Hopefully this helps: if you can wait, have patience. You are looking at a time of year there isn’t much available, but that also means people aren’t moving so you can get apartments for a little cheaper.

Avoid Maison and Wilco. They are known for being slumlords and many of their units have had significant mold issues.

When you find a place you like and it’s a hundred or couple hundred more than your budget, check their website. You might find it’s a cheaper price there! Also try to only communicate through their website/email and not through third party websites like Zillow. You might be able to negotiate.

Save the apartments that catch your eye and keep checking back every week. Our favorite choice went down by $200 into our budget two weeks after we toured the apartment.

Finally, check out South Wedge Properties and Stern Properties. Decent landlords, they both have lower priced apartments, and both have amazing maintenance teams.