Hunting for an apartment in Boston is tough. If you are a musician, your livelihood can add another layer of complexity to the search. For the student new to Boston, here are a few stories (and lessons!) to help with your apartment search.
STORY 1: DON'T BANK ON IT
There once was a bright and beautiful apartment with two (TWO!) living rooms. The owners seemed a little cagey about the cost of utilities, though, and when you mention
bank account numbers for your security deposit, they comment that "we
don't really do that. We'll just keep the deposit and return it to you
when you move out."Lesson: Know your legal rights. Boston landlords are required by law to put your security deposit into a savings account which accrues interest. That way, your deposit can be returned to you along with the interest if the apartment is in good shape when you move out. This is for the protection of the tenant. If the landlord will not be putting your security deposit into a separate, interest-accruing account, this is a definite red flag. Massachusetts has different rental laws than other parts of the country. Read up on your legalities to help you as you apartment hunt, and watch out for people who might not be renting legally.
STORY 2: FEE FI FO FUM
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful apartment with a lakeview, and it didn't even smell weird. There were no clumps of dog hair under the radiator, and no Insane Clown Posse blaring from next door. The Realtor says, with a twinkle in his eye, "this apartment is full-fee."
Lesson: What even IS a fee?! In Boston, if you use a Realtor to hunt for your new apartment, you may be charged a fee. The fee essentially pays the Realtor for the work that she/he does for you, and is usually equal to one month's rent. Sometimes the landlord will cover half (or even three-quarters!) of the fee, particularly if the rental date is quickly approaching, or if the apartment is in less-than-ideal shape. The best way to pay no fee is to look for an apartment rented by the landlord her/himself. This makes the search much more difficult, but it might be preferable to paying the fee. You can use Craigslist to filter out search results. If you want to avoid paying a fee, you will likely need to look every day (multiple times) and email or call right away if you see something you love.
STORY 3: I'M ON FIRE (Not really)
In a faraway land (Brookline), in a faraway time (last week), a beautiful apartment was rented to a magical prince. Even though the apartment had major benefits, like windows, floors, and a working refrigerator, there was one thing that made the apartment better and more wonderful than every other apartment the magical prince had ever seen: Heat Included. Lesson: Some apartments in Boston, especially if they are managed by a large company or are in a large building, include heat and/or hot water in the rent. This seems completely useless as you are moving your sweaty self into the place in August, but in February, when there are icicles forming on your fingertips, you will love it! Be sure to check which utilities are included before you sign a lease to avoid any surprises.
