Eight Commandments
(because I’m not God)

Once there was a girl who packed up two large suitcases and came to a shining city on a Bay.  She was young and hopeful, and had rented an apartment for a month to give her some time to settle in.  Luckily, she got connected with another golden girl that was her age and together they were going to find the perfect apartment.

Unfortunately, the girl didn’t realize this was San Francisco, and with that came previous tenant recommendations, exorbitant rents, extensive credit checks and cut-throat competition.  After a potential roommate disappearance, living in an alley, getting asked to move out twice and living in a place with no living room she finally became a rental expert.

Obviously, this girl is me and here are eight lessons learned about moving in San Francisco:

Do get your paperwork in order: Standard paperwork includes: credit report, letter of recommendation from previous landlord, pay stub and resume.  Yes, it is extremely annoying to compile your rental packets and yes you will thank me later when you secure your dream apartment.  There are a lot of questionable characters in this city, don’t be one of them.

Do your research: San Francisco has the honor of being the second most expensive city in the nation and those who survive are savvy.  Natives know people want to live here and will happily overcharge the naive.  Take the time to learn what price is reasonable for where then don’t settle for less.

Do save: Security deposits are usually first months rent plus the price of another month, and sometimes last month’s rent.  That means you will probably have to shell out $2-$4,000 upfront.  These numbers are depressing and there is no way around it.  It’s the San Francisco standard and you are not special.

Do know your neighborhood: There are at least seven different neighborhoods in this city and each one has a unique flavor.  While you may think you live in a similar somewhere, you don’t.  Know yourself and the experience you want to have.  Are you a hipster?  Then the Mission is right for you.  Have a family?  I’d recommend Noe Valley or the Richmond?  Are you white, in your 20s and dream about your fraternity?  Then it’s all about the Marina, and these are just a few suggestions.

Do pack your realism: Unless you’re related to Mark Zuckerburg, or have Google shares, you will not find your dream apartment.  That’s ok because it’s worth it to live here; however, if you’re high-maintenance we do not want you here.  Be prepared to either get a roommate, go without a dishwasher, settle in your third choice neighborhood or (gasp) go to the laundry mat.

Do interview your roommate: While you can never really get to know someone in thirty minutes, you can at least get an idea.  Almost everyone has a roommate horror story, and I know people have ones about me.  It’s not that you’re bad, or they’re bad, but you’re bad together, or at least that’s what you tell each other.  Be smart and shut-up so you can hear your intuition.

Do minimize: What do you really need?  Certainly not that shirt you haven’t worn in three years or that juicer you got when you were on a health-kick?  Schlepping your shit sucks and trust me you don’t need it.

Do be ready to say, “I do”: Not ready to commit?  Well, sorry, someone else will, and they will pay more.  Apartments go fast and if you need a day to think about it then you don’t want it bad enough.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 22nd, 2010 at 12:00 pm. It is filed under Samantha Rubenstein and tagged with Moving, neighborhood, rent, roommate, Samantha Rubenstein, san francisco, security. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.