[Ayesh]

For the first week or so, Airbnb or a booking.com reservation might be the best bet.

Once I'm there, I usually get to know a few locals there either in a bar/meetup, couch surfing, or more effectively, with Facebook groups or local classified sites. Locals often have very strong opinions in neighborhoods, likely give tips on where to look for a long term stay, etc. Plus you already have a few friends to invite for a dinner, a game night, etc.

If there is a very nice place that suits well listed on booking/Airbnb, I'd just make a reservation for a couple days and negotiate a better deal with the owners later.