Rental app says wait until April for Boston apartments

According to rental tracking app RentJuice, only around 20 percent of apartment listings in the Boston area are available for immediate occupancy in January, the Boston Globe reports. RentJuice, which provides information about listings, landlords, leads and appointments, notes that April may be a better bet for renters who want a Boston pad, as 63 percent of apartments will be available at that time. For those that can't wait three months but want the convenience of being close to Boston, RentJuice notes that Everett, Chelsea, Braintree, Dorchester and West Roxbury all have more available options. The news source adds that the average monthly asking price for rent in Boston dropped by 1 percent during the fourth quarter of 2011, to $1,961. Inman News reports that RentJuice recently announced its launch of free iPad and iPhone apps, with an Android app "soon to follow," according to CEO David Vivero. The apps will let rental agents view listings from more than one service as well as the company's own internal database. Agents can also edit listings, upload images and initiate an online tenant screening process by requesting an online form.