How do you find a good private rental apt that is not in a major apartment complex. Does anyone ever get tired of the man upstairs who keeps stomping on the floor in the middle of the night, runs bathtub water and yes you can hear it all. I like the first floor apartment, but you pay a price. Then you have the ongoing rent increases, and excessive fees for valet trash, valet trash hauling fee, pest control, media/technology fees,utility billing fees, liability/insurance fees,and maybe parking fees and amenity fees. Help!!!! I don't want a house. I'm just a single guy who wants a nice place without all the extras.
Help! Advice for renting Senior
- Thread starter Atory
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Aunt Bea
SF VIP
- Location
- Near Mount Pilot
Go to your favorite neighborhood and begin asking questions, put the word out, talk to family, friends and coworkers, talk it up on Facebook, Nextdoor, etc…
The best situations are rarely advertised.
The best situations are rarely advertised.
Well having been and am in a similar boat, you learn through other people generally and by asking around. Or if you see a decent six or 8 unit or so it appears, stop and ask, talk to a tenant, get the number of the landlord.
Privately owned small ones are not something you generally find on the internet. Join an internet group based on your area and ask. If your credit and references are decent, then you just need to find the right person and place.
I know a woman very happy with her rent and place because the landlord has not raised the rent in over five years. In big complexes owned by corporations, it is every year.
However, it is a second floor apartment and there is no elevator and her husband is of an age he's having trouble with steps now.
You also may give up amenities. There may be no laundry for instance.
All I can say is make friends, ask around, even in your own building, ask what else they looked at, what they know of. Join an area group on Facebook, etc. and start asking.
In a similar boat here, just not sure I will get the time to see about finding something else. That's why we end up struck staying and paying for yet another increase.
Privately owned small ones are not something you generally find on the internet. Join an internet group based on your area and ask. If your credit and references are decent, then you just need to find the right person and place.
I know a woman very happy with her rent and place because the landlord has not raised the rent in over five years. In big complexes owned by corporations, it is every year.
However, it is a second floor apartment and there is no elevator and her husband is of an age he's having trouble with steps now.
You also may give up amenities. There may be no laundry for instance.
All I can say is make friends, ask around, even in your own building, ask what else they looked at, what they know of. Join an area group on Facebook, etc. and start asking.
In a similar boat here, just not sure I will get the time to see about finding something else. That's why we end up struck staying and paying for yet another increase.
MACKTEXAS
Well-known Member
I'd start by checking Zillow, Realtor.com, or similar sites, then drive to check out locations that appealed to me. If you're concerned about noisy people in the unit above yours, look for complexes that are only one level. There are two such complexes in my area.
Pretty much what I said too. it's word of mouth, or if you see a place you like in an area you like stop, and ask. Or get the address. Go home look it up and try to get a phone number. Etc.
Or you take a top floor apartment. You may still hear the people underneath you at times but not like someone above, not even close to the same.
MACKTEXAS
Well-known Member
If I was in a multi-level complex, I'd rather be on the top floor, since I have no mobility issues.
MACKTEXAS
Well-known Member
Yes - Occasionally I've looked at rentals, and noticed some do not appear on rental sites.
Hotel/motels can be that way too. If you ever can't find more than a hotel or motel in a town, sometimes they have a few but they are older, locally owned and not on web sites.
Never assume there aren't a few others, or they are just out of town a bit, or a resort, etc. Still having phone books for that at least would not be bad sometimes. It is the same still with some restaurants even.
But yeah, many of the smaller kinds of apartment rentals, etc. don't get online, they get enough applicants just word of mouth or even have waiting lists.
Definitely word of mouth, talk to others in the community. Online and off/in person.
Never assume there aren't a few others, or they are just out of town a bit, or a resort, etc. Still having phone books for that at least would not be bad sometimes. It is the same still with some restaurants even.
But yeah, many of the smaller kinds of apartment rentals, etc. don't get online, they get enough applicants just word of mouth or even have waiting lists.
Definitely word of mouth, talk to others in the community. Online and off/in person.
Yeah but even with issues, if an elevator it isn't always bad. I do know someone in a wheelchair who is on a higher floor at another complex. Now if the elevator goes out, that can be an issue but generally it isn't for her. She does live with someone who has no issues so that helps if that would happen.
Now with only stairs, yeah, I agree.
At least with bottom, or top, you only have one neighbor above or below. Doesn't mean however the ones to your sides can't be noisy lol.
Top though is best. Below you can't hear people stomping or dropping things like you would if above you.
That's my opinion anyhow. And if one takes an end unit too, you only have one side neighbor.
MACKTEXAS
Well-known Member
Yes, there is much to consider no matter what a person does, and being mobile today may change at any time. Years ago, we rented, and had trouble getting them to repair the air conditioner; other problems. Now and then I think of renting again, but I always back off and just keep my house.
I've owned and rented. And owned two stories with laundry in basement (so count that as three stories), and then one stories. I'll take a one story always any day any time.
Now I had siblings that built houses with a higher story or two for the decks and the views. Very nice. Very. However, that entailed hauling groceries upstairs and other things as well and it isn't long once one starts aging they wish they didn't have that setup, or if a health issue/mobility issue. They also built big and before long their kids were out of the house. Both sold their homes to their kids that had young children yet and bought one levels.
On the flip side my last several owned houses were one levels and I'd never change that again.
Renting and apartments is another story. First requirement if on an upper floor imo is an elevator. Even if young and mobile, otherwise all has to come up steps every single time. Furniture, cases of soda, cat litter if one has cats, everything has to be taken up the stairs. Same with going down too.
Just living in one could be a subject imo. In an apartment I mean. What to look for, and what you don't want.
Messy
Member
Better 2 or 4. Lately both the elevators didn't work, but you can walk to the other side where 2 other elevators are, which was fabulous, cause I had bags full of wall paper which I had just ripped off all the walls.
I saw in the Newspaper that an elderly disabled woman couldn't go to the hospital cause their 1 elevator stopped working. Here it took weeks before they were fixed.
In that case you call paramedics or an ambulance. They might have to get you down steps but that's their job and they manage it or call for addl help if necessary. That's awful but she could have done that, or someone could have for her.
I've seen a not very big woman take a man all the way down the steps in a wheelchair that was of some bigger size by her back when an elevator was not working.
It is something to think about though, being on first floor one would not have that issue. And even if healthy now, will you be a few years from now if you plan on staying awhile? Yeah, I'd consider all those things.
Quite honestly if it gets to the point of no return, one will probably end up in a home. I think most of us hope to and intend to stay independent as long as we can. I know I hope to.
Yeah, higher floors aren't always the best for such. But then there also has to be a willingness to move to lower if you reach a point it isn't working.
It sucks but most aren't going to look out for us as much as we need to think about such things.
I don't talk from inexperience by the way. I've had some major mobility issues a time or two and thought I was going to lose independence.
Murrmurr
SF VIP
- Location
- Sacramento, California
You need to look for a Townhouse apartment. There's no upstairs neighbors because the stairs are in your 2-story apartment. But you'll have neighbors on either side.
You should also check out duplexes, triplexes, and senior mobile-home parks.
In my home town we have a lot of townhouse apts that are just two side by side. the bedroom is upstairs but no one above at least. they were built in probably the 80s if i was to guess. maybe updated by now, not sure, i don't live in that area any longer. there is an upstairs yeah, but it is bedroom so if ever can't do stairs you could sleep on a couch or put a bed in the living room adapt it, at least would not have upstairs noise. And just one neighbor. No noise above. And even that neighbor, sometimes they put a garage in between for each.
Over 55 apts are a good option too. Could you have someone still noisy above? Sure but such places I think are meant to not have kids, be quieter and so complaints are probably going to be listened to and attended to. These too, not sure why, are not always online. Maybe because all want in them and they have no problem filling them....?
Over 55 apts are a good option too. Could you have someone still noisy above? Sure but such places I think are meant to not have kids, be quieter and so complaints are probably going to be listened to and attended to. These too, not sure why, are not always online. Maybe because all want in them and they have no problem filling them....?
Murrmurr
SF VIP
- Location
- Sacramento, California
It's probly because they have a waiting list. They try to limit their waiting lists to a certain number of people so that the wait is a matter of months instead of years. I waited 5 months for my apartment. (I've since moved)
Sunkist
Senior Member
They're not all the same, though.. depends on location, types of people, etc.
Could be and I haven't had a lot of time to look into any time recently but did a year or two ago. I found that it is hard to even find a list of such and phone numbers but yes, that is usually the reason, they don't lack lists or people wanting in. No need to advertise further.
For sure. And years built too. Concepts change. Agree.
Do you like it?
Murrmurr
SF VIP
- Location
- Sacramento, California
The apartment was great. The complex only had 52 apts, broke up into 12 separate buildings. It had 1 bed/1bath apts up to 5/bed/2bath apts, so lots of families, but the grounds were really well-planned: a playground for kids, a gazebo for the adults, a basketball court for teens, and barbecue/picnic area for families.
Plus, my apt was off in a corner, kind of secluded, unlike all the rest. I liked that.