Welcom to Texas and Austin. The best state in the USA. You absolutely dont need an agent to rent an apartment. You drive by an apartment and you can just go in if it is still during the office hours. However I am wondering if there is a misunderstanding in the terminoogy here. At the apartment offices, the head is always called manager, then there may be the assitant manager, then for all the rest there, they have the titles like Leasing Agent or Leasing Consultant. I heard they actually get a commision if you sign the lease.But to our tenants,it really doesn t matter at all. They are all part of the apartment management team. I would think most apartment will be open on 26-30 of December. I think the apartment market is pretty soft here in Austin. If you dont have problem with background check and not picky in choosing the apartment, 2 weeks should be enough to get everything ready for you to move in. Just make sure you choose the right neighborhood.The general rule here is East Austin (east ofI-35) is bad, West of Mopac is good neighborhood. North west is best for professionals, North is the same but on a little lower scale, South west is really nice and expensive. Downtown is great for social life, but expensive. South (south of Town Lake) is what the original Austin feel like.
Driving the southern route in the winter is your best bet. You will have to decide how long you really want to spend in the car.As for Austin, you can check Yellow Pages and find an Apt Locater Service. They don t charge you; they pay 1/2 the first month s rent to this agency as a finder s fee. Be sure to have good credit and references from home. Apt Locater will drive you around town to look at apts. You may be coming at just the right time to find an apt, what with The University being off for Christmas. Look for an apt on the UT Shuttle routes. This is something you will pay for in your tuition. It s not possible to park even near the campus. Definitely don t try. Tickets are common and get expensive.The city is layed out North-South. East-West through Streets are few: Parmer, Braker, 45th St, 38th St, 29th St, 15th St, Rt 71(Ben White) North-South streets: Burnet( burn-it ), Lamar, Route 35 ( Interstate Highway 35)General neighborhoods are accurately described in the previous post.A party area, Sixth Street, is to be avoided for your own personal safety. Expect to be robbed here. I ve lived in Austin 30 plus years and have only been to 6th Street twice at night, then had a escort directly to my car. It s OK in daytime.
If you have a computer you can look at just about every apartment that is available in Austin. It is a great place! I was born and raised in the Lake Travis/Lakeway area. It is not hard to find a place there are a lot going up. If you want to get an agent you could but it is not really necessary because majority of the apartment complexes have their own rental agents on site. GOOD LUCK!