How long to find an apartment?

Good morning/afternoon/evening everyone,

I'm currently waiting for my COE, and I was just wondering how long it took for you to find an apartment in Tokyo. I'm looking at the Meguro/Ota/Shinagawa areas at the moment, ideally for a 1LDK. My COE should be ready mid to late June for moving over late July, so I was thinking of trying to rent somewhere from August 1st.

Could you please let me know how long it took for you to find an apartment? If you think it may be difficult to find somewhere for August 1st, would you recommend staying in a hotel until I find a place or search for a short term rental?

Thanks for your help!

by Sausage_Fan