My S1 and two of his buddies will be working in Boston. They all just graduated from college. They want to find a 3 bedroom apt. in specific areas of the city, but would rather not find the rental on their own. Many brokers can probably find good places for them. Do any of you know brokers/agents that find apts. in Boston for no fee to the renter? Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
What neighborhoods? Areas near universities are pretty much renter fee required for brokers.
I would say they will have a very difficult time finding a place without paying a fee (equivalent to one month’s rent).
Areas like Boston, LA, Seattle… probably have so many people looking for a place to live that property managers/ land lords, don’t have to beat the bushes for them, they probably have to beat them off on the way to their car!
Have they looked online?
http://www.jumpshell.com/blog/boston/post/how-to-find-a-no-fee-apartment-in-boston
Ugh.
http://www.jumpshell.com/blog/boston/post/why-does-boston-have-rental-agents-brokers-fees
Yikes 
Thanks everyone. We are completely new to this whole apt. rental for a fee business. It sounds like from ek’s links that it may be better to pay the fee to get what they want, where they want to be. Thanks, ek, good info.
^^Tom: my S doesn’t want me to divulge neighborhoods on cc, but suffice it to say it would need to be on major T routes as everyone else needs. He’ll be working downtown and they want to be in the middle of the city & action.
I guess it would be better to pay a fee and at least know that they will be in a safe, clean place
^ I doubt they will be able to find something without a broker and paying a finders fee. S & friend just rented a two bedroom starting in Sept. (he’s in a sublet until then.) S also told me that there were very few places available left (but they were looking in Allston/Brighton because S works in a western suburb and needs to be near 90 for his commute.)
Btw, the finders fee was $2000 but S’s company paid it.
Good luck to the boys!
Thanks for that info., eb. Can you tell me which broker they used? Or can anyone recommend a broker to me? They also want starting in Sept., but his job begins in July. He told me he would be “couch surfing” until they find something permanent. He’ll be working in Financial district downtown. Gee, wonder if he could ask his new company to contribute toward it??? Never thought of that…
@chocchipcookie, broker was arranged by relocation service son’s company uses. Finders fee was included in his relocation package from company. His roommate also works in the FD. He was living with another friend in Roxbury last year but didn’t like the area. His roommate parent’s owned the apt. they were living in so rent was free but wasn’t worth it to him. I know where they will be living there is a T stop down the block so roommate will have an easy commute to FD.
Why not look on CraigsList for something appealing, that is offered through a broker?
The big turnover date is September 1 - good to be looking now.
S1 just walked in from playing tennis. I showed him your responses. He’s already aware that he’ll need to use a broker and his new company will not contribute, oh well
Thanks, everyone for your suggestions. He seems to have a handle on it (!!!) I’ll slowly back away, I guess! :-/
Good plan. Just have your checkbook ready.
We went through this last fall in Boston with my daughter, it is a super crazy real estate market. Each apt can have dozens of applicants, each requiring deposits so if you want to put in multiple applications, it means multiple deposits. Very limiting for those just starting out. So I concentrated the search on Craigslist, and limited the search to “all no-fee apartments.” Discovered when she kept missing out that you have to pounce on the listings as they come available, you cannot do this from out of town. My daughter was going to be in Boston on a specific Friday so Thursday I found the newest listings that met the requirements. Had her call immediately even though she didn’t see the urgency at first. Turned out the first appointment was for apt owned by the real estate company so no fee was involved. Lovely, convenient enough, totally redone, in her budget.
It was a process to figure it out. But it worked. She met the realtor first thing Friday morning and had the background check done by noon and the lease completed. It was all set very quickly. Good luck to your son, it really is crazy.
Thanks for your advice & suggestions…update: he saw an apt. on Saturday that will be available as of Sept. 1st, which is when they want it. It is in exactly the neighborhood that they want, across from the T stop. Perfect location. Now, the not so good: 4th floor, no elevator, of course. Small apt., small rooms. My S asked if he should grab it, and I said yes! They will pay the one month’s broker fee and the lease is for one year. He left that evening for a week’s vacation, but the other two kids are there to sign now. So if they take it for this year and then find something else they like better for next year, they will be paying a broker’s fee all over again? Sounds like a win-win for the brokers!
Can’t help you, but when I 1st moved to Boston w my girlfriend in '84 we had a Beacon Hill 1 bedroom apr on Revere St. on the top floor of a 5 floor walkup. We had a view of the Charles River from two rooms. It was $240 a month. It also had a roof deck where we watched fireworks, sunbathed and grew corn in a pickle bucket. The bldg had 10 apartments and the landlord told me he bought it a couple yrs prior for $200K. We lived there for two years before we met our future and current spouses. Whatever they do, it won’t be for forever.
Congrats on S finding an apt! They didn’t have to pay first month/security deposit to secure apt. - just the finders fee?
They are young guys. It is not going to kill them to walk up four flights.
If they move in a year most likely will have to pay another finders fee.
^^Cute story, rumrunner. Hope that landlord still has the apt. He’d be making a killing now!
eb: Again, it’s the very first apt. they looked at so they aren’t sure. I don’t want to be responsible for him not taking it, so I told him yes, grab it. My thought is the location is perfect and $100 per month less than what my S budgeted for (his portion). However, because it’s on the 4th floor and so small, they could look around during the year for something else. At that point, they’ll all be earning enough money to fund the brokers again Yes, they have to pay it all, first, last, security and brokers fee. :-<
But this is what they have to contend with for being in the middle of a very desirable city!
Oh, OK. The way you wrote made it seem like only the broker had to be paid to secure apt.
“But this is what they have to contend with for being in the middle of a very desirable city!”
Yep. But, as my H said to me the other day - better this (paying all the $$$$ for apts.) then him not having a job and living in our basement!
S will have to pay all his expenses next time he moves, too. It’s just difficult when they haven’t gotten a paycheck yet.
Don’t feel so bad, OP - my D is in a 6th floor walkup!
I’m not feeling bad for THEM—I’m feeling bad for H & myself when we go to visit! hehehehe 
Thank goodness he has very strong friends to help him move his stuff he just stored in our garage when he graduated last month without his mom & dad lifting a finger! Gotta love that! 
Oh, I understand, @chocchipcookie ! I haven’t seen her apartment yet!