Do yourself a favour -- give up now. If you really, really must find a place to live in this town, look as a group¹, and look rich. If you are a student, take your parents with you -- and make them dress up; hell, even if you are not a student, bring your parents anyway, it looks good.

Have the same financial statement would need for, say, applying for a buisness loan to buy a small restaurant ready to show any prospective landlords. And leave any delusions of dignity at the door.

NEVER, EVER ADMIT YOU ARE A STUDENT!!

But if you absolutely must, say you are studying at the Russian Ballet School and you are just down from Europe . . . wear a fur if possible; heck, wear two.

And finally, tell as many people as you can that you are looking for a place. Its all about connections in this game. In fact, you are better off just walking down the street, flapping your arms and yelling:

I NEED A PLACE!!