Renting in Miami Before Moving (Miami Beach: apartment, rentals, condo)

[elchevere]

Greetings:

As I prepare for my eventual move to Miami Beach, common sense tells me to rent for awhile (i.e. 6 months, year, 2 years) rather than hoping to find something to buy right away that coincides with the selling of my condo here in San Diego.

That being said, is it just as easy to find a furnish condo/apartment as it is a non-furnished one in Miami Beach, mid-Miami Beach and/or Brickell?

Suppose I find a condo to buy that I absolutely love within my first 6 months but have a one year rental lease...how easy is it to break a lease and has anyone had experience doing so?

Should I settle for a non-furnished rental, I trust there are reputable furniture rental places with decent enough furniture for me to rent on a monthly basis.

Thx

[hurricaneMan1992]

There are many good options for furnished rentals in Miami Beach, and also in downtown Miami and Brickell. Not as many as unfurnished, but still, plenty of options.

Contact a Realtor who does both rentals and represents you as a buyer's agent. Allow several months to look for a place, and if you find one you love before your lease ends, don't be afraid to pay the penalty to break the lease as they can go fast (and have the Realtor help you get a place with a reasonable penalty clause).

[StarfishKey]

It is a very smart idea to rent for a while first in Miami, to get to know the area before making anything permanent.

Leases can be broken, and frequently are down here, but there is a penalty, and in some cases it may also go on your credit report. A landlord does have a right to report, if they choose to.

Another option rather than furniture rental if you end up with an unfurnished place, is to buy Craiglist furniture and then resell on Craiglist when you're done. That's not for everyone, but it can end up being a lot cheaper, and sometimes you can end up with really great stuff. You could also buy new and then sell on CL when you're done, which will mean a financial loss but possibly not as much of a loss as furniture rental, depending on what you spend up front (including delivery costs). These options give you a little more flexibility in case things don't all happen in an ideal way. Just remember if you decide to sell anything before you move to start early - the more time you have to sell things back, the more money you will be able to get. A lot of people wait and then they have to sell everything in one day and lose nearly all of the money they could have made because they're in a rush.

Because Miami is such a transient city, there actually are some pretty high-end items on CL going for fairly low prices from time to time - a lot of people decide to move and then suddenly try to unload everything in one day or a weekend, and plenty of deals to be had on upscale furniture. Sometimes you can pick up their entire setup for one low deal, and rent a truck or pay someone to deliver it for you, and still save on top of all that!

Just some ideas for alternatives... Good luck in your move!

[croatbob]

wait till low season and you get great deals on accom. pick your buildings carefully as that may decide if you stay or go in miami beach

[r_k]

Renting before buying is a great idea for as long as it takes to find the right place. Not only will you get a feel for the neighborhoods, but prices are very high right now, and waiting to buy seems sensible.

Re. breaking a lease, usually there is a clause in a standard lease that provides for a penalty equal to 2 months rent. If your landlord is understanding and the place easy to rent he or she may let you break it for less or no penalty.