What apartment building should I live in, ~$750? (St. Paul, Roseville: apartments, leases)

[jurisdoctorette]

Hi, I'm moving to Minnesota from Massachusetts on April 5 and I'm trying to look for a studio apartment with these parameters:

- Easy (<30 minutes) access to my workplace at I94 & Fairview Ave N in St. Paul
- Off-street parking, preferably garage/covered/secure where my car will be safe
- 6 month lease
- No bugs or rodents
- Good maintenance/landlords/property management

I'm looking to spend around $750 with all utilities included (cable/phone aren't necessary) - the lower the better, but willing to pay higher to get the above parameters!

I've done some research into neighborhoods, but I'd always welcome more advice about that. I'm primarily looking for people who have personal experience with apartment buildings and management companies in the Cities!

Thanks!

[xandrex]

You shouldn't have too many issues finding a studio for $750, though I'll raise a couple of points of concern:

-Covered parking: It seem an awful lot of parking in the Twin Cities is not covered. You'll probably find more of it in the suburbs. Some places do offer it but do not provide it in the rent (which can mean an extra $50 to $100 a month)
-Lease length: Almost all leases in Minnesota are 12 months. Is there a reason you need a 6-month lease? Shorter leases do exist, but they sometimes will charge you more (since they have to look for another qualified tenant sooner) or they just won't be with professional management companies. A smaller, private landlord might be more flexible here.
-Utilities: I have never seen a place listed with all utilities included in the rent. It's standard to make the tenant responsible for electric. In some places, gas or at least cooking gas are also not included. I would assume a studio would run similar to my previous 1-bedroom, which was about $20/month in the winter for electric and $30-40/month in the summer (with AC running a decent amount of the time).

Do you have any neighborhood requirements? City or suburb? Amenities you'd like?

[GBCommenter]

Another thought on the 6 month lease...when I was last looking for an apartment in the Cities (more accurately, Roseville) a few companies were implementing "no winter vacate" clauses. If your lease was scheduled to end in the winter (which usually was November through March, though not always those months), the clause said the lease automatically renewed until the end of winter - on the theory it is too difficult for a landlord to rent an apartment in the winter.

If you sign a 6 month lease (assuming it is an offered option), October 1 would be your six months. You might still not be considered "in winter" on October 1, but it would be a question to add.

[SuperDuckyWho]

Check out Northeast. There's a pocket just North of West Broadway and West of 35W with Studio apartments (wish I could give you specific buildings but I'm not 100% familiar with it, hence the 'check it out.' I mostly work in the area). It's considered the art district. They also have an art fair every summer called the Art-a-whirl. From what I've seen wandering through the buildings during that it's a pretty nice and pocketed away area, yet still close to main streets, lots of handy businesses and bus routes.