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SF startup lets would-be tenants bid for apartments

A San Francisco startup is betting that would-be tenants will jump at the chance to bid against other renters in order to secure an apartment in the Bay Area's superheated rental market. Rentberry, an online price auction tool for long-term property rentals, aims to compete with Craigslist and other "Stone Age" rental services. "Essentially, we offer a more efficient and transparent application process which has the elements of bidding and an auction," said CEO Alex Lubinsky. As in an eBay auction, tenants would be able to see how many people are competing for the property...Click here to read full story

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