Most places I’ve seen require a 6 month lease agreement and generally people prefer the option of paying for the extra month (or extending to a 12 month lease) and having the option of subletting rather than go through the trouble of moving out and going through the process again. (Those application fees can add up fast.)
I haven’t found any good doubles near enough to the school that can accommodate me for under 800 a month. Most of the sub 800 place’s are too far for me and the one’s I did tour were either unfurnished or have a discernible red-flag. I normally stay on campus until the late evening so having to walk a longer distance at night is not a safe choice and I don’t want to have to bother friends to help me move furnishings around.
One thing that’s been happening a lot is that landlords will post a below average price, collect applications, and then re-post the place at a higher rate until they wittle down their applicants to maximize their profits. I went to a one near Shattuck and Francisco for $600 that had at least 30 people in my showing. Lo and behold it was re-posted 3 additional times later with increased rates and eventually was taken off the market at the $900 mark. If your not from the area this quagmire is really disorienting and can be a hair pulling experience with the time you waste!