Rentals

The rental market in San Francisco has changed considerably since the dot.com melt down. It is definitely a renters' market, with rents down at least 20% from a year ago, more for high-end rentals. The inventory is now large with much to chose from, so try the free searches first (the Chronicle and Craig's List), before paying a rental service fee. First, look at the classified rental ads in the Chronicle's Sunday print edition (published Saturday). Unless you do not have a car, think carefully before renting something without a parking space. Parking can be a real headache in this city where street parking is normally so difficult.

• San Francisco Chronicle: The city's major newspaper with a particularly large list of rentals in their Sunday edition. About half of these rentals are online. Good for all price levels. See sfgate.com/rentals
• Craig's List: A community-based organization with many direct postings of rentals, roommates, etc. Good for rentals under $2000/month. See craigslist.org
• MetroRent: A large fee-based company with many rental units at most price levels. See metrorent.com
• RentTech: Another fee-based company that many landlords use exclusively, also with a large selection at all price levels. renttech.com
• Bay Rentals: Smaller but worth trying. They seem to specialize in Peninsula and South Bay rentals. See bayarearentals.com