The L.A. South Bay's #1 Rental Source
- What is the Los Angeles "South Bay?" What areas do you cover?
We define the South Bay as running from Marina Del Rey in the north to Long Beach in the south. For a full list of the Los Angeles California cities we cover, try our FREE guest search. See our map of the L.A. South Bay area to browse the beach cities visually.
- How long does it normally take to find a place?
Although most of our customers find a place within two to four weeks, you have access to the listings for up to two months should you need it that long.
- Why would an owner list with you and not the newspaper?
- Owners can advertise their rental properties with us for FREE!
- They can be as descriptive about the properties as they like, which is, of course, good for everyone.
- They can even post photos of their properties.
- Because our members have paid a fee to find them, owners and property managers feel that they are getting better, more qualified tenants.
- What is the difference between South Bay Rentals and other services?
South Bay Rentals is the only licensed rental search service that deals exclusively with the South Bay. We list more rental properties in the South Bay than any other source, period. Finding people a place to live in the Los Angeles South Bay area is ALL we do 7 days a week, year after year.
- Do other rental services allow access to your listings?
Absolutely not. Don’t be mislead by anyone who tells you that by joining their service you will have access to our website or our listings. We do not share or disclose our listings with anyone. Specifically, we are NOT associated in any way with Westside Rental Connection, South Bay Rental Connection or any other service. The only way to get access to our listings — the most properties in the South Bay — is to join here at South Bay Rentals.
- Can I see what kind of listings you have before I pay the fee?
Absolutely. In fact, we strongly encourage you to take a look at our actual listings either here on the web or in our office before you pay the fee. That way you can see what we have as well as what you might expect to get for your money. Try our FREE Guest Search.
- My credit isn’t exactly the greatest. What should I do?
Bad credit is certainly not going to help your situation. Sometimes a negative credit report, even if accurate, does still not tell the whole story. We suggest that you obtain a free credit report on yourself so that you can see what the owners will see. Try to put a positive spin by explaining things upfront. Were there mitigating circumstances beyond your control such as a divorce, an illness or the filing of bankruptcy by a spouse? Were the negative items from many years ago? Do you have a good, steady job now? Have the financial circumstances of your life changed? If so, you need to get the positive information to the landlords. Don’t wait for them to come to you asking for it. Include a recent pay stub or a recent tax return as proof of your current financial situation. A positive letter from your current landlord can go a long way as well. You might also offer a larger security deposit or an extra month’s rent if you’re in a position to do so.
- I have a pet, what can I do?
Trying to rent with a pet is difficult just about anywhere these days and it is certainly true in the South Bay. The harsh reality is that over 60% of properties will not accept cats and nearly 80% will not accept dogs.
While the outlook may seem grim, there are things you can do to help increase the odds in your favor. For one thing, not all pets are created equal. Is your pet small or older? Has it gone through obedience training? Is your cat kept indoors? Any of these factors can help make a difference to a landlord. Attach a photo of your pet to your application or bring one with you when you meet with the landlord. Getting a good reference from your current landlord, veterinarian and even your neighbors can be a tremendous help too. Perhaps the best thing you can do is to offer a pet deposit to cover for any damages. A good place to start might be to offer $100 for a cat and $200 or more for a dog. Taking these extra steps can say as much about you as your pet. After all, responsible pet owners tend to make good tenants.
South Bay Rentals has more pet friendly places than any other source!
- What is your success rate?
Owners are continually thanking us for helping them rent their properties and sending them such professional tenants. Today, nearly 25% of our customers come to us by way of referral. However, for the more quantitative minded, we offer the fact that while our service will have more properties than the newspapers, you will also be competing with less people for them.
More properties + less competition = higher success rate.
- I’ve heard some bad things about these types of services in the past. How do I know you are legitimate?
Unfortunately, unethical rental services do continue to exist. The California Department of Real Estate has for many years required that any service that charges a required fee for rental listings must be licensed and adhere to strict laws and regulations. For the record, our license number is PRA 00391.
Just last year alone, we listed over 10,000 rental properties and helped thousands of tenants find their new home. But perhaps the best endorsement we can offer comes from our own clients. Today, nearly 25% of our customers come to us by referral. We are proud of that kind of support and we work diligently to provide a service to our customer that is second to none.
- How do I sign up? And, is it safe to use my credit card on-line?
You can either sign up here online, over the phone or in our office. Credit card transactions over a secure site on the internet are both safe and convenient. Our website is fully encrypted and secure so that no unauthorized person(s) will ever see your credit card information. Still, if you prefer, you may sign up over the phone by calling us at 310-326-8109 during business hours and we will have you set up with web access in just a few minutes.
- Where can I get renters insurance?
Several firms offer renters insurance at competitive rates.
|
|
|
|
