How do you rent apartments in SF when self-employed?
tjcrowley: Here are some good tips for self-employed apartment hunting in San Francisco:1) Don't go to a rental company. Citiapartments sucks anyways, they are crooks. 
2) Walk around and take numbers off of buildings. The best apartments never go on craigslist.
3) Network hard. You won't believe how many apartments I got because I knew someone. I'm in a place in Nob Hill because I knew a girl who was moving to CT. She'd lived here ten years, and I took the place over from her with her rent control intact. I pay $1300 for a two bedroom with a stunning view of the southern part of town. Of course, when times are tough I also know where to get a $250 office space I can sleep in because of my networking. 
4) Bring your own credit reports.That's really all I can say - I have been under- or self-employed for the better part of a decade, and I've never had a problem finding a place to live. I do have years of networking in this town too though so your mileage may vary.