What $3,900 rents you 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: $3,900.

Craigslist has seen an influx of furnished units for rent in the last week—right at the same time the bottom fell out of the SF Airbnb market. But this apartment in Noe Valley, listed weeks ago, isn’t part of that rush: It’s a one-bed, one-bath, full-floor apartment in a “stately Victorian” near Diamond and Elizabeth, the righthand side of a duplex with a large arched picture window overlooking the street. The aforementioned furnishings include a queen bed and a sleeper couch in the living room that converts into a queen on its own. The rent price of $3,900 per month covers a regular cleaning service, but no pets.

Here’s a competing duplex in the Outer Sunset for the same price, this one circa-1936 space with some hint of an Art Deco sensibility on the facade. The “desirable, immaculate apartment” advertised here runs over 1,200 square feet, including two beds and one bath, “nine feet ceiling with crown molding accent,” bay windows, chandelier, and wood fireplace, plus a one-car garage. Per the ad, the hardwood floors are original, except for the newer ones in the kitchen and bathroom. The deal is $3,900 per month. No dogs permitted, but the landlord will brook cats.

This SoMa loft still boasts “private tours available”—the ad is over a week old, but that was probably still not a great idea even at the time. Be that as it may, 175 Bluxome touts its “highly prized” SoMa location near Caltrain and just across Mission Creek from the future Mission Rock development. Note that the building has been here since 1998, making it something of an early adopter of the area in terms of luxury homes. Though fairly economically sized at less than 800 square feet, the place sports two bedrooms and two baths. It also comes with ritzy details like santos mahogany flooring and skylights. Some pets may be permitted. It’s $3,900 per month.

In the case of this Outer Richmond apartment, inside a circa-1911 triplex, the ad specifies that the home “can be shown via social distancing.” The listing describes the apartment as “three large size room and one very small room,” which sounds almost like the setup for an SAT problem, as the ad proposes any number of combinations treating the larger or smaller areas as bedrooms, living room, dining room, etc. Puzzles aside, it’s presented as a two-bed, split-bath place by default, with new hardwood floors and cats and dogs included for $3,900 per month.

Last up, this cottage in the Mission also comes furnished in a so-called private compound where “every cabinet, color, and appliance has been thoughtfully considered.” That’s a lot of consideration to go around. It’s a one-bed, one-bath place with 725 square feet and a colorful kitchen with glossy embossed ceiling hovering overhead. The rent is $3,850 per month. No word on pets.