Another Housing Question for you Portlanders (apartment, rentals, neighborhoods)

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by aajn1983

yeah.

though, it's worth pointing out that burnside and the willamette are the dividers of north, south, east, and west. not "generally", but always.

Burnside does not extend west past the West Hills. Yet there are large areas through there that are NW/SW. When Burnside turns south after 181st, it's obviously no longer the boundary. IE, SE Stark actually CROSSES E. Burnside.

On the same token, the Willamette River meanders to the west on the way to the mighty Columbia, which opens up all of North Portland as a separate region. North of the Rose Quarter, N. Williams is the dividing line. Based on latitudes, the area of North Portland extends as far west as the North West Area does.

[Minervah]

Hopefully no one thinks I am stupid for asking this but why is everyone so strict on wanting proof of a job in Portland? I have come across a few complexes like that here in Des Moines but if you have the money in your pocket most places will let you sign the papers. If it comes up that you can't pay your rent, you're kicked out and they keep the deposit and that's that.

No, not stupid, just not knowledgeable of the differences between the two cities.

Here is the difference. People are flocking to Portland but are probably not flocking to Des Moines. Landlords want to pick the most reliable tenants they can find and they can afford to be choosy with the best assurance of longevity of people as renters.

As a renter of over 30 years I have seen landlords get burned by renters who, with every good intention, declare that although they don't have a job NOW they are SURE they will have one in six months. But then they are not able to get one in six months. Or maybe even eight months or more. It's not like they are trying to scam the landlord, they just can't find work. Or they can't find work that will pay enough. Or their roommates move out and they can't find new ones to help with the rent. I have seen it happen time and time again.

And while I am not always a big fan of landlords, I can certainly see it from their point of view in that they get tired of the wear and tear of having to rent the same apartments over and over every six months or so. Sure there are plenty of new renters to take the place of the ones who default, but then there is the risk that they too will have to move after another six months for the same reasons the previous tenants had to leave and so on and so on. Over and over again.

There is no greater benefit to a landlord than a long term tenant. A tenant with a job is not an absolute guarantee of a tenant's longevity in an apartment but it's a good indication it could be.

[EnricoV]

Not to mention that eviction isn't exactly the easiest process for a landlord, if the tenant puts up a fight.

Bottom line, the landlords in Portland hold the power, because they have the scarce resource. And given the choice, what sane landlord will rent to someone without a job, when they have dozens of possible tenants that have jobs.

[TygrrEyzz]

Okay-- thank you for clearing up the sections of Portland for me. I will be able to make more intelligent searches on CL now. That really helps me a LOT.

And Minervah that sounds exactly right. All the people flocking to Portland and the landlords don't need someone to rent necessarily. Darn it! LOL. It's so easy to find a place here in DSM. Most people move here to buy a house not to rent. Thank you for explaining that to me.

What is the turnover rate in Portland? How many people move there thinking it's some kind of utopia and the green city of their dreams, only to become disillusioned and move away within 6 months to a year?

[davemess10]

Originally Posted by Copsgirl73

I thought this was the norm, no?

Not really, in my experience Portland is the except to the rule more than the norm, when it comes to strict renting requirements.

OP, you can get an apartment without a job, you'll just have to have a lot of money in the bank. Or as you stated, offer to pay for many months up front. I really don't think anyone would not rent to you if you offered to prepay the entire year.

[jjpop]

Originally Posted by TygrrEyzz

What is the turnover rate in Portland? How many people move there thinking it's some kind of utopia and the green city of their dreams, only to become disillusioned and move away within 6 months to a year?

There's no way to tell. I can tell you that there are quite a few posters on these threads that are very active when they make their move and a little while after, but then the posts trail off to nothing. Of course that could be due to a number of reasons, only one of which might be that they're embarrassed to admit that they made a mistake about moving here and have since moved away. That embarrassment is probably pronounced when they realize that all the people that warned them that they should not move here without a job and to be prepared for low sunlight conditions for 3/4ths of the year were right after all.

Bottom line: when we say that Portland isn't for everyone, it's not some ploy to keep people away. Portland is different from just about every other city in the US (except maybe Eugene )

[pdxMIKEpdx]

No, Woodstock and Brentwood are NOT SE neighborhoods.

Copsgirl73, I'm hoping you made a typo, but Woodstock and Brentwood/Darlington are definately SouthEast Portland neighborhoods.

I have lived in them for 60+ years.

[Copsgirl73]

Ha! Yes! That was a typo. I myself grew up in SW, defintely not near Woodstock.

[Copsgirl73]

Originally Posted by Copsgirl73

No, Woodstock and Brentwood are NOT SE neighborhoods. Look on the bottom of CL ads too, sometimes the area/neighborhood is mentioned. For instance, the ad you linked says "SW" at the bottom. I think its reaching to think you may find a job and a place to live all during a weeks visit. And the reason for proof of income? Landlords want to get paid, they want security and to know that their tenants arent flakes. They would rather not take chances on folks. I thought this was the norm, no?

Edited to add: these neighborhoods are not SW neighborhoods

[Minervah]

Bottom line, the landlords in Portland hold the power, because they have the scarce resource. And given the choice, what sane landlord will rent to someone without a job, when they have dozens of possible tenants that have jobs.

This exactly! In my experience as a long time renter in Portland, I know first hand how picky landlords can be simply because they can and why not? This is their business. There has always been a more renters-to-landlord ratio but not nearly as much as today.

What is the turnover rate in Portland? How many people move there thinking it's some kind of utopia and the green city of their dreams, only to become disillusioned and move away within 6 months to a year?

Really interesting question! I think a survey of landlords in Portland would show the most accurate answer. I would say thinking back again on my own experience as a renter that in the various buildings in which I have lived at least two tenants moved after a year's time either out of state do to job loss or lack of a job or just to a larger apartment in another building with roommates to share expenses. In the smaller buildings usually owned by private parties, this can be quite a problem. The idea is to find the most stable tenants possible.

I actually moved more than a few times because the rent increases finally exceeded my budget at the time. I was always able to find something else more affordable. My last move was for just this reason. I was extremely lucky. I knew the landlord, he knew me. He didn't even to a credit check! Although of course I would have passed. And his rents were low in comparison to others in the neighborhood. That's the only way I can afford to live where I live.

The only other experience I have in renting in another city is Chicago. And it was very, very different. Most people I meet from other cities tell me that renting in Portland is a unique experience compared to wherever they are from.