Monthly Utilities Estimate for 1br Apt.? (Denver, Craig: flat fee, apartments, rental)

[justsomeguy]

Any idea what to expect to pay in utilities (electric/gas, water/sewer, trash) for about a 600-800sqft 1br apt in Denver? I know it varies depending on your usage but I'm just looking for an estimate - I get cold easily so I would probably be running the heat quite a bit, especially at nights and in the mornings and in the winter months, which last a long time apparently. I'm guessing maybe $80 for electricity, and $40 for water/sewer, maybe $20 for trash? Does that sound right? Thanks for any input you can provide.

Cable/Internet/Phone is usually about the same whereever you go I imagine. I figure cable and internet might run me $90 or so, I can probably go without a landline phone. Any info on this would be helpful too.

[RJT]

My experience has been that in most apartments in the area, all the standard utilities except electricity are included in the rental price (gas, water, trash, etc.). Sometimes when it is not, the landlord adds on an extra flat fee for all residents, as older buildings in particular are not set up to bill gas and water usage for individual apartments. I've seen this in the $50-75 range.

Electricity can run in the range of $20-40 a month, depending on the size of the apartment, how much you run the a/c, etc.

And that sounds about right for cable/internet.

[justsomeguy]

Originally Posted by RJT

My experience has been that in most apartments in the area, all the standard utilities except electricity are included in the rental price (gas, water, trash, etc.). Sometimes when it is not, the landlord adds on an extra flat fee for all residents, as older buildings in particular are not set up to bill gas and water usage for individual apartments. I've seen this in the $50-75 range.

Electricity can run in the range of $20-40 a month, depending on the size of the apartment, how much you run the a/c, etc.

And that sounds about right for cable/internet.

Thanks, anyone else care to comment on this? So does this mean when I see a rent price listed I don't need to factor in any additional money for utilities on most apts. in Denver?

[.gif]

Originally Posted by justsomeguy

Thanks, anyone else care to comment on this? So does this mean when I see a rent price listed I don't need to factor in any additional money for utilities on most apts. in Denver?

i've usually had to pay my utilities separately. your estimates are close, maybe even a little high on the water/sewer/trash. i'm sure it could vary widely depending on your usage, rental contract, etc.

[justsomeguy]

Originally Posted by .gif

i've usually had to pay my utilities separately. your estimates are close, maybe even a little high on the water/sewer/trash. i'm sure it could vary widely depending on your usage, rental contract, etc.

Thanks. I thought that 1st response was a little weird....apartments paying for utilities? I've always considered that rare, but the responder made it sound like it was ubiquitous in the Denver area.

So .gif, is a decent, non-dumpy 1br/studio apt. in a safe neighborhood going to run in the $600-$800 range then? What kind of rent should I be expecting to pay?

[.gif]

Originally Posted by justsomeguy

Thanks. I thought that 1st response was a little weird....apartments paying for utilities? I've always considered that rare, but the responder made it sound like it was ubiquitous in the Denver area.

So .gif, is a decent, non-dumpy 1br/studio apt. in a safe neighborhood going to run in the $600-$800 range then? What kind of rent should I be expecting to pay?

i'm not sure. it depends on location, amenities, etc. could be higher in some places, like DTC.

[RJT]

I guess my experience renting apartments has been different from some other posters, but I think it is common enough for utilities to be included in the rental price that you should just be aware of it when comparing prices.

For what it's worth, I rented an apartment in Capitol Hill over the summer, and utilities were included in the rent for almost every apartment I considered. If you browse through some CraigsList postings, I think you'll see it's pretty common.

[RJT]

If you're coming from another urban area, you've probably thought of this, but one other thing to keep in mind when comparing prices is parking.

In a place like Capitol Hill, off-street parking is not necessarily included in the rent, and may not even be available with every unit. However, many apartment buildings have parking spaces in the alley or in an underground garage, and they typically run around $25/month.

That's obviously not too bad compared to the parking nightmares in some other cities, but just something to keep in mind if you're comparing prices of some of your options.

[csqui523]

I was curious about how much utilities will cost too. Where we live now (the Cayman Islands), we pay on average $425/month for electricity and $120/month for water for a three bedroom house. I know that is absolutely ridiculous (one of the reasons we're moving back to the US!). It's hard for me to imagine electricity costing less than $100/month!

We're looking to get a one-bedroom apartment. We've looked at a few places (not in person), and were considering getting a one-bedroom near Capital Hill (The Cambridge Apartments) where utilities are included, and wanted to know if the rent was a rip off (around $900/month for a 430 sq ft one bedroom). It sounds like it is.

Thanks for the info!