5 best-value SF Bay Area apartments, Sep 22-28, 2026
Five newly listed Bay Area rentals ranked for price-to-quality value, transit fit, usable space, included costs, and renter friction.
The five rentals below were listed on Zillow between Sep. 22 and Sep. 27, 2026, and all five still carried a live rental listing on the day this issue was assembled. Four rent for less than $2,500 a month. Three sit in Oakland, one in Berkeley and one in San Francisco, and each is ranked on what the rent actually buys: floor space, what the landlord includes, how the trip to work runs from the front door, and the screening bar a renter has to clear. Commute times are editorial estimates built from each address and its nearest BART station, first and last mile included; check the operator's own timetable before you book a tour.
| Rank | Home | Base rent | Size | Transit and estimated commute | Main tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3122 Liese Ave #1, Allendale, Oakland | $1,295/mo | Studio, 1 bath, 350 sq ft | Commute score 5/10; Fruitvale BART about 1.7 miles; downtown SF 45-55 min, SoMa 45-60, Mission 50-65 | Every utility sits inside the rent, so $1,295 is the whole bill; 350 square feet, and no rail line within walking distance |
| 2 | 1432 46th Ave APT B, Fremont, Oakland | $2,000/mo | 1 bed, 1 bath, 750 sq ft | Commute score 6/10; Fruitvale BART about 1.2 miles; downtown SF 45-55 min, SoMa 45-60, Mission 50-60 | The kitchen is described as functional; $105 above the ZIP's average one-bedroom ask |
| 3 | 1736 23rd Ave #7, Meadow Brook, Oakland | $1,850/mo | Studio, 1 bath, 663 sq ft | Commute score 6/10; Fruitvale BART about 1.4 miles, Lake Merritt BART about 1.5; downtown SF 45-55 min, SoMa 45-60, Mission 50-60 | Free from Oct. 2; the walk to either BART station runs over a mile |
| 4 | Berkeley, CA 94702 (address withheld) | $2,400/mo | 1 bed, 1 bath, 500 sq ft | Commute score 6/10; North Berkeley BART about 1.5 miles; downtown SF 45-60 min, SoMa 50-65, Mission 55-70 | The landlord withholds the street address and screens hard; the second-highest rent per square foot here |
| 5 | 978 Sutter St #978A, Lower Nob Hill, SF | $4,095/mo | 1 bed, 1 bath, 800 sq ft | Commute score 9/10; Powell Street BART about a 12-minute walk; downtown SF 15-25 min, SoMa 20-30, Mission 25-35 | Highest rent in the set; no parking, and the page leaves laundry unspecified |
1. 3122 Liese Ave #1, Allendale, Oakland
Why it ranks first: At $1,295 this studio is the only home on the list whose rent is the entire monthly bill. Water, hot water, garbage and PG&E all sit inside the rent, and the building adds a Wi-Fi connection, so a tenant here pays nothing beyond $1,295. The unit measures 350 square feet behind a full kitchen with a gas stove and refrigerator, a separate living room, a walk-through closet and a bath, with hardwood floors and shared laundry in the building. Zillow records a Walk Score of 88, a Transit Score of 50 and a Bike Score of 69. The apartment occupies the historic Allendale Theater building, and the shops of the Laurel District sit within a short walk. 1
Zillow's price history records the unit listed for rent on Sep. 22, 2026, and the listing shows it available now. The terms are a 12-month lease, a $1,295 security deposit and an optional $500 pet fee, and the description promises no additional fees or add-ons, with pets decided case by case. The page recorded 25 contacts in its first six days, so expect competition. 1
Fruitvale BART is about 1.7 miles away, which the listing describes as a ten-minute drive, and I-580 sits at the end of the street. Count on 45 to 55 minutes door to door to downtown San Francisco, 45 to 60 minutes to SoMa and 50 to 65 minutes to the Mission District, with a walk or a bus ride at the Oakland end. 2 Zillow's rental market summary puts the average asking rent for a one-bedroom in the 94619 ZIP at $2,075; this home is a studio, so the gap sets a one-bedroom figure against a studio. 3
Safety check: Oakland publishes weekly, quarterly and annual crime incident reports citywide and by Police Area, plus a daily log. Those breakdowns stop at the patrol area, which covers the Laurel District and its neighbours along the I-580 and Highway 13 interchange. Walk the route between Liese Avenue and Fruitvale BART at the hour you would use it. 4
Ask before applying: whether the building Wi-Fi reaches the unit without a booster, what the shared laundry costs per load, and whether the no-add-ons promise survives a request for a parking space.
2. 1432 46th Ave APT B, Fremont, Oakland
Why it ranks second: For $2,000 this apartment offers 750 square feet, a separate bedroom and bath, a garage space attached to the building, shared laundry, and water and garbage on the landlord. Cats are allowed, the flooring is hardwood and tile, and the listing states that Section 8 vouchers are accepted. Zillow records a Walk Score of 93, a Transit Score of 62 and a Bike Score of 80. The address sits in the Fremont neighborhood of East Oakland, a few blocks from Fremont High and on the bus and shopping corridor that runs toward Fruitvale. 5
Zillow's price history records the home listed for rent on Sep. 23, 2026, and the listing shows it available now, with five contacts in the five days since. The terms are a one-year minimum lease, a $2,000 deposit, and a split that leaves PG&E, internet and every other utility with the tenant. The description names an oven as the only appliance, so confirm what else stays before you tour. The owner lists the property directly. 5
Fruitvale BART is about 1.2 miles from the door, roughly a 25-minute walk or a short bus ride across a grid with a 93 Walk Score. Budget 45 to 55 minutes to downtown San Francisco, 45 to 60 minutes to SoMa and 50 to 60 minutes to the Mission District. 2 Zillow's rental market summary puts the average one-bedroom ask in the 94601 ZIP at $1,895, so this unit runs about $105 above the ZIP average and carries 750 square feet and a garage space in return. 6
Safety check: Oakland's incident reports give citywide and Police Area figures, and the Fremont neighbourhood sits inside the area that stretches from Fruitvale down to the Coliseum. That is as fine a picture as the city publishes on a weekly basis, so the block-level question stays open. 4
Ask before applying: whether the garage space is assigned to this unit alone, what the shared laundry costs per load, and how a wall furnace handles a January cold snap in a 750-square-foot unit.
3. 1736 23rd Ave #7, Meadow Brook, Oakland
Why it ranks third: This is a studio with the footprint of a one-bedroom. The single room measures 663 square feet and splits into a living and sleeping area with the kitchen in its own space, along with built-in cabinets, a large closet and oversized windows; hardwood runs through the whole unit. The building takes pets, off-street parking comes with the apartment, and PG&E is the only utility the tenant pays, which makes $1,850 close to the full monthly cost. Zillow records a Walk Score of 89, a Transit Score of 60 and a Bike Score of 67. 7
Zillow's price history records the unit listed for rent on Sep. 23, 2026, and the listing shows it available Oct. 2. The terms are a one-year lease, a $1,850 deposit and a one-time $350 pet fee. The listing puts Fruitvale BART and Lake Merritt BART each about eight minutes away by car; on foot the closer of the two is over a mile, so a bike or a bus becomes part of the daily routine. 7
Budget 45 to 55 minutes door to door to downtown San Francisco, 45 to 60 minutes to SoMa and 50 to 60 minutes to the Mission District. Lake Merritt BART runs the line that reaches downtown San Francisco without a transfer. 8 Zillow's rental market summary puts the average asking rent in the 94606 ZIP at $1,695 for a studio and $1,995 for a one-bedroom, which brackets this home on both sides and reflects how much more space the studio carries than the mark. 9
Safety check: Oakland's published incident reports cover the city and each Police Area, and no finer breakdown arrives weekly. The apartment sits in the Meadow Brook area, a residential pocket between the Fruitvale and Lake Merritt districts. Check the walk to the bus stop and the station entrance at your own commute hour. 4
Ask before applying: whether the off-street space adds a charge, how the built-in storage shapes where a bed fits, and whether the landlord allows a portable air conditioner for the summer months.
4. Berkeley, CA 94702 (address withheld)
Why it ranks fourth: This one-bedroom was recently remodelled and comes with the amenities that usually push a Berkeley rent past $2,800: an in-unit washer and dryer, a dishwasher, mini-split air conditioning, a patio and a yard shared with one other apartment. The rent is $2,400 for 500 square feet, and Zillow records a Walk Score of 94 and a Transit Score of 57. The listing withholds the street address and Zillow places it in the 94702 ZIP, which runs through West Berkeley and Poet's Corner. 10
Zillow's price history records the apartment listed for rent on Sep. 27, 2026, and the listing shows it available immediately, while the page header reads Sep. 30, so settle that date before you plan around it. The page recorded a single contact in its first eleven hours. Read the terms closely: a 12-month lease, a $2,400 deposit, the tenant paying every utility except garbage and recycling, no pets, no smoking, free street parking, two months' written notice at the end of the lease, and screening that asks for a high credit score plus two references from recent rentals. 10
The withheld address is the largest blank in this issue. Every location figure here rests on the ZIP, and the specific block stays unverified, so the walk to BART arrives as a range. North Berkeley BART sits about 1.5 miles west of the ZIP's centre, and the AC Transit routes along San Pablo Avenue and University Avenue fill the gap. Count on 45 to 60 minutes to downtown San Francisco, 50 to 65 minutes to SoMa and 55 to 70 minutes to the Mission District. 11 Zillow's rental market summary puts the average one-bedroom ask in 94702 at $2,250, which leaves this unit $150 above its ZIP average. 12
Safety check: The Berkeley Police Department's 2025 annual report shows the city moving in two directions. Total Group A offences fell 11% and property crimes fell 18% from 2024 to 2025, with robberies down 20% and shootings down 40%, while felony sexual assaults rose from 78 to 96 and aggravated assaults rose 16%. The department also runs a current data portal that maps statistics by block, and that portal is the route to check the specific address once the landlord gives it to you. 1314
Ask before applying: the street address and cross streets before you book a tour, what the shared yard's upkeep arrangement is, and how far the PG&E bill runs when the mini-split heats rather than cools.
5. 978 Sutter St #978A, Lower Nob Hill, San Francisco
Why it ranks fifth: This carries the highest rent in the set, and the transit position is why it belongs on the list at all. Zillow records a Walk Score of 99, a Transit Score of 100 and a Bike Score of 73 at this address, and the surrounding blocks put Grace Cathedral, Union Square, Nob Hill's restaurants and the Financial District inside a short walk. For $4,095 the unit gives 800 square feet, hardwood floors, a refrigerator, freezer and oven, and pets allowed. 15
Zillow's price history records the unit listed for rent on Sep. 26, 2026, and the listing shows it available now, nine contacts later. Terms are a one-year lease, a $4,095 security deposit, a $35 application fee and an optional pet rent of $75 a month. Move-in costs land near $8,225 before any pet charge. Two fields are missing from the page: the laundry arrangement is marked "contact manager" with no cost given, and the unit comes with no parking space. Ask about both rather than assume. 15
Powell Street BART is roughly a twelve-minute walk downhill from the door. Budget 15 to 25 minutes to downtown San Francisco, 20 to 30 minutes to SoMa and 25 to 35 minutes to the Mission District, which makes this the only home here that beats the East Bay picks on time to work. 16 Zillow's rental market summary puts the average one-bedroom ask in the 94109 ZIP at $4,500, about $405 above this unit; that ZIP also takes in Russian Hill and the western edge of the Tenderloin, so treat the figure as directional. 17
Safety check: The SFPD Crime Dashboard reports Part I incident counts by police district and supports year-to-year comparison, counts incidents, with homicide the one category counted by victims, and its numbers shift as reports are revised. Lower Nob Hill sits between the department's Northern and Central district lines, and the station finder map shows which district covers a given block. 1819
Ask before applying: what laundry the building offers and what it costs, whether the $75 pet rent covers one animal or each, and what the management company's record looks like on deposit returns.
Bottom line
- 3122 Liese Ave, Allendale — the value leader: the lowest rent here is also the complete monthly cost, and the trade is 350 square feet and a bus ride to BART.
- 1432 46th Ave, Fremont — the best balance of space and cost, with 750 square feet, a garage space and water and garbage included, against a functional kitchen and a slightly-above-market rent.
- 1736 23rd Ave, Meadow Brook — for a renter who wants studio rent with one-bedroom proportions, and who can wait until Oct. 2.
- Berkeley 94702 — the newest renovation and the only in-unit laundry here at this rent, priced against a landlord who will not name the street and who screens on credit and references.
- 978 Sutter St, Lower Nob Hill — the pick for a renter whose life sits in central San Francisco, and who will pay $4,095 a month for a twelve-minute walk to BART.
Four checks apply to all five before an application fee leaves your account: confirm the listing is still live and get the move-in date in writing, ask for a written schedule of every recurring charge beyond the base rent, match the pet, laundry and parking terms against what you were told on the tour, and pull the official police data for the address on the day you visit.
References
- 1Zillow listing for 3122 Liese Ave #1
zillow.com
- 2Fruitvale BART station
bart.gov
- 3Zillow rental market summary for 94619
zillow.com
- 4Oakland Crime Incident Data Reports
oaklandca.gov
- 5Zillow listing for 1432 46th Ave APT B
zillow.com
- 6Zillow rental market summary for 94601
zillow.com
- 7Zillow listing for 1736 23rd Ave #7
zillow.com
- 8Lake Merritt BART station
bart.gov
- 9Zillow rental market summary for 94606
zillow.com
- 10
- 11North Berkeley BART station
bart.gov
- 12Zillow rental market summary for 94702
zillow.com
- 132025 Berkeley Police Department Annual Report
berkeleyca.gov
- 14Berkeley Police Department crime data portal
bpd-transparency-initiative-berkeleypd.hub.arcgis.com
- 15Zillow listing for 978 Sutter St #978A
zillow.com
- 16Powell Street BART station
bart.gov
- 17Zillow rental market summary for 94109
zillow.com
- 18SFPD Crime Dashboard
sanfranciscopolice.org
- 19SFPD station finder and district boundaries
sanfranciscopolice.org
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