Need advise on getting a rental apartment in Corvallis

[iamscott]

Originally Posted by JasonF

I lived at Oak Vale for a year and it was pretty nice. It's a little far out, which can be annoying when it's really cold out, but it's really not bad. There's a trail that connects Circle to Harrison, so you can avoid having to bike up the hill (plus it's a nice ride). If you can get a roommate, I would recommend getting one of the newer apartments. The old ones have crappy single pane windows, which will drive up your heating costs in the winter, but it's not that bad.

IPMG has been good to me, though they fill up quickly. They're reasonably cheap and well maintained.

Stay away from anything rented by Bula Enterprises and Kip Schoning. They're very cheap, but have a bad reputation for running slums (the city of Albany just told them they had to fix one of their properties or tear it down).

Watch out for management companies that want a lot of money up front. You shouldn't have to pay more than security deposit and first month's rent when you move in. Anything else and they're likely planning to steal your money.

Don't hold your breath on Park West. I called them every few days for months and every single time they said they might have something available in a few days. I finally gave up and went with IPMG, which has nicer apartments and nicer staff for less money.

Pinion may also be worth checking out, though I never had good experience with their staff. They were very rude and unhelpful when I was looking for a place before I moved here.

Don't wait until the last minute. If you do, you will get stuck living far away from campus, renting a really expensive place, or renting a dump.

Well Said,

IPMG has always been good to me!

[Larry Caldwell]

There is a lot of churn in college occupancy. If you can't find what you like at the beginning of the year, go apartment hunting in late December. There are also houses with one or two rental rooms all over Corvallis. I rented from a little old lady about 5 blocks from campus for a year. Rent was half of what I would have had to pay in an apartment complex.

"There is a lot of churn in college occupancy. If you can't find what you like at the beginning of the year, go apartment hunting in late December."

True. There are also some openings right after midterms, though selection is probably better at the end of the term.

One good thing about Corvallis is that a lot of apartments are month to month, so if you do get stuck with a place you don't really like, you're pretty free to move.

[Momio2013]

What was said about Witham Hill Oaks above is true. My son is finishing up one year living there. When we did the first day walk through the place was filthy. Had dirt all over the floor and urine all over the toilet. We were shocked they presented it that way. They cleaned it up the next day, so we then signed the lease. The first day the dishwasher and clothes dryer both did not work and had to replaced. Maintenance brought in some different appliances, putting dents in the wall when they came in. The bath tub had some draining problems, which was fixed. Later my son could hear mice making noise under his bathtub which totally creeped him out. Even though he kept his place very clean, he eventually had mice IN his apartment. He came home from class one day and found mouse poop on his sofa. Ugh! Maintenance put out some mice poisoning and I don't think he has seen any since. This last weekend he was out of town and got a call from management that the upstairs neighbor's wash machine had a drainage problem and when my son got home there was a hole drilled in the ceiling with a bucket catching the water. The carpet was drenched with water. That was on Saturday and nothing was done about it until Monday night when they brought in large industrial fans to dry it. He had to move out for that night because of that. His lease is up in a couple of weeks and despite the difficulty he will probably have looking for a new apartment, I think it's time he got out of that place. He hasn't moved out yet so I can't tell you how they handle giving back the deposit. This review is not coming from someone who is angry, just disappointed.

[ffghv]

mountin view appartment on Rolling Green DR is the best for three resons

1 - 24 hour winco ( is three minitus walking)
2- a bus that comes twice to take you to OSU. very close bus stop and covered to protect you from rainy days
3- very good prices. very nice manegment. low deposit( 200 $) if you have a clean history.

i really recomment it.. although i think that you might not find any avalabilities in september.

how ever if you find one .. go for it