Any tips for someone about to rent a new place?

I’m going to get a place in Sacramento, CA for a little while. It’s been a while since I’ve moved into a new place. I’ve lived at the same place in San Francisco, CA for almost 4 years.

So any suggestions on things to look for, tips for getting a better price, etc. etc. I reaching out to a deep collective of experience for any knowledge related to moving to a new place, as well as legal/business aspect of renting.

One thing I personally have learned was to take pictures of everything when you move in, so there can’t be any dispute over repairs with the deposit. i.e.

“You scratched the floors there” – Landlord
“No I didn’t, and I have the photos to prove it.” – Me

I’ll also be renting a 10’ truck from U-Haul and driving it about 100 miles.

Here’s a few places I’m looking into if it helps:

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/apa/619846121.html
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/apa/616366547.html