College Apartment

ronzo

So, this past weekend, I went apartment hoping, and put an app in for one. This mean that I am locked in, as I have given them the security deposit, and will not get it back if I back out.

So, me and two of my friends found a 3 bedroom/bathroom apartment - around 1250sqft, rooms are 11x13ft. We pay $469 a month, and electricity and water are not included. Cable and internet are, with the option to upgrade to fast/high bandwidth internet at cost. This complex is about 2-3 miles from the school (University of Central florida) and runs shuttle/bus service there about 15-30 minutes throught the day.

The apartments themselves are nice, and look like they have been kept in good order.

So, since my dad is ragging on me for not looking enough (me and my friends considered many places, ended up looking at three others besides this one), and he also said I will end up pay too much.

Is this bad deal? feel free to ask for more info, or offer any advice you think would be useful for moving into a new apartment.

Smasher

The hell? I've never had to pay a security deposit until I signed the lease. At worst there's been a fifteen dollar application processing fee, and sometimes not even that.

I'm assuming you put your signature on the application. Did it say something on there about not getting the security deposit back if you backed out? If not, IANAL but I suspect it wouldn't be legal for them to withhold it from you.

ronzo

Well, right now its a "holding deposit" We have 7 days to get someone to co-sign for us, and to fill out the paperwork needed. When we actually sign the lease, then it turns into the securitiy deposit. Look at it this way, if we made them hold it for a week, then back out, they may lose buisness because of it.

Insider

That sounds like alot to me.

Cruix

Honestly, that price sounds about right to me.

I'm up in Gainesville, got an apartment about a mile or two away from UF, and I'm not sure exactly what the price differences are from Orlando to Gainesville, but $460+ a month for a 3/3 seems to be the norm around here.

My girlfriend just got basically the same deal - $470 a month for a 3/3 (and the place you're talking about has more sq. feet), cable and internet included and she has to pay water and electric. I don't know how much different it is in Orlando, but as long as you don't keep things on 24/7, the utility bills won't really boost your rent that much.

Anyway, she'd looked at probably 12+ apartment buildings and this was the best deal she found. In fact, the rent is supposed to be $500+ a month now, she only got the $470 deal because she took over another person's lease as they left.

So, I'd say you did well, personally.

meatflower

Whoever is saying that sounds like a lot, I want to know where you live. My two buddies pay $1400 a month for a 2 bedroom/1 bathroom place. Yeah. Welcome to California.

edit:

Oh and the house next door (3 bedroom/3 bath with a pool and separate garage) is being rented for $7000 a month. No joke.

Cupojoe

I'm up here in Tallahassee at FSU, but familiar with Orlando. So we've covered the big FL Schools. I hate driving in town when UCF is in session Anyway, I think the rent that you mentioned seems reasonable for the area -- the market for apartments in that area has really lit up since UCF started expanding so fast. I pay slightly more for a 4/4 set up in Tally, for whatever its worth.

Talonrazor

Man dude, I'm renting a flat here in Anchorage, Alaska. My roommate and I are paying $450/month and that includes only heat. And it's smaller then your place. Sounds about normal to me.

Plutonium

I'm in a 2/1 bathroom on-campus apartment with three other guys and I'm paying $434 a month for rent + all utilities & campus internet. It's a huge bargain for the location I'm at (Southern California) and the convenience of being on-campus.

You may want to consider the distance from the campus, but overall it sounds like a fine deal, especially as you are all getting your own bedrooms.

Kyanilis

Haha, I wish I could have that, I'm in a 3bed/2bath and its $925/month, not including utilities...

But eh, I've noticed when it comes to apartments that typically there's an average, some fall a little above it, some fall a little below it, but really the difference between them isn't a huge amount...I mean, if you're gonna end up paying $469 there, you're not going to find something of similar quality for less than say $440, assuming there are places around there less than that. Typically apartment complexes in the area stay in the same range, besides, depending on location it could be worth it overall.

benz0rs

meatflower wrote: »

Whoever is saying that sounds like a lot, I want to know where you live. My two buddies pay $1400 a month for a 2 bedroom/1 bathroom place. Yeah. Welcome to California.

edit:

Oh and the house next door (3 bedroom/3 bath with a pool and separate garage) is being rented for $7000 a month. No joke.

bahah serious man. Next year, I'm paying $729 flat for a 3 bed/2 bath, my 2 roomies are paying like $650 each. Good 'ol rich Irvine. 400 is amazing, but I guess in Florida it seems normal?