We all need a place to live. Thus, at one point or another, we must all go on the treacherous journey of finding an apartment. The search begins with determining which neighborhood you want to live in. Once you have finally found a suitable neighborhood, you have to determine whether or not the area is affordable. Usually, rents are more than you expected, so you have to readjust your whole rental strategy and start again.

I know I may seem pessimistic, but I live in New York. As a New Yorker, rent is always on your mind. Who got the best deal? Where is the next up-and-coming neighborhood? Where can I get more space? Is there any chance I can find a rent-stabilized apartment? These are the kinds of questions New Yorkers are asking themselves all the time. So it’s no surprise this was the caption on the cover of this week’s Time Out New York:

The magazine featured many neighborhoods where one can find less-expensive apartments. They even gave some tips on how to make the most of these grim economic times by asking your landlord for a rent cut. This really got me thinking. With all the factors that go into finding the perfect place, is there a science to renting an apartment?

I think so, in a way. There are many factors to consider when finding an apartment: neighborhood, size of the apartment, time of year, amenities, pet policies, etc. The list goes on and on. There are also many questions to be asked when looking for the perfect apartment, not so different from the questions one asks when performing scientific research. For example, you could compare the time of year when you rent your apartment with the temperature used for a cell culture experiment. It would be difficult to grow cells at anything too far off 37°, just like renting at the busiest times of the year makes your apartment search much more difficult.

All right, so it may be a stretch, but I really think that finding the perfect apartment takes experience, patience, and perseverance, many characteristics that one gains when becoming a scientist. From personal experience, I think I have found my best apartment only after moving several times. Here are some of the tips I have gathered so far:

1. Avoid using a broker if possible.

2. Rents are lowest when looking between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

3. Sites like PadMapper can help to give you a better idea of what rents in a given neighborhood are like.

4. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

I invite you now, Nature Networkers, to share your rental tips. Let’s help all scientists find their best apartments yet!