What $5,300 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: $5,300.

Lots of San Francisco rental ads promise a home that’s been newly renovated, but in the case of this two-bed, two-bath, 950-square-foot top-floor condo in the Mission, it’s actually a plausible claim, with the marble showers, sterling turquoise subway tile, and windows on every possible side having a distinctive air of freshness about them. In fact, the leasing agents say that whomever moves in next will be the first-ever tenants for this version of the unit. The all-new everything comes with an all-new price, though, in this case $5,200 per month. And, sadly, that figure does not buy the way for pets.

Say what you want about any other neighborhood, but no place in San Francisco sports more natural beauty than Mount Davidson, with its foggy peaks recalling an atmosphere of almost primeval enchantment. You can even see that fog creeping in from the corners of the curbside photo for this full-package detached house on the very tip of the mountain’s southern slope, which offers four beds, two baths, an 1,500 feet right in the shadow of all of those mountain views. The house itself sports marble and granite flooring, viridian wallpaper, and. if you look closely, a converted fireplace that’s now a decorative nook filled with candles here in this staging. It costs $5,280 per month, but no pets here, the call of the wild right outside notwithstanding.

Of course, for designer rather than natural beauty, it’s still hard to match SF’s Victorian sensibilities—certainly few styles of homes have managed to be as enduringly popular, as seen here in this “lovely Victorian flat” right at the ground-floor fore of a classic in Buena Vista, a barely-there neighborhood just south of the park of the same name. The ad promises a formal living room with working fireplace, laundry room, pantry, backyard garden with patio and deck, and garage parking for two cars. The pad also comes with three beds, one and a half baths, and 1,600 square feet. The price is $5,250. And it’s three strikes in a row for pet owners.

Modern designs and new construction in SoMa don’t have quite the same classical appeal as Victorians, but they so have an unyielding beauty all of their own via concrete walls and ceilings. Take, for example, Slate Residences across the street from 850 Bryant. Per the site, a two-bed, two-bath apartment like this one starts at $5,000 per month, although this one is a bit roomier than others in the building, so the asking is a cold, hard $5,250. But if potential renters need something to warm their hearts, this lease allows both dogs and cats.

Last up, West Portal features another single-family home, barrel-fronted and painted maroon top to bottom. It’s three beds and three baths with a working fireplace, vessel sinks, and a drought-friendly backyard and very small deck. Renter pegs are apparently “negotiable” here, but the rent is a hard $5,200.