Moving to/renting in Madison... (Johnson: apartments, rentals, condo)

[maggie7]

My fiance and I are originally from the northern Illinois area, but have been living in Florida for the last 3 years to attend graduate school. We do not feel at home here and are ready to move back to the Midwest and closer to family, and right now, Madison seems like a good fit for us (we are educated, relatively liberal/progressive, and we enjoy hiking and outdoor activities, and concerts of all sorts!). We have visited there before several times, and we like the atmosphere.

But we have no idea where to start looking for places to live. I work from home, and my fiance is hoping to land a job with a non-profit. We can't afford to buy a home just yet, so ideally we're hoping to rent a house, duplex, or something of that nature, ideally for around $1000 or less per month. We'd like to be relatively close to some of the great things Madison has to offer (e.g. downtown, parks), but not in the middle of undergrad housing, parties, etc.

Any ideas/suggestions?

Actually, any info anyone has for us about moving to Madison would be great. It's a big decision for us, and a big move to make, so we want to make sure we know what we're in for!

[LookingForTHEPlace]

I sent you a private message, Maggie...check it out :-)

[AnonymousCoward]

Madison landlords are tough. Maybe years of wild student parties have made them weary of their tenants. Most landlords require leases not just for the first year, or two years, but every year you are there. Many require you to sign a new lease about 90 days prior to the start of the next year. Near campus this will be August 15 - August 14th. Further away from campus you are more likely to get a different start date, but the lease will still likely be for 12 months. The exceptions to the lease rule include Realtors who will break leases for people who buy houses through them, and places undergoing condo conversions (e.g. Heathercrest apartments on Old Sauk Road) but these are few and far between.

Be kind to your apartment or duplex, or you will pay dearly when you move out. I heard stories of people leaving apartments being (over)charged for things like burnt light bulbs and refrigerators that weren't as clean as new. The city offers some protection against this, so renting in Madison might be preferable.

Vacancies are still relatively high, don't be afraid to negotiate. Most landlords were far more willing to negotiate price, usually in the form of a free months rent, than they are to negotiate lease terms.

Central a/c isn't that common among moderate priced rentals. I don't know why, summers in Madison are warm & humid just like the rest of the Midwest.

Generally anything further than easy walking distance from the UW campus will be out of the wild student zone. New high rise apartments seem to now be favored by the student crowd. Because of this, families seem to be moving back into formerly student occupied two flat houses on Johnson street near the lake, parks and downtown. Actual houses or duplexes relatively close to downtown might be tough to find at $1000/mo.