1. Determine how much you want to spend on rent
   
2. Pick a neighborhood
   
3. Select Potential Apartments
   
4. Visit potential apartments
   
5. Before you sign, know your rights as a tenant
   

You've heard about Mardi Gras. You've seen the pictures. The people seem friendly. You know the words to the song "Blue Bayou." You like to drink. But how do you turn the worst hangover you've ever had into the foundation for a long lasting home-sweet-home?

Here's a newsflash: most of what you know about New Orleans is just a stereotype. Just as most Los Angeles natives don't spend all their waking moments at Universal Studios and Disneyland, most New Orleans folk steer as far away from Bourbon Street (the party street) as they can. Furthermore, New Orleans isn't all drunken grime; it is a beautiful, charming, friendly and surprisingly sober city for those who live there.

Brimming with a unique culture of Cajun, Creole, and Jazz, the "Nawlins" is also blessed with an extremely low cost of living, allowing you to spend much more of your discretionary income on important purchases. Like beer. Yes, summer temperatures often reach triple digits, and humidity and thundershowers are never far away. But what's wrong with a little heat, rain and humidity when the entire town is drunk and naked? Whoops… fell back into that stereotype thing. Sorry.

1. Determine how much you want to spend on rent

A good way to find your upper limit for housing costs is to divide your monthly net income (after taxes) by three. If this figure seems unusually low, you have three options: 1) make more money, 2) consider living in a really cheap area, like the Bywater, or 3) save money on rent by finding a roommate.

Finding a roommate

Getting yourself a roommate is an outstanding way to lower your housing costs, as long as you feel confident that your roommate won't be a total nutjob. To find a roommate, you can either find someone yourself or you can use a roommate agency. There are websites out there, such as Roommate Access, that will charge you a service fee and screen out any weirdos. Or you can always just look through the classified ads in the New Orleans Times-Picayune and find a roommate on your own.

Either way, you must carefully choose your roommate or you will rue the day you opted for one. Obviously, not all strangers make good roommates, but less obviously, not all friends make good roommates. There are some people whose company you might well enjoy during the day, but who would drive you crazy if you lived with them. In an effort to screen unsuitable persons from your life, you should ask all potential roommates the following questions to assess their compatibility:

• Have you ever had a roommate before? What, if anything, bothered you about your past roommates? Did you fight with your roommate a lot? About what?
  
  
• Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend or other friend who will be staying here frequently?
  
  
• Are you promiscuous? (Do not be afraid to ask this one. You probably don't want strange people sleeping over a lot, and if you explain that this is the reason you're asking, it will establish what you consider unacceptable ahead of time.)
  
  
• Do you smoke? Drink? Do drugs? If yes to any, how often? Will you share your drugs?
  
  
• Do you stay out late on weekdays?
  
  
• Did/do you have any credit problems?
  
  
• Do you have any pets?
  
  
• What is your occupation?
  
  
• What do you like to watch on television? What music do you listen to?
  
  
• Do you know how to clean up after yourself? Do you cook? Do you drink directly from the milk container?
  
  
• Do you know how to clean a toilet?

Whatever you ask, in the end you should feel very comfortable with your future roommate. If you do not, you are taking a big risk shacking up with this person.

One last note about roommates: try to arrange it so that your roommate co-signs the lease. If your name is the only one on the lease, then you shoulder the entire burden of responsibility for the apartment from a financial standpoint. If your roommate loses his/her job (and by extension, a steady cash flow), you'll be stuck paying his/her share of the rent. Then you'd be angry, poor, and kicking yourself for not following our sage advice.

2. Pick a neighborhood

Getting around

We would be remiss to not mention the transportation situation of New Orleans. The public transportation system is pretty good; there's a streetcar that runs the 10-mile stretch from uptown to downtown (you may have seen it on this season's Real World). Many residents also rely on bikes as their prime source of transportation; nobody's going to look at you funny if you pull up to work on your 10-year-old three-speed. In fact, they may like you more for it.

If you do have a car, be prepared to pay. Insurance rates are higher in New Orleans than in most American metropolises. Example: insurance that may cost $100 a month in freeway-filled Los Angeles will cost $200 in New Orleans. And on top of the insurance rates, the roads of New Orleans - to put it bluntly - suck. Given the proximity to the Mississippi River and the fact that all of New Orleans is about 12 feet below sea level, most of the streets are crumbled and bumpy, which makes for rough driving.

New Orleans' neighborhoods

New Orleans has an uncanny talent for having variety. In other words, the "good" and "bad" parts of the city are, for the most part, intermingled. Newcomers should be aware that their chosen abode may be the backyard of the worst housing project in the city.

That being said, some places are better bets than others. The best way to find your dream neighborhood is to simply explore. When you see a place you like, check out what lies within its 10-block radius. Also be aware that most of the city's crime occurs in the projects. As your parents might have told you when you mentioned moving to New Orleans, the city has one of the highest murder rates in the country, but 99% of it occurs in the projects.

Below, we discuss the 6 major areas that define most of the New Orleans area, and we also give them safety ratings.

• The French Quarter: The French Quarter is one of the safest places to live in the city (well, besides the suburbs), and it offers a true New Orleans' experience. Living in the Vieux Carre is like living on a real-live movie set, filled with balconies, street musicians and a constant whirl of people and music. Words of wisdom: if you're looking for any kind of quiet, don't live here. Expect to pay about $600 a month. Safety factor: 8 out of 10.
  
  
• The Warehouse District: If you're used to New York-styled loft apartments and sushi bars, go to the warehouse district: the area is just about as un-New Orleans as it gets. Made up of a series of empty warehouses-turned-expensive apartment complexes, it is also home to New Orleans' budding art scene. The perks: most Warehouse District apartments come with individual washing machines and dryers, security, and rooftop pools. Expect to pay about $650 a month. Safety factor: 9 out of 10.
  
  
• Uptown: Uptown began as a series of wedge-shaped plantations during the late 19th century. The area embraces several neighborhoods, all connected by St. Charles Avenue, which runs its course to the French Quarter. Uptown also houses many colleges and universities (including Tulane and Loyola). So as you probably already guessed, the area is full of young people - about 95% of Tulane students live uptown - and finding cheap places to live is easy. Expect to pay about $350 a month. Safety factor: 7 out of 10.
  
  
• The Marigny: Many residents live in the Marigny as a way to be close enough to the French Quarter to make it their social destination without having to suffer the Quarter's traffic and parking hassles. Lying on the edges of the French Quarter, expect to pay about $400 a month. Safety factor: 6 out of 10.
  
  
• The Bywater: Less expensive than the Marigny and the French Quarter, the Bywater is a charming and close-knit community that is reminiscent of its historic roots. The area remains a quiet example of New Orleans' past and is filled with late Victorian homes and Creole cottages. Expect to pay about $300 a month. Yes it's cheap, but it's also the least safe. Safety factor: 5 out of 10.
  
  
• The suburbs: We're guessing that if you're moving to New Orleans, you probably won't want to live in the suburbs. But since we like to cover our bases, we recommend that you look at Metairie, Kenner, Gentilly and Mandeville, all of which offer a safe, strip mall-ish way to experience the South. Expect to pay about $350 a month. Safety factor: 9 out of 10.

3. Select Potential Apartments

Before you can navigate the sea of New Orleans real estate, there are a few terms you must learn:

• Slave Quarters: These are apartments that, once upon an ignorant time, were homes to the slaves of the household. Today, however, "slave quarter apartments" mean cheaper ones. They are usually on the top floor of a building (which means it's hotter) and often don't have the same high-ceilinged glory of the rest of the building. However, the rent is almost always cheaper, which makes them great bargains.
  
  
• Shotgun double: This means that the apartment is one side of a house that has been split in half. It is called a "shotgun" house because the rooms are all lined up in a row, which means that the resident must walk through all the rooms to get through the house. These tend to be cheap, but also make for awkward roommate situations.
  
  
• Below Canal/Above Canal: This just means downtown and uptown, respectively.

Now you're ready to start your search. There are several ways to go about it:

Hit up your employer or school
Read newspapers
Go online
Drive around

Hit up your employer or school

You may want to begin your search by asking your employer if the company has any real estate services; some large companies hold apartments for employees or have very good contacts in the rental market. Similarly, if you have any school affiliations alumni or current contact your school and inquire as to whether the school has any apartment bulletin boards or online listings. These housing openings are often more affordable and safer than something you could find on your own, and many are open to people affiliated with the university.

Read newspapers

Check out the ads in The New Orleans Times-Picayune or in the local free weekly paper, The Gambit Weekly. Just search the papers for what you're interested in, make some calls, ask some questions, and move directly to step 4. Of course, if you have internet access, you can find these listings online.

Go online

Call us psychic, but we're assuming you have Internet access. In that case, we recommend that you visit RENTNET® apartments & rentals the best. RENTNET® provides regularly updated listings of apartments available for rent in various neighborhoods based on options you select. They also offer moving tips, roommate advice, legal tips and other information useful to renters.

Drive around

If you're in the area, a quick drive around town will yield a plethora of potentials, as many homeowners choose to advertise solely by way of "For Rent" signs. If you're a student, you may want to wander around some universities and look on bulletin boards; not only will you find "Roommate Wanted" signs, but you'll also find realtors that are, obviously, happy to rent to students.

4. Visit potential apartments

General tips
Specific tips for New Orleans

General tips

Once you've found a listing that sounds promising, call right away to schedule an appointment. If you reach an answering machine, leave a clear, concise message; say that you are calling about the apartment that was listed in X publication. Give your name and telephone number, and ask the person to call you back at his/her earliest convenience to schedule an appointment to see the apartment. Follow up with another (polite) call in 24 hours if you don't get a call back. There are times when apartment renters are swamped, and won't return your call, but if you catch them while they're around, you can usually weasel yourself an appointment.

If you are able to schedule an appointment, be sure to make a good impression. Arrive on time, dress neatly, and act like a mature, responsible individual who isn't going to skip rent payments, trash the apartment, or keep a pet wildebeest in the closet. Also remember to ask intelligent questions. Asking questions will not only make you look responsible, but it will also give you a chance to learn information that may affect your decision to rent a particular apartment. Here is a list of general questions you should ask when you see an apartment:

• How long is the lease?
• Do I have the option to renew?
• How large of a deposit is required as security? Under what conditions is it refundable?
• Are utilities included in your rent? Which ones (gas, electric, water, cable, etc.)?
• Are you allowed to keep pets in the apartment?
• Are you allowed to sublet if you go away?
• Does the building have laundry facilities?
• Does the apartment come with major appliances like a refrigerator or a washer/dryer?
• Does the building have a super or some sort of arrangement for repairs?
• Does anyone else have keys to the apartment?
• Do you need special permission to make superficial changes, e.g. painting or hanging pictures?
• Is the apartment de-leaded? (This is mandatory if you have a child living there.)
• Is smoking allowed?
• Is there a guest policy?
• Are there any weirdos around that you should know about?
• Are the stores, shops, gyms, movie theaters and bars in the area affordable? (No matter what they say ahead of time, most people spend their money in nearby establishments.)
• How close is the public transportation you will use, especially if you don't have a car?
• If it matters, what are the nearby schools like?
• Who lives in that neighborhood? Yuppies? Students? Cajun Man?

Specific tips for New Orleans

Aside from mile-high cocktails and killer seafood gumbo, there are a few things about New Orleans apartment-hunting that you must know about: cockroaches, water damage, security, and parking.

• Cockroaches: Some of them have wings. Some of them don't. Some of them look big enough to swallow small children. Realize this now. Understand it. Accept it. New Orleans was, after all, a swamp before it was a city. While you will eventually encounter a roach no matter where you live, there's a difference between seeing the lone roach saunter in from behind your kitchen cabinet and hosting small cities of them. So keep a sharp eye out for the little guys when you're inspecting your potential apartments. Look in the closets and open the cabinets. You should also ask the landlord or current tenants how bad the problem is. Many landlords will pay for exterminators, so ask about this too.
  
  
• Water damage: Since the entire city of New Orleans was once a sprawl of mud and swamplands, the place gets its generous share of floods. During wet seasons, it is not uncommon to be six inches deep in water after just an hour of rain. This takes a heavy toll on the homes, many of which are more than 100 years old. Water damage can crumble walls and ceilings and can create potentially dangerous living conditions. Typical water damage signs are discoloration, cracking paint and corners that look crumbled.
  
  
• Security: You also need to be security-conscious in New Orleans. You're not entering a war zone, but it's not Disneyland either. You need to be aware of your surroundings at all times. The nearest New Orleans Police Station may be able to offer advice on living conditions, or you could try contacting the local neighborhood watch group. Here are some other security options to look for:
  
  

  • Barred windows (they're ugly, but often necessary)
  • Alarm system
  • Living on upper instead of ground floors
  • Double locks
  • Having a roommate and/or a dog

• Parking: If you have a car, then you're gonna have a tough time parking. If you live in the French Quarter, for instance, you may find the only empty parking spot to be 10 blocks away. This can be especially annoying (and unsafe) when it's 3:00 am and you've been drinking all night. If you decide to keep your car in a lot, then take note that lots in the Quarter cost about $125 per month. So ask your potential landlord about the parking situation and see if you can finagle a special "no parking except for me" spot right nearby.

5. Before you sign, know your rights as a tenant

Wait! Before you sign, you have to know your rights and responsibilities as a tenant. Here's the first must: get a written lease. If you have an oral lease, you may be subject to restrictions that you weren't aware of. So just do what we say and get yourself a written lease. We don't like being argued with, especially when we're right. Be sure to check that the following are correctly recorded:

• All names and addresses
• Dates of occupancy
• Rent amount
• Details about the security deposit
• Parking spot specifications (if you get one)

If the landlord has made you any promises, like cleaning the Cheez Whiz from the kitchen ceiling, make sure you get it in writing or at least have a third party listen in. Landlords are notorious about "getting around to something." If it's in black and white, you have more justification when you refuse to pay the rent.

For guidance, check out Ten Tips Every Tenant Needs to Know to familiarize yourself with basic tenant rights and obligations.

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