How much was rent typically in the 1990's? (Austin, Jollyville: apartments, renters)

[jetaimejamie]

Hello. I'm trying to figure out how much rent was for the average 1 bedroom/1 bath apartment in the 1990's….

If someone could recall early 90's ('90,'91,'92) and then later nineties ('98,'99)…I would be very appreciative.

[jetaimejamie]

Also…It doesn't really matter the area, I'd like to know about any area. North, South, what have you.

[ImOnFiya]

I believe it ranged from $300-500 (early 90s) to $350-550 (late 90s).

[Trainwreck20]

I lived off of Far West (Savannah Ridge Apts) and in 1989 ish (maybe 90?) I was paying $375 for a 2/2, gas paid (heating) but not electric or water. I split it with a roommate. Ahh, the good ol' days.

When I moved out two years later, the rent was going to be going up to $550 or $575 for the same unit, I think. I moved to an apt. off of I-35 and 183ish area (Woodcreek apts, maybe?). It was a 2/1.5 and was $475, iirc.

Was there for 1 year, I think, then spent maybe 3 years off 183/Lamar area in some apartments. Can't recall the name. Was a 3/2 (with two roommates) splitting $600-$650 over the time we were there. Rough neighborhood, so rents were very much on the low end for that size of apt. Stabbings, car theft, police 'visits' were common.

Rented a house after that for 2 or so years, then bought a house (1,500 sf) off of Duval/Whispering Valley area for $99k around 1997.

[dbsteel]

I lived off Metric and Parmer in 1998ish, and I think we paid in the $500-$600 range for a nice one bedroom, one bath.

[centralaustinite]

I moved to Austin in 1990 and my first apartment was a 1/1 for $300! A somewhat nicer complex we considered the same year was $375 for a 1/1.

We rented all through the 90s. Our 1/1 were always under $500 until 1994 when we had a very nice 1/1 for $615. Then we had a series of 2/2. The last and nicest one we rented from 1997-99 and had rent top out at $785.

Those were the days! All were in SE central Austin, on a UT shuttle route.

[scm53]

We bought a 2/1 in an apt-to-condo conversion in '84 on Enfield, on the shuttle. Started out at $350, got up to $365 before the crash took hold in '87. Went down to $310 at the lowest and didn't see $365 again until '90. Got up to $390 before we sold it in '94 - which was about the first time it wasn't underwater since the purchase.

That experience is why the "renters pay taxes" crowd is so hilarious. All that time, our taxes never went down appreciably. When the values (and the rent) went down, the rates went up to yield close to the same bill. All our renters saw was what the market was - NOT what our tax bill was - and paid market rates.

[mark311]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

We rented all through the 90s. Our 1/1 were always under $500 until 1994 when we had a very nice 1/1 for $615. Then we had a series of 2/2. The last and nicest one we rented from 1997-99 and had rent top out at $785.

Some of these prices actually seem quite high to me. My first 1 bedroom apartment in San Diego was in a nice area and less than a block from the beach in 1999 and was $700 per month. Rents quickly escalated shortly after that there. When we first moved to the Austin area in 2006, we rented a nice 1 bedroom in a gated complex off of Jollyville Rd. for $705 that was walking distance to the Arboretum. I guess it just shows that Austin was booming in the 90's as well.

[Trainwreck20]

There was a big jump in rent in the early 90s. It continued to rise, but the big percentage jump was around 91/92, iirc. In the later 80s, I was renting a 2/1 off 43rd and Ave B for something like $300/month (heat paid). Place is now a 'condo' complex, but looks just the same .

[Paddy the Plasterer]

I was paying $250/month for a 2 bedroom house in Crestview.
They raised the rent to $300, and I was indignant, thought I was getting ripped off.