Apartments for Rent in San Mateo, CA

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• How many apartments for rent are there in San Mateo, CA?

  Most of San Mateo's new apartment supply has come from a single source: Bay Meadows, the 83-acre district built on the old horse racetrack beside Hillsdale station, which has been delivering housing in blocks for close to two decades and still has its final phase under construction. That is why the city's inventory feels lumpy - a large tranche of modern units next to a train platform, then a long tail of 1960s and 1970s garden buildings everywhere else. Roomster currently lists 17 apartments for rent across San Mateo, and which of those two halves a listing belongs to will tell you more about its price than the neighborhood name does.

• How much does it cost to rent an apartment in San Mateo, CA?

  The citywide average sits near $3,564 and has risen roughly 6 percent over the past year, which stands out at a time when much of California has been flat or falling. One-bedrooms generally run $2,800 to $3,200 and two-bedrooms $3,750 to $4,290. You can find one-bedrooms under $2,600 a month in North Shoreview, Shoreview and the older complexes off South Delaware Street, where the buildings date from the 1960s and 1970s and the trade-off is finishes rather than location. The Bay Meadows buildings and anything new around Hillsdale sit at the top of the range - and because those lease up in blocks as a phase delivers, they are also where concessions turn up.

• Is there rent control on apartments for rent in San Mateo?

  San Mateo has no local rent control ordinance; the council examined going beyond state law in April 2025 and specifically declined, so California's Tenant Protection Act sets the ceiling. That cap is 5 percent plus regional inflation, and for San Mateo County it works out to 6.3 percent - lower than most of the state, because Bay Area inflation has run below inland California. The city did not leave matters entirely alone, though: in November 2025 the council adopted two local ordinances layered on top of state law, extending relocation assistance for no-fault evictions to tenants in place 11 months rather than 12, and requiring an owner who displaces a tenant for substantial rehabilitation to notify them when the rebuilt unit becomes available. Buildings under 15 years old and individually owned houses and condominiums can still be exempt from the cap, so ask for the written exemption notice before signing.

• What deposit and fees should I expect on a San Mateo apartment for rent?

  California caps the security deposit at one month's rent for most landlords, which in this city is a substantial protection - on a $3,000 one-bedroom the old two-month norm meant $6,000 handed over at signing. The exception is the small owner, a natural person with no more than two rental properties totaling four units or fewer, who may still ask two months; you will meet that far more often in the older east-side buildings than in the newer towers. Application screening fees are capped statewide at $65.86 per applicant for 2026 and must reflect the landlord's real cost, with a receipt provided. Your itemized statement and any refund are due within 21 days of move-out, and since 2025 the landlord must document any deduction with photographs.

• Are there apartments for rent near San Mateo's Caltrain stations?

  This is the city's strongest card. Three Caltrain stops sit inside San Mateo - San Mateo, Hayward Park and Hillsdale - and the line was electrified in 2024, shortening trips and increasing frequency in both directions. The apartment supply reflects that history: the Bay Meadows buildings were planned around Hillsdale station, while the downtown blocks near the San Mateo stop hold older but walkable stock. For drivers, US-101 runs the bay side and I-280 the hills, with SR-92 crossing to the East Bay over the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge and SFO roughly ten minutes north. Decide whether you are buying a platform or a freeway ramp before you tour, because in this city those lead to different neighborhoods at different prices.

• How does renting an apartment in San Mateo compare with Burlingame, Foster City or Redwood City?

  Burlingame immediately north is smaller and generally dearer per square foot, with less inventory and a similar Caltrain advantage. Foster City on the bay side is newer and quieter, built around lagoons rather than a downtown - comparable rents and more space, but no train, so it assumes a car. Redwood City to the south carries more new construction and a livelier downtown, and it is worth checking precisely because it is the closest match to San Mateo's profile at a slightly different price. Belmont and San Carlos in between are quieter and smaller in scale. What San Mateo has that none of them match is the combination of three train stations, a real downtown grid, and a substantial employment base of its own rather than only a commute.