davisonuk

I will be moving to West LA soon. What's everyone's experience of searching for rooms, studios etc here? I've heard its challenging as a lot of landlords and firms ask for credit references which I cannot provide as I am a UK citizen.

What's the average asking rent price?
What websites shall I keep an eye out for rooms.

I have also noticed that a lot of landlord etc, do not like couples!! How do couples go about looking for places.

My budget is probably about $1200, is this reasonable?

Pulaski

Google is your friend - look for <rentals LA>

Web sites to look at would include padmapper.com, zillow.com, trulia.com, and Craigslist.com (which has a lot of junk, and attracts some iffy operators).

$1,200 might be challenging, at least in a decent area.

Noorah101

Your move may not be as soon as you think, judging by your thread in the other forum.

My husband works most of the time in West Hollywood (not sure if that's considered West LA). He rents a very tiny, old, 1-bedroom, 1-bath apartment for $1,300 a month. He and his brother stay there together and split the rent, otherwise he couldn't afford it.

I don't think $1,200 will get you anything very nice, and you might need a roommate.

Rene

GeoffM

If you find a private landlord then a good/excellent printed UK credit report might help (certainly did me), but a commercial operator probably not.

What makes you think this? Do you perhaps mean same sex couples (which I could well believe)?

$1200 isn't going to get you something that great. Having said that we were in a 1-bed apartment in North Hollywood yesterday that looked pretty grim from outside but seems the couple there are quite happy and it's nice enough inside. I'm not sure how much rent they pay though.

davisonuk

Credit report..aah useful to know!
Well a lot of posts I find are "single occupancy only" "no couples please". Nope we are not a same sex couple for sure!
Well for an apartment we would be willing to pay more, but that price I have quoted also includes houseshares. We aren't too fussed!

SanDiegogirl

What visa are you moving on?

From reading this post and the low rental you can afford, plus you are talking about a couple, presume this is not a job move?

Pulaski

See this thread.

SanDiegogirl

Sorry.... just read it.

thinbrit

We rented a small (1,400 sq feet) 2 bed 1930s Spanish style on Veteran Avenue, near Sepulveda.
It was $3,200 a month, plus $200 a month to bring our dogs and cats.

$1,200 is going to be pretty tight unless you want a bachelor, and without a yard.

This is the web site to use:
WestsideRentals.com | Rent SoCal Houses, Apartments & More

Noorah101

Oh yeah, my husband's $1,300 apartment does not come with parking. No parking space at all.

there is a small concrete courtyard shared by about 6 ground-floor apartments; no grass or private yard.

Rene

Sally Redux

West Hollywood is a gay-friendly area.

GeoffM

Not much good for an apparently straight OP who mentions west LA rather than west Hollywood though!

MMcD

Do you mean "West LA" or the Westside?
They're not synonymous - the former being a relatively small (and pricier) part of a much larger geographical area.

And given your meager budget - I don't know why you'd limit yourself in your apt. search.

But it looks like you've got more urgent matters to sort out right now - because without the visa....you'll be wasting your time.

Sally Redux

I was not sure why you felt same-sex couples would be discriminated against.

Sally Redux

Would somewhere like Park La Brea come under West LA? I really liked it there and we had a rent-controlled apartment. Not sure if you can still get them.