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General-Anything-159 t1_iw6glkz wrote

I rented a room in DC while I was still in my home country. I used Craigslist and asked a friend check out the place for me. I also asked the landlady for proof of ownership and FaceTimed her before paying the deposit. The location of the house was very important to me. My colleagues who waited until they were in DC eventually found what they wanted but they had to live farther.

There are also a few Facebook groups to find apartments/rooms. Some people on there post about themselves to ask for rooms or roommates.

My Craigslist experience overall wasn’t too bad. I didn’t like how the landlady handled a lot of things but I don’t think I could have avoided that even if I was there myself.

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Human-Bite1586 t1_iw6hx20 wrote

Zillow Craigslist

Be very careful - especially on Craigslist but with any website. Some suggestions:

  • Ideally ask a friend/colleague to check it out
  • review the lease extra carefully before paying any money.
  • get in touch/check their Facebook or better Linkedin.
  • Run a Google search on the address and landlord name (just in case anything sketchy comes up).
  • get rental insurance
  • some AirBnN can have discounted stays if monthly, do check that avenue as well.
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SuperBethesda t1_iw6q5n1 wrote

Replying to [deleted] (#517,371)

Oh yeah that’s like posting news about gun violence jn the US and telling people the entire country is dangerous. Seriously, I don’t think you know anything about DC.

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SuperBethesda t1_iw6q5z8 wrote

Replying to [deleted] (#517,375)

Oh yeah that’s like posting news about gun violence jn the US and telling people the entire country is dangerous. Seriously, I don’t think you know anything about DC.

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SuperBethesda t1_iw6q7qu wrote

Replying to [deleted] (#517,383)

Oh yeah that’s like posting news about gun violence jn the US and telling people the entire country is dangerous. Seriously, I don’t think you know anything about DC.

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SuperBethesda t1_iw6r7q6 wrote

Replying to [deleted] (#517,445)

Don’t listen to this paranoid suburbanite who’s scared of the city . It’s a great city to live in. There’s a reason why it’s expensive, because people choose to live here for all the great things it has to offer.

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Vortex2121 t1_iw6s0tb wrote

Replying to Human-Bite1586 (#517,077)

Back when my friend and I were having summer internships in DC we found a place to rent on zillow. Looked like professional photos, but the price seemed almost too good to be true. We talked to the guy he sent us a form to fill out and wanted one month's rent as a deposit.

I googled the address and found the real, realtor. Contacted him and he said the rental price was double what the guy was saying. That that guy is a fake and to be careful.

So, all that to say, be careful with Zillow. I would ask for a virtual tour (via zoom) or something to make sure you can see the apartment/room before giving any money.

Also if you have Facebook, there are a few facebook pages for DC roommates, etc.

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Caroleena77 t1_iw6tx0f wrote

Please ignore the ridiculous person spamming this thread. Good advice elsewhere on the thread for not getting scammed on craigslist. I'd also check Hotpads.com and FB marketplace. It's a little early now for listings to be up for January, you should find more stuff as it gets closer.

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Emane123 t1_iw6wpmp wrote

Look up Wisconsin house great apartments for cheap.1400 and up

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MadGeographer t1_iw6y5g1 wrote

That’s not a bad budget. If you go a tad higher you might be able to get a studio without having to share! Might even get a fitness center and laundry. If you know DC and where you want to live you can also contact apartment buildings directly. Get the number and website of the management company directly from Google Maps but there are lots of sites like apartment .com that list those kinds of places.

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AnonyJustAName t1_iw6zqda wrote

Replying to Icy-Bookkeeper-2978 (#517,835)

I have a friend who lives there now and friends who lived there in the past, solid option, convenient and safe. Utilities included, gym, on red line and bus lines. Friend picks up extra $ cat and dog sitting for people in building.

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RevolutionarySun6431 t1_iw71gt5 wrote

Apartment buildings require 3 Months notice to terminate a lease, Jan leases should be starting to go up now if not are up already

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HelloCantaloupe t1_iw71tsf wrote

Since you’re female, coming from Europe (I.e. no furniture, etc) and only staying for a year, this could also be something to consider. https://tmhdc.org/

You could even do this temporarily until you find a room. Probably cheaper than Airbnb.

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natxos t1_iw757sp wrote

Don’t have any experience with them but OSLO DC had a few buildings around town that are specifically furnished with shared spaces and some look to fit within your price range.

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dman7456 t1_iw75dzg wrote

/r/dcforrent is a good place to look

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Caroleena77 t1_iw77ok7 wrote

Replying to Caroleena77 (#517,578)

Lol whoever that was reported me to Reddit and I got an automated message with crisis intervention links. I must be on the verge of a breakdown for thinking it's reasonable that someone wants to live in this beautiful, thriving city I've called home for 15 years.

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tooturtlesgetshells t1_iw79yje wrote

On facebook, search "washington DC housing and sublets" (something like that) and request to join. You can either scroll though or post about yourself with what youre looking for. The posting etiquette is pretty obvious. If you message people, i suggest messaging as many people as possible that fit your search. Many people dont reply, already found someone, or arent the right fit. Neighborhoods to look out for are George Town, adams morgan, mount pleasant, petworth, dupont, shaw, youll start noticing these, i like to keep google maps open while i scroll.

Im pro Craigslist myself and think its fairly obvious or avoidable of any risks. But in DC its never worked for me!! Mainly because people never ever reply or reply like weeks later, once ive already secured a home and signed a lease.

Also! Always facetime the houses and view in person.

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CeaselessYeast t1_iw7a05x wrote

I found my place in NW on facebook marketplace, I think it's a little better medium for finding houses trying to rent rooms vs. apartment buildings. Still have to do some due diligence as with Craigslist, but I like the interface a lot more and it seems a little bit more skewed towards younger renters.

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LivelyJellyfish t1_iw7d47t wrote

DM me and I’ll send you some of the Facebook groups for DC housing. I’ve navigated this twice now and have some good resources!

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heyhayyhey t1_iw7d4fu wrote

I would highly suggest Facebook. The group I found most useful was “DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland Housing, Sublets, and Roommates”. That’s what everyone in your similar age range is doing to fill a room. It’s also likely you can find one furnished

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bodegablues89 t1_iw7fk20 wrote

I think it helps to know the city a bit. I found my last living situation on Craigslist. It was a full basement with a living room, access to backyard and private bathroom in Petworth for 1350 plus utilities, but there were rooms in that house with a shared bathroom ranging from 750-900 plus utilities if I remember correctly, so it’s definitely possible with your budget. Facebook is probably another good place to find community.

Just be careful, because they’re a LOT of scams out there. Use your best judgment and I think you’ll be fine.

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soccerman55 t1_iw7xrql wrote

If you are moving for a full year (and only a year) then definitely try to find a place before you move as many places will want a 12 month lease (though group houses can be more flexible). If you don’t know many people in DC then a group house is a great way to start with a social circle. If you know people in DC then ask them if they have recommendations/know of a house looking for someone. A ton of spots in DC turn over via word of mouth.

DC is overall a safe city so ignore the other comments. Crime is an issue but it’s typically very targeted. DC is great and it’s far better than living isolated in the burbs.

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