Thinking about moving into an apartment in Boston? Don’t miss out on these 8 things you should know before you look for Boston apartments. Click here for more.
So, you want to move to Boston? Wicked, awesome!
Played out stereotypes aside, there are countless things you can learn about the city and its history.
However, during this exciting and hectic move, you should be focused on finding out as much info about Boston apartments as possible.
Luckily for you, you are in the right place! Read along to learn the 8 things you need to know before you start looking for apartments in Beantown!
Frequent Rent Increases
Cities are weird. For years a neighborhood will be relatively affordable or be deemed as a “lesser” neighborhood.
Then all of a sudden that same neighborhood will be deemed the new “it” part of town.
When moving to Boston, don’t be surprised by sudden and steep rent increases in certain neighborhoods. While it is illegal for landlords to increase your rent during a lease, nothing is stopping the landlord from bumping up the rent when your lease expires and essentially pricing you out of your own apartment.
When apartment hunting, take notice of the neighborhoods that have had a recent big increase in rent or are starting to trend upward quickly.
Plan accordingly for your budget and long term plans.
Take The Stairs
Every year on Patriot’s Day, the city hosts the Boston Marathon.
However, To Boston residents living in apartments, every day feels like a marathon. Unfortunately, if you want to be in an apartment with an elevator, it’s going to cost you a pretty penny.
Dealing with the daily hike up and down stairs from your apartment is something you’ll have to keep in mind when apartment hunting.
Do you take place on the 15th floor that you love? Or the 1st-floor apartment you weren’t crazy about?
The stairs also come into play on move-in day. Be prepared for a good workout that day.
You’ll want to avoid over packing and packing big bulky items like large sofas and other furniture.
Boston Apartments Are Hot Commodities
Good things may come to those who wait, but good apartments don’t.
Boston Apartments don’t stay vacant for long. If you schedule an apartment touring and then sleep on it for a few days before deciding to put in an application, you may lose your chance.
If you have your eye on an apartment, get it as soon as you can.
Even if you’re still deciding between two or three apartments, moving along with the application process on all the apartments is a good move.
It’s illegal in Massachusetts to charge a fee for an application or a credit check
Take advantage of that rule. Once you made a decision on which place is for you, you can always withdraw your application before putting down your security deposit at the other place.
Save Those Quarters
If you’re coming from a house, or from an apartment in a smaller city or town, you might be disappointed to learn this next fact about Boston apartment buildings.
It will be tough for you to find any Boston apartments with their own washer/dryer unit included. If you’re lucky there will be a laundry room to share with the other tenants.
Try not to get upset when you find out that you might have to lug your laundry bag to a local laundromat.
Just always keep your change and collect quarters whenever you can!
You can get $10 roll of quarters from any bank as well.
Roomies
This all depends on your budget, but be ready to accept the fact that you may need a roommate or two in order to afford your new apartment.
As we’ve been over, Boston isn’t cheap.
If you are on a tight budget the choices are liking to live outside the city and face a longer commute or live with some roommates.
Even if having roommates isn’t a necessity for you, it’s worth considering still. Your wallet will thank you and you will be able to put money aside – or spend it at any of the bars or restaurants.
Your wallet will thank you and you will be able to put money aside – or spend it at any great of the bars or restaurants.
The T Marks the Spot
Living near Boston’s T line is super convenient. The T line will take you anywhere you need to. Living in an apartment by the line would be awesome!
Here’s the problem, everyone wants to live near the T line. And every landlord knows it.
Finding an apartment near the T is difficult not just because vacant apartments are hotter than a cup of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, but also because they are even more expensive than your typical Boston apartments.
You may have to split a studio apartment with a stranger just to get a place near the rail line.
If you have your heart set on a place near the T, be ready to protect your heart from breaking.
Neighborhoods on Neighborhoods
There is Allston, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Brighton, Charlestown, Fenway, Financial District, Jamaica Plain, Kenmore Square, Leather District, Mission Hill, North End, Seaport District, South Boston, South End, Waterfront, West End.
If that’s a little overwhelming, here’s a handy dandy Buzzfeed quiz to help you decide what neighborhood you should live in.
In all seriousness, with Boston offering so many neighborhoods all different from one another and all with their own pros and cons, you’ll have to do your homework before moving.
Some neighborhoods will be out of your budget, some will be below, and some won’t be to your liking.
But with 17 different neighborhoods (and not including towns just outside the city) you are guaranteed to find something that will make you feel right at home!
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Like any big city in the world, Boston has a fun and vibrant night life, perfect for young professionals looking to let loose on the weekends.
However, when looking for Boston apartments, many people overlook the fact that Boston is one of the best sports cities in America.
This may be a huge plus for some people, but how does that affect your everyday living choice, you ask? Gameday traffic.
The Boston Red Sox, Celtics, and Penguins all play in the city of Boston and there will be year round sporting events that will bring people from out of town into the heart of the city.
Before and after the games the streets and subway system will be crowded so you’ll have to plan your commute accordingly many days of the week.
Did we leave out any tips that you picked up along the way? We want to hear about it in the comments section below!
Demetrios Salpoglou
Published September 27, 2017
Demetrios has pulled together the largest apartment leasing team in the Greater Boston Area and is responsible for procuring more apartment rentals than anyone in New England – with over 130k people finding their housing through his services. Demetrios is an avid real estate developer, peak performance trainer, educator, guest lecturer and motivational speaker.
