Lovely: New Online SF Apartment Rental Site Opens its Doors

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As a serial renter (I’ve lived in five apartments in the last ten years), I know all too well the joys and pains of the rental hunt. The “joy” is fleeting (woo hoo – new digs, fresh start!). But the pain sets in fast: They call that a view? The place hasn’t been updated since the Carter administration? They want how much for 400 square-feet? By the thirtieth place, your head is spinning and you’re over it.

Enter San Francisco upstart Lovely, a new online apartment rental site that’s bringing the archaic sans-buying hunt into the 21st century and making the process from search to settled, well, a little more lovely.

The website culls listings from around web (including go-to resource Craigslist), updates your search in real-time via Google map-like visuals, and keeps the whole process super-duper organized. Expect plentiful photos, featured listings (read: real estate eye candy), and tracking tools to help you remember the gazillion places visited. Matching apartments based on your must-haves are sent directly to your inbox. Plus, prewritten landlord emails and create-your-own “renter’s resume” tools help you find (and be in) that awesome new place faster.

More cool features are in the works too. Now, if they could just create a tool that guarantees your new neighbors won’t play the bongos at 2am…

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