Los Altos, CA 151 Apartments for Rent with Parking

Located in the county of Santa Clara, Loa Altos boasts a population of 28,976, based on information from the 2010 census. Prepared for the potential cost? Good, let’s move on to the little details.

Preparing for Your Move

Practically all landlords will require a security deposit and a minimum of the first month’s rent from prospective renters. This shouldn’t be a problem for you if you’ve heeded the advice to have some money ready for this eventuality. Competition for vacant rental properties in Los Altos is fierce because the available vacant apartments are only a paltry 2%. This means you must have your security deposit and rent ready so that you can hand them over to the rental manager as soon as you conclude your negotiations to move into the apartment of your choice. Seriously, you won’t have too much time to go and think things over, since the probability that other people are interested in the same apartment is quite high. In other words, if you snooze, you will lose.

Prioritize

Which brings us to the next point – prioritize. Prepare a list of all of the essentials you want in your rental property to help you narrow down the apartments that will either work for you, or not. For instance, your list might contain 10 things you want in your apartment, such as adequate parking space, close proximity to nearest public transit and so on. Realistically, the apartment you find might not meet all of these requirements, but if the majority of the items on your list check off, then you might have a keeper. Also, if you are using the services of an estate agent, this list will certainly help in narrowing down suitable apartments.

Credit Checks

Most landlords will run a background and credit check as part of your rental application process. If your credit is below par, you might need a co-signee or guarantor to help secure that apartment.

Always walk through the apartments and the neighborhood, as a sort of inspection to see if the place is all it’s cracked up to be.

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Parking can be at a premium in some cities where spaces are challenging to find. Some Los Altos apartments offer parking options, either outside in a common area or within a private garage.

Ask about the stipulations around the parking. Those may include how many guests are allowed and where tenants park.

Some apartments may only allow parking in front of your own unit. Guest parking may be in a common area for up to one person.

If parking is scarce, look around the area before you sign a lease. Ample street parking in a neighborhood championed for its safety is probably fine. However, it’s probably not worth signing a lease if it means battling for daily parking for you and your guests.

Research whether you need a city permit to park in the neighborhood. Look into the associated costs and what to do about visitors who need parking.

Some tenants prefer garage parking near their units. However, an open-air lot may prove cheaper.

Keep in mind that the cost of wear and tear from parking outside can add up. It may be less expensive, in the long run, to look for an apartment with garage parking.