<p>Re unscrupulous agents: My son and his roommate viewed a nice apartment in the North End using a rental agent. They were very excited about the apartment and were ready to sign a lease. The agent told them to meet him at the apartment that night to sign the lease. When my friend and his roommate arrived, the agent told them someone else had just signed a lease on the apartment, but he had lease papers for another apartment that was <em>exactly like the original apartment.</em> My son refused to sign the lease without seeing the new apartment. The agent gave various excuses about why he couldn’t show them the apartment at that time, but he finally consented. It turns out the new apartment was a basement apartment that smelled strongly of mildew and had obviously been flooded. Water marks were still on the walls.</p>
<p>While my son was looking at apartments, he found that the same apartment might be offered by multiple agents at different prices and different fee structures. For example, my son signed his no-fee lease directly with the property management company. That same apartment was offered by a rental agent at $500 more per month and half-fee. Another agent offered the apartment at $200 more than the property management company, but at full fee. This is common in Boston.</p>
<p>Too True mapesy. My son also had agents who would only show him a place when he signed something saying that he could only rent the place through their agency once they showed it to him.</p>
<p>Law student, Cambridge, across Mass Ave from the school. First, last, security deposit, had to show 2.5 years of lease payments in a bank account “snap shot” [$63,800] just to make application for lease. Two bedrooms, outdated kitchen, no dishwasher, nice windows, good management company, no noise. No elevator. No cosign. Building filled with law students. Parking $150/mo. There you have it. I guess the message is they don’t trust lawyer wannabes?</p>
<p>note: sold auto, cheaper to rent a car when desired.
loan from parent for snapshot, wire in, wired out. Whew!!! Love you Mom$Dad!!!</p>
<p>First , last and security has been common in the Boston area for a long time - just about everyone I know has had to do this for the last couple of decades.
Try outside of Boston a bit - Watertown and Belmont might work out. A bit farther out - Waltham, which is on a train line. There are two-family houses in the part of Belmont nearest Cambridge that used to often have students in them. You could get to Cambridge/Boston on the bus pretty easily in general.</p>
<p>Update: Son tells me he needs to have another cosigner, as in, they won’t approve me as a cosigner. So I ask him who other than me does he think will cosign his lease? </p>
<p>They told him that with no job I must show 4 times annual rent, so I sent him a savings account statement that coincidentally had slightly more than that amount. They replied that cash can be there one day and gone the next. (Hey, so can a job!) They also charged him $40 for a credit report. I will let him continue to work with them and try to find out exactly what they need. Just tell me what you need! I refuse to just start randomly showing them proof of assets. Bank statements? Brokerage statements? Deed + appraisal to my house? Jewelery appraisals? Just keep showing then stuff until they go “wow, I guess you have enough money” ? I am not going to do that. [/rantoff] lol</p>
<p>So sorry u r going thru this. I’m glad I didn’t have to cosign, as S did leave 5 months into lease. Fortunately, he did have a legitimate way to break lease. </p>
<p>Suggestions to move into suburbs is good.</p>
<p>At S’s new apt, he has a 6 months lease. He could very well end up there for another year or more, but he and I have learned lessons about leases. wHENever possible, try to go thru the management company itself</p>
<p>My S’s landlady gave him a lease with a clause that said the lease was still effective even if my S had passed away. Needless to say, we called her and nixed that provision.</p>
<p>I knew the student/apt. situation in Boston was bad, but this really brings it home!</p>
<p>So glad my S went to school in the midwest–large univ in a small town…tons of apts available. Ended up with 6 good friends renting an entire house that was freshly rehabbed, and slightly cheaper than living in the dorm. :)</p>