Where to find an apartment in Monterey, California?

March 12, 2008 6:50 AM

A friend of mine is soon to start his dream job working for the metro system in Monterey, but is having trouble finding an apartment. He's tried craigslist and the various national apartment finder sites, to no avail. What other resources can you recommend for leads? He'll need a place that allows cats and that is close to the metro lines, but other than that, he's open to pretty much anything.
posted by kimota to grab bag (2 comments total)

Have you tried a local realator? A good one should help. Even if they do not get commission they would use the opportunity as helping a future client.
posted by doorsfan at 7:08 AM on March 12

It's going to be tough, as your friend has found out - Monterey is a small town with a low vacancy rate.

He might have better luck if he was able to visit in person and look around; perhaps take a weekend or even a Friday or Monday off work and spend the time apartment-hunting. That way he can apartment-hunt the old-fashioned way, which I knew people to use to good effect in the dot-com boom era when Bay Area housing was practically impossible to find. He should drive, bus/trolley or walk around looking for "For Rent" signs in windows of likely apartments or houses, or even nab a manager in a rental office, to look for vacancies. He should bring a copy of his credit report and a rental resume (yes, I know, yuck, but necessary in a tight housing market) with him, as well as his checkbook if he's asked to rent and put a deposit down on the spot.

Cal State Monterey Bay might have a bulletin board or a school newspaper with a few leads. (CSMB is actually in Seaside, though.) And he can also look in the classified section of the local paper, the Monterey County Herald.

Good luck to your friend.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 10:22 AM on March 12