Best time to secure an apartment? (Atlanta, Riverdale: apartments, lease, how much)

[ncoflin]

Looking to move to the Atlanta suburbs sometime this year. Affordable suburbs, likely around Doraville or Riverdale. What is the best time of year to rent in these areas? Am I to assume due to supply/demand the summer months will be the most expensive to sign a lease? What if I secure an apartment for the Fall in late summer? Any general tips or details will help. I have browsed locations and am set on one of these two general areas. Looking for tips about a time table and less about which area. Thanks!

[atltechdude]

I'm not sure if there is a specific best time of year. People are constantly moving in and out of apartments.

[matilda79]

You might try mid to late summer when there is a lot more transition with college students moving in/out and families moving in/out as school starts up. The place where I used to live, I saw a lot of moving trucks around that time, but I'm not sure there is any "ideal" time, really. You might try the Atlanta ProMove service, which can help you get in on various specials. I'm not sure how much they work with Doraville or Riverdale area apartments, but you should call and inquire anyway.

[Tryska]

I don't know if this applies to the majority of apartments in the areas you are looking at, but as I understand it, many of the professional complexes now adjust rates almost on the fly, depending on availability and rents in the area, via computer programs. (like stock prices)

[Clayton white guy]

If the rates are truly "adjustable", I would recommend waiting until after school started in August when the demand is lower. Most people I know with school aged children want to get situated before the start of school and I would think that would logically create higher rents due to increased demand. Therefore, I would expect more "deals" into the fall when the demand has subsided. I am only using inference here, by the way. Other posters, some of whom may be in the property management business, could provide more insight here, I think.

[ncoflin]

Thanks for the input guys. I'm thinking the supply may be lower in the Winter months but the demand to move will be lower as well. So I'll have a larger selection in summer but pay a higher price due to demand. Which seems kind of counter-intuivite to supply/demand that I am used to.