I used to live in Boston and only once did I find an apartment where I didn’t have to pay a last month of rent up front. The rental market there is very much predatory upon the droves of college students and other young people who don’t know any different or better. And for those who do know different, they basically have no choice.
I don’t currently drive since I live in NYC, but I feel that unless the facility is rather cramped or has some other oddity that most people wouldn’t be accustomed to, I think valet parking is unnecessary. Usually it takes longer and incurs an extra fee in the form of a tip and I always feel a little uneasy about letting someone else drive my car. Last year I went to a KBBQ restaurant in Los Angeles that required valet parking. It was by no means a fancy restaurant and just had a slightly smaller parking lot. It felt so silly to have a valet park my friend’s car in a spot that any rather average driver could manage.