Renting in Florida (Port Charlotte: apartment, lease, condo)

[diane lewis]

We are pensioners from the UK and would like to spend December and January in a 2bed apartment in florida. Can anybody recommend a cheap place to rent?

[Messing About]

The community of Port Charlotte, in Charlotte County, seems to be a pocket of affordability. I relocated here last December and spent a month travelling around on business, staying in hotels on both the Gulf of Mexico side and the Atlantic ocean side of south Florida. I came here for the water, so being in a sea side community was a must for me.

My search was done online and in the local paper (which is also available online). I found a very clean 2b2b, furnished condo, complete with dishes, towels, etc, all I needed was clothing, toiletries and food. The complex is not exactly a resort (landscaping leaves a bit to be desired) but it is very safe, with clean common areas and a very clean pool.

I rented this from a private party, on a month to month lease, for only 650 per month and that included water and cable tv. My neighbor has been vacationing in this complex, during December-March, for the past five years and he is still paying $1,500 per month for an identical unit.

I think when you tell people you are vacationing, they tend to charge more. If you tell them you are relocating and need a temporary residence while you shop for houses, you might get a better deal.

By the way, I am moving in 10 days to a new home I purchased here. I got a waterfront house, with direct boating access to the Gulf from my own backyard dock and port. The price for paradise? How about 199k?

[Buckys_Wench]

Wow Messing about that is great info to have. Thanks a lot