New in SF A guide for Belgians in San Francisco Made by Julie Coorevits
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Section 8 of 12

Housing

Finding a place in a tough market, where to look, what to check and what to do after you sign.

Finding an apartment in San Francisco is genuinely hard, so give yourself a head start and don't get discouraged. Landlords mostly want to be sure you can pay.

Finding a place

  • It is extremely difficult to find an apartment, so start early.
  • No credit score yet? Provide proof of monthly income, or ask your bank at home for a statement showing your savings. Landlords mainly want to know you can pay.
  • If you are struggling to get selected, offer to pay a couple of months upfront.
  • Arthur, a fellow Belgian, made a helpful site: apartmenthunter3000.com.
  • Useful sites: Zillow, apartments.com and Craigslist. Watch out for scams. You can also ask in WhatsApp or Facebook groups about taking over someone's lease.
  • Prices are rising fast.
Neighborhood1 bedroom2 bedroom
Mission Bay$4,000 to $4,500$5,500 to $6,500
Marina$4,200 to $4,700$6,000 to $6,800
North Beach$4,000 to $4,300around $5,400
Hayes Valley$4,000 to $4,300$5,300 to $5,700
Citywide averagearound $3,800around $4,970
Rough monthly rents by neighborhood (August 2026).
Illustrated map of San Francisco neighborhoods
San Francisco neighborhoods.

Neighborhoods and areas to avoid

  • Tenderloin.
  • Market Street (from 5th to 9th).
  • The BART station surroundings at Civic Center and 16th Street Mission.

Conditions are extremely block by block in SF. A street can change character within a single block, so the real advice is to walk the exact address at different times of day, including after dark, before signing a lease.

What to check when visiting an apartment

  • Heat. The sun is strong and many places have no air conditioning. You often don't need AC, but a unit with lots of windows can get very hot.
  • Noise from cars and highways. Landlords sometimes add water fountains or fake bird sounds to mask this during a viewing, so listen carefully.
  • Trash collection. It is often scheduled per area, once a week on each side of the street and it can be loud if you have single pane windows.
  • The Muni tram. It can be very loud if you live close to it, especially where it rings at busy crossroads.

After you sign

  • Utilities: PG&E handles gas and electricity.
  • Home internet: common options are Xfinity and AT&T, with Sonic a popular local provider.
  • Renters insurance: landlords often require it and it is cheap. A popular one: https://www.lemonade.com/