I tried looking for a general relocation-type thread to ask this small question but couldn't really find one that fit. I'm starting CSU MUPD in August and currently crashing with my parents in the burbs. Looking to move out at some point but also might stick around with them for a bit to save money. Thinking I want to be out by next spring at the absolute latest.

 

Looking in Lakewood, Edgewater, maybe Coventry, maybe Little Italy, maybe downtown if I can get a good deal. The long row of brick apartment buildings on Lake Ave in the W. 110s are currently my preference.

 

I'm in a good situation because I can stay at home as long as I want so I can hold out for something good. Since I'll be a poor graduate student I figure I might as well go for a deal. Read online that in some big cities rents tend to go down a lot outside of the summer high season. One page recommended starting to shop in November. Do you guys think there is truth to that in Cleveland?

I think it's the opposite in Cleveland. In most cities, homes/apartments are purchased/rented in the springtime. That was my dad's busiest time when he was a realtor. But I often see the moving vans descend upon my neighborhood (Lakewood Gold Coast/Cleveland Edgewater-Cudell) in August or early September. They are a lot of young people around those moving vans. So it's possible those are college students.

 

Starting to shop in November (or even October) is probably a good idea because most of the college students have already made their housing decisions by then. Besides, moving in October is usually more pleasant than in November. :)

 

FYI: I just led an apartment search for an immigrant friend who is working a minimum wage job. My wife and I wanted her to live within walking distance of us, since she has no car. And we needed to find apartments where she could walk for the basics (groceries, household items, banking, cafe, coffee/tea shop, etc) and have access to public transportation for work and to buy items she needs less often (clothing, furniture, restaurants/night life, etc). There are some good deals on apartments in the area that fit that criteria, but some of the apartments are not well maintained. You can get a decent 1-bedroom apartment south of Clifton toward the Red Line for $450 to $600 per month. We even found a decent one on West 28th in Ohio City for under $600 that's within easy walking distance to Dave's, West Side Market, the West 25th commercial corridor, and 24-hour transit. But for her, that was too far from my wife and I. So she settled in a nice apartment in Lakewood's Birdtown which has tons of up/down duplex apartments in houses. She likes her apartment very much, and most of her neighbors are all from somewhere else in the world too.

I've been renting here since 1991 and have never noticed rents going anywhere but upwards.

The overall trend is certainly up but you can get downward price blips at different times of the year and in certain neighborhoods that are popular with college students.

I think it's the opposite in Cleveland. In most cities, homes/apartments are purchased/rented in the springtime. That was my dad's busiest time when he was a realtor. But I often see the moving vans descend upon my neighborhood (Lakewood Gold Coast/Cleveland Edgewater-Cudell) in August or early September. They are a lot of young people around those moving vans. So it's possible those are college students.

 

Starting to shop in November (or even October) is probably a good idea because most of the college students have already made their housing decisions by then. Besides, moving in October is usually more pleasant than in November. :)

 

FYI: I just led an apartment search for an immigrant friend who is working a minimum wage job. My wife and I wanted her to live within walking distance of us, since she has no car. And we needed to find apartments where she could walk for the basics (groceries, household items, banking, cafe, coffee/tea shop, etc) and have access to public transportation for work and to buy items she needs less often (clothing, furniture, restaurants/night life, etc). There are some good deals on apartments in the area that fit that criteria, but some of the apartments are not well maintained. You can get a decent 1-bedroom apartment south of Clifton toward the Red Line for $450 to $600 per month. We even found a decent one on West 28th in Ohio City for under $600 that's within easy walking distance to Dave's, West Side Market, the West 25th commercial corridor, and 24-hour transit. But for her, that was too far from my wife and I. So she settled in a nice apartment in Lakewood's Birdtown which has tons of up/down duplex apartments in houses. She likes her apartment very much, and most of her neighbors are all from somewhere else in the world too.

 

Yes I am thinking of waiting until Oct/Nov. Not only will I save a bit of money but not paying rent for a few months, also hopefully will be able to get a bit of a deal. I'm a little surprised about the W. 28th apartment being that inexpensive. Were you using craigslist or scoping out 'for rent' signs?

I was using Zillow.

Rents typically doint go down in the winter, units take a bit longer to rent though

I moved on ice once. It sucked.

I moved on ice once. It sucked.

 

Me too. It was a downtown Cleveland office. There was an ice storm and people were falling down on Euclid in front of our City Club office so I bought bottles of vodka from CVS and poured it on the ice. It broke it up, but the sidewalk smelled strongly of booze. And yes, I put the vodka on my expense report and got reimbursed!

Rent typically goes down from fall to winter because less people are moving at those times. One thing to take into consideration is that there are typically less units available in the winter months though, so it could take a little longer to find what you're looking for.

From what I've heard...There are far fewer options in the the fall and winter.  Most landlords like to keep the cycle ending and beginning in the summer for the university students but more importantly the residencies at the hospitals begin in the summer and these two groups swallow up most of the rental stock on the eastside.

Rents will typically not go down in the winter but you can get concessions for moving during an off time.