<p>My fianc</p>
<p>Don’t wait until August! Check out Craigslist for Cambridge, Allston, Sommerville (Davis Square area).</p>
<p>You want to be careful with online services, though. I rented a place one time that turned out to be above a bar. They mentioned that it in the ad, but said it was quiet (on 3rd floor with bar on ground level). It turned out to be unbearably loud for a year. I suggest visiting at night, first (and walking the streets is a good way to find a place).</p>
<p>August is a reasonably popular time to move, which is good, but many tenants won’t notify their landlords they’re moving until June or July.</p>
<p>I think making a shortlist of apartments and coming to visit in June would be a good timeline.</p>
<p>The most common arrangement is a lease beginning in September. There are a ton of summer sublets available. But, there is availability at all times of year. We rented our an apartment in a two-family house when we lived in Cambridge and without intending to, we rented to Harvard Business School students each year – the tenants were women or couples and for several years running, they got married at the end of the lease. We now have a condo in Somerville that we rent and we are not on a September to September lease and there was no difficulty renting it. Generally June is a good time.</p>
<p>I have to say earlier than June is probably better in cambridge. We went apartment hunting in the beginning of may, and were a bit late, as a lot of the stuff that we had seen online had already been rented. I would say mid-april is probably the best, as that’s when most sept-sept leases have to be renewed. You might have a bit of trouble finding an August lease. </p>
<p>If your roommate has to go into boston every day, you probably don’t want to be too far out. The central square area is probably a good place to look. You could also look in boston, in the fenway area.</p>