Looking for Studio/Efficiency Apartment under $1150

[beatlecrazy]

Originally Posted by TheNorthFace

Did you rent a studio and what will you be paying for rent? What building did you like the most when you were touring the place? Did they have many vacancies? I may give them a visit this weekend.

Yep, I'll be paying $945 for a studio on the 4th floor. They seemed to have a lot of vacancies, yep. I was approved in about a week, after verifying info from my current apartment office. I visited the Stratford and Sherwood and I liked both. There are a lot of amenities: volleyball, tennis courts, hair salon and a dentist office in the Stratford, as well as 24 hour gyms in each building (I think, but I didn't visit all of the buildings). They do have a 24 hour front desk too which is super useful.

My current apartment is pretty nice, but there are zero amenities. At Southern Towers, all utilities are included with rent too Good luck if you go visit. I really liked it. I saw no evidence of bugs and I even asked them about it. They spray regularly for things and thoroughly clean vacant apartments for tenants that are about to move in.

[leighland]

^^^ congrats!- Its like the UN in there so take advantage of all the international hospitality--and the food that comes with it!

[Mnseca]

Try Monticello-Lee Apartments in Old Town, Alexandria. I think they have efficiencies in your price range and it's a nice area, and I don't think they have bad reviews.

[TheNorthFace]

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions! Any additional suggestions?

By the way, I noticed that Falls Church has a low-income housing program that gives reduced rent to people earning low-to-moderate income. I think I would qualify for this but there is also a wait list and a lottery. Does anyone know how likely I would be selected for this program?

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by TheNorthFace

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions! Any additional suggestions?

By the way, I noticed that Falls Church has a low-income housing program that gives reduced rent to people earning low-to-moderate income. I think I would qualify for this but there is also a wait list and a lottery. Does anyone know how likely I would be selected for this program?

Within the next year, nearly none.

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by The Dissenter

Within the next year, nearly none.

Fairfax County as a whole has a low income housing program which is akin to rent control. I have a friend who needed help with rent and lived in Arlington, you can get it done and turned around same year, but you want to get ahead of it because the lead time of filing the documents proving it can be pretty long. There are new workforce housing units in Tysons also which are a higher limit on what you can earn than standard affordable housing units. So if you are above the salary limit for the county wide program, take a look at Workforce housing.

The difference between AHU and WHU can be summarized as such

AHU (people making less than 50% of the median income) -> renter pays a very small rent amount (depends on the unit but let's say for a studio $700 or 30% of your income whichever is greater).

WHU (people making between 50% and 120% of the median income) -> generally a rent cap, not really subsidization. So if a studio in Tysons would normally rent for $1500, depending on where on the spectrum of 50% to 120% the individual is, the rent is reduced $100 to $400 from market rate, so per our example between $1100 and 1400.

[irvine]

I'd look in DC also. All class B apartment buildings are under the city's rent control laws. Class B apartments are those generally built prior to 1980. Apartment units with historically low turnover have low rents. Income does not factor into it. It would take a bit of persistence, but you could find a large apartment with low rents in a very desirable and safe part of the city.