What $2,400 rents in SF right now

Welcome to Curbed Comparisons, a regular column exploring what you can rent for a set dollar amount in different neighborhoods. Is one person’s studio another person’s townhouse? Today’s price: $2,400.

If you really want to attract renters, give them what they want up front: “Updated studio in Hayes Valley, top floor, central location, pets okay,” reads the ad. That last bit is the one that’s going to clinch it for many; leading with that in the headline was a wise move. This Fell Street studio, with its singular brick wall, only has a little floor space to work with and asks $2,395. The updates mentioned above are confined to the kitchen and the bathroom. But the good news here—other than the fact that there are no pet fees—is that the building is rent-controlled.

Of course, almost all apartments old enough in San Francisco are rent controlled—the majority of the city’s housing stock—but not every ad makes specific mention of this. Case in point, this 12-unit building on Second Avenue in the Inner Sunset dates to 1915; the second-floor studio consists of one large room with a huge walk-in closet and a separate kitchen with large dining area—all of it positioned in a narrow corridor between two parks, the Panhandle to the north and Mount Sutro to the south. For that you pay $2,400 per month, and “sorry, no pets.”

Those who yearn for woodwork instead of brick should consider this Potrero Hill in-law, which is also a studio but a bit bigger than the ones usually found on the city’s west side. Dubbed a “little gem of a place,” it measures 500 square feet. Note that most of the wood flooring here is obscured with carpet; however, the landlord says the carpet is about to go—in favor of laminate gray floors. The landlord also promises the place has its own entrance and backyard. And best of all, pets can cohabit here. The rent is $2,300 per month.

Maybe it’s just the pink paint job, but this building on Somerset in Portola has a mild Barbie Dream House vibe to it. But Barbie and Ken probably wouldn’t reside in the bottom-floor three-bed, one-bath apartment of said house. And they probably favored something a little more lavish than the white interiors here. And the Dream House probably had a living room whereas this place does not. But hey, that’s where dreams and reality diverge. Dreaming or waking, the price is $2,400 per month. No pets allowed.

Last up, Parkside presents a “sunny top-floor one-bed, one-bath apartment with new bathroom.” The ad for this two-story walk-up on 27th Avenue also notes that the floors are new and includes a one-car garage parking space in the deal, but doesn’t say anything about pets. It’s $2,400 per month in any case.