Realtors in Silicon Valley do not usually handle rental properties – most of the time, it’s a “for rent by owner” situation as the property owners do not pay commissions on rental homes. That said, I do have a few go-to resources which I’ll share below.
Bay Rentals – http://www.bayrentals.com
Craigslist – http://sfbay.craigslist.org – houses, townhouses, condominiums (best resource)
MLSListings – http://www.MLSListings.com – very few listings of rentals, but all legit!
Rent Diggs – http://www.RentDigs.com
Trulia – http://trulia.com – click on “Rent” tab – mixed housing types
Zillow – http://www.zillow.com/ – click on “Rent” tab – mixed housing types
Padmapper – https://www.padmapper.com – apartments
Prometheus – http://prometheusreg.com – apartments
Please beware that there are many scams around rentals. Be extremely careful! Some scams ask for money upfront, before you can even see the property. Many of these homes are actually for sale, so Google the address to check.