Coming from Vancouver to Vanderbilt and need to rent! (Knoxville: apartment complex, leases)

[spodwinski]

My fiance is coming from Vancouver BC to Nashville from Dec 30 to April 24th to do her practicum at Vanderbilt, and needs a place to stay. She's looking to spend $400/month or less for a apartment or room with hydro/internet/tv/laundry included, and also must be furnished. Does anyone know of someone that is near Vanderbilt that is renting out a place? If not, how would we reliably look up a place to rent other than Craigslist? We do live about 4,000km away, so it is not too easy to drive around and look at places lol. Thanks for your time everyone.

[nashvols]

Well, she better be OK with having roommates.

[DonCorleone]

That will be tough...that area is in high demand and fairly pricey. Not saying it can't be done, but as Nashvols mentioned having roommates might get her under her budget.

Honestly, other than Craigslist and Realtracs.com (which you probably aren't going to have much luck on) the best way would be to troll campus and look at flyers for "roommates needed" etc. Obviously that is not an option. So maybe check to see if there are Vanderbilt student forums online that might have something? Or contact the school directly and see if they have any insight?

Best of luck...that area is fantastic to live in if you can get it in your budget. Let us know if we can help.

[CountryGirl2b=]

Here is a link to a Vandy classified site. I don't think it's restricted as I am not a student but found it via Google. Vanderbilt might have a housing office?

Classifieds | Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Tennessee

What's a "hydro"? And by "laundry included" do you mean someone does it for her? If you find such a place, please let us know . . . I'd like a place like that!!!!!

[BirdieBelle]

Tee-hee! "Hydro!" Very charming.

I think they mean "water bill included in rent," as well as washer/dryer, as opposed to an on-site laundry room.

That's asking a lot for $400 here.

[spodwinski]

Hey guys. Sorry for the confusion. I guess the slang up here in the great white north is a bit different, no doot aboot it! Hydro means electricity. As for "laundry included", I meant is there washer/dryer access in the unit itself. She has no problem with roommates, as long as they are female.

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by spodwinski

Hey guys. Sorry for the confusion. I guess the slang up here in the great white north is a bit different, no doot aboot it! Hydro means electricity. As for "laundry included", I meant is there washer/dryer access in the unit itself. She has no problem with roommates, as long as they are female.

Just for reference, when I was attending college in Knoxville (which has a lower rent average than Nashville), my rent ran a little more than $400 for a 4 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment that was furnished, and included cable, internet, water, and a washer/dryer. My share of the electric bill (1/4) was between $15-35 per month.

The area around Vanderbilt is generally a more desirable and more expensive than where I went to school. The individual rent for a single unit (that isn't a rat hole) is likely going to be north of $1,000/month.



Here are somethings I would consider/look into:

-Normally, an apartment complex is going to be more expensive rent-wise compared to a house that is being shared...at least in a college area. For one, generally apartments are kept in better shape by the landlords, and most of the time they offer more amenities. That's to say, most college "houses" I've been in have older appliances that sometimes breakdown, and depending on the landlord, it can take some time to fix (adding to inconvenience).

-Safety considerations -- some apartments offer some level of safety measures that may appeal to your fiancee. Some have electronic/magnetic key locks, security cameras in common areas, and are well lit at night. Most houses are not going to have that...but at the very least, make sure there is a deadbolt lock. Vandy is not in a dangerous area, but it is not too far from some that would be considered as such.

-Transportation -- will she be bringing a car...or at least a bike? If she can commute (and I know it's not easy on a student's budget) that would at least expand the area you can search for a rental. Nashville is NOT a very public transit savvy city, though the Vanderbilt area in particular is pretty well covered. If she will be relying on bus or bike, I would say you should look no more than a couple of miles from campus. With a car, you could expand that to other areas within Davidson County (Bellevue has a lot of apartments, and it could be an alternative).


I think your options are to look for an apartment complex (which will likely be something from the 60s or 70s) with several options included in the rent (like tv/internet/water/etc)...or go the a la carte route with an older house where she and her roommates split the bills, and you start out with a lower base rent. Of course, each has it's advantages and disadvantages.

Also, see if there is any place that is offering an individual lease. Grouped leases can be a huge headache, and sometimes the failings of one roommate has consequences on all of them.



I know it's a lot to think about, but she needs to be very aware of what type of situation she is going into. I would hate for her to get blindsided by something (like a roommate failing to pay for their share of the lease and/or utility bills) and have her on the hook for significantly more money than she is prepared to pay.

When you begin your search, don't be afraid to ask questions. Lots of them. Any little concern. If the person (whether it be someone from apartment management or someone from a roommate ad) is unwilling or unable to give you a straight answer, it's probably best that you do not proceed.


Sample questions in no particular order:

-Am I responsible in any way if my roommate fails to pay the rent?

-What sort of security features do you offer?

-(If she is bringing a car) is parking included? If not, how much per month?

-(If it's an apartment) do you have an on-site maintenance staff? What about overnight emergency maintenance (I say this because if there is a major water leak in an apartment above you, it can do significant damage to your unit -- something you would not want to have running overnight).

-What is the lease term? (She is only going to be there for a semester -- a lot of places only want to sign you to a year-long lease -- and there might be a pretty large monetary difference in either a shorter lease, or a penalty for breaking the lease early). If the lease does not fit your term, ask if you can sub-lease.

-If you are answering a "roommates wanted" ad, make sure you get in touch with the landlord or apartment management to make sure that she signs a legal lease with them. Some people don't realize that you can't just make a deal with an outgoing roommate to take over like nothing happened. If she is found to be subleasing from the legal tenant, without the authority of the landlord or apartment management, she could be evicted. Don't deal with middle men. Go straight to the horse's mouth.

-It might be a good idea to ask if anything is not allowed on the property. Some places do not allow items that could pose as a fire hazard, or any type of safety hazard. Grills, portable heaters, weapons, things of that nature.



Leases can be long and full of legalese, so it's best to ask most of these questions before you are ready to sign.

If you have any further questions, feel free to ask.

[BirdieBelle]

Originally Posted by spodwinski

no doot aboot it!

LOL

Hydro = electricity??!! Cool. I learned something.

[nashvols]

FYI, I'm not sure if any place includes electricity in the rent, since usage fluctuates quite a bit between individual units and times of year (summer and winter are generally pretty high...especially summer). It might be anywhere from $40-$200/month depending on the residents and the size of the unit.

I would advise her to budget about $30-40/month for her share of the electric bill.

[CountryGirl2b=]

This place rents out rooms for $50 a night. Might be someplace to land as it's within walking distance to Vanderbilt and includes internet and a washer/dryer and it's furnished and has "hydro"! Not sure if they have monthly rates but suspect it would be more than $400 a month, but she could stay there while sorting someplace else out.

Scarritt Bennett Center | Conference, Retreat and Educational Center in Nashville, TN | Meeting | Guest Rooms

Here, hydro refers to water, I think? Hydrated? Hydroelectric, of course, electricity generated by water. Is all of Canadian power hydroelectric????? Interesting!