[lionhearted]

> the problem is not choosing the apartment, but being chosen among all the other people who want the same apartment you do

Do you have some sort of rent control or other laws in place keeping people from raising prices? If 20 people want an apartment, one of them would usually be willing to pay $50 or $100 more per month to get the place. These kinds of shortages were a big problem in Los Angeles and New York until they relaxed rent control.

[zupatol]

There is some sort of rent control, but at the same time I have the impression that rents are going up fairly quickly.

Offering to pay more rent than advertised is a good idea, I might try that.