Tacoma's rent is moving up faster than Seattle's now. (Spokane: apartments, renter)

[Seahawksfan33]

Rent increases fueled by population growth, data show | The News Tribune

Spokane's is starting to make some real ground as well, and I would be frightened to see what it's going to be like in a few years. It's definitely cheaper than Seattle and Tacoma are right now, but that could very well change. There was NO WAY that it was in the top ten for average rent increases a year ago.

[Tac-Sea]

My old rental property in Tacoma has gone up $150 a month just since the beginning of the year...Still glad I sold it though. Crappy area.

[DutchessCottonPuff]

Yes it is .. as most know mine went up $350 this year. Since the fire on the 4th , I have been called back to a ready apt finally yesterday . I am being downgraded to a 2-1 for the same price as the 2-2 ! . Insurance is just not paying even though they will be tearing down the building . Not happy . I am paying for the motel now and they beat me to the bank with the rent check in a house I do not live in . Husband is going over there today after work .

[elkotronics]

Greedy landlords around every corner, Dutchess. Then when you give 30 days written notice ta vacate, watch how they'll quickly burn you out of your security deposit. We paid a $750 security deposit over here in KC and a $600 refundable pet deposit. We are going to clean very well, and of course, get the old carpet professionally cleaned. I've never seen landlords so greedy and rude as they are the past 10 years. You've got to somehow be more than your own best advocate.

[Ultrarunner]

I never advertise and my average family tenancy is over 10 years with much longer. (No Vacancies or any on the Horizon)

Word of mouth is the best which makes it hard when relocating from out of the area.

The best managers/owners only need to mention an upcoming vacancy if the exiting tenant does not have someone lined up.

Look for the long term Mom and Pop owners with roots in the community.

When I worked for a management company things were different... the algorithm was set to have a certain percentage of turnover otherwise units were below marker and the question was never if rents were going up but only how much... the flip side is we had a staff to get things done and tenants never had to wait for the owners day off to get something done.

It is easy to understand... apartments are often owned by corps and many are traded publicly... so the managers are tasked to create value for shareholders.

The Pacific Northwest is popular and California prices are high providing the means for many to move and take their equity with them...

[Flightoficarus87]

The building my brother previously lived at in Tacoma gave him a 20 day notice to vacate (Thankfully, he found a new place in time!). Everyone was kicked out of the building for a remodel/rent jack-up. The 2 bedrooms now cost about $450-500 more per month (previously $900-950), and $400 more for 1 bedrooms (I think around $800 before).

I think Spokane is a bit safer from scenarios like this (for now) than the Seattle/Puget Sound area. It's nuts out here!

[Tac-Sea]

Greedy landlord here. I raised the rent on properties when I had to due to HUGE increases in taxes in King County, 30+%, not to mention insurance. My tenant that had lived there for 2 years for $500 a month less than market allowing her to save $12,000, trashed the place and also didn't pay utilities her last few months. I had to pay the utilities because otherwise they'd put a lien on my house. I kept her deposit and sent her to collections for the rest. I guess I should have given her $800 a month in discounts when taxes and insurance went up and paid for her damages out of my own pocket. I'm sorry...

Same with another tenant, just a few months apart at two of my rentals last year. Sorry for being so greedy, I will start a non profit charity called Greedy Landlord and redistribute my hard earned money to everyone else after they trash my house, don't pay rent, **** off all the neighbors, then call me all kinds of racial slurs when I kick them out.

It amazes me that some of my tenants expected keys to the houses two weeks before their lease started for free. Yep, I'm just giving money away because the bank doesn't charge me when the house is empty....

On another note, many of my tenants have invited me over for dinners, BBQ's, and just to hang out. I guess when you're two dentists making 300K a year, you tend to be a better tenant who gets it. Same with another tenant that makes over 200K a year. Said dentist tenants that I have said they really like me, best landlord ever. If people treat my property with respect and pay their bills on time, I'm their best friend.

Most of my tenants got their full deposits back. The few who haven't, not only didn't get any of their deposits back, they have collections for several thousand dollars on their credit report. I guess they expect me to pay for the thousands of damages they cause, punching holes through my doors and walls, trashing BRAND NEW carpet and paint, etc. After all, I'm the rich landlord who can afford it.


.

[gearedtowardssalad]

I have a question - and I'll make it quick. I have an entry level $40k job offer in Tacoma. Good credit score, great rental references. Am I interpreting my research correctly in that I'm going to have a hell of a time finding a decent apartment I can afford?

[elkotronics]

We have had several landlords who are not greedy and are fair, but if you're a tenant that has animals like we do, it seems to have given landlords the ticket to be first-class **&holes and neglect the lease agreement they signed along with us. My wife literally has to be pulled from cleaning because I'm sitting in the U-Haul ready ta go with all our stuff. We totally clean the houses we rent. We could take about 5 landlords to small claims court to get our deposits back by now. It seems they're so freaked out we're leaving they forget to think about anyone else but theirselves.

Sound remotely familiar to anyone else but me? Just because you have animals doesn't mean that you trash a rental house, or that you leave it dirty and filthy and gross. We'll be leaving this one in Grandview, MO, at the end of August. We paid $750 security deposit and a refundable $600 pet deposit. We will clean for hours and hours and hours and hours and their carpet will be professionally cleaned with some of the deposit money. After that, we'll do the walk-through and see what their fancy for idiocy is. Why don't we fight them in court? Because of new circumstances - changing jobs, setting up house in a new area, etc. We don't have time and don't want to take the time to do that.

Sadly, gone are the days that landlords just do their jobs and are honest to tenants at the same time. If you ponder it for a while, isn't it all about the money, greedy landlords? Of course it is.

[Ultrarunner]

It would be a perfect world if all the bad tenants and bad landlords would get together and leave the rest of us alone.

As for raising rent... it is something that rarely happens with my rentals and when it does it is for two reasons... new tenant/lease or I'm sending a message that you need to move or pay more for causing problems.

I too have been invited for BBQ and have even stayed over a night in the guest room when my renter insisted... FYI... both of these tenancies never had the increased so much as a dollar.

One was a retired couple and he like to putter... would be be very proactive and send me a picture of something needing tending and I would always pay for his time and work by check... things like replacing fence posts, staining the deck... etc...

I have also had bad experiences... like the large family where the Mom and Dad split and 5 boys were left alone a lot... things like the dog using one room to poop and the boys lighting a fire with the log rolling out and setting the carpet on fire... not a screen in the house remained intact... very sad and it took awhile but I fully recovered through collections.

Not asking for sympathy... but for a couple of thousand dollars you get free reign in my 500,000 home... all said and done the cost of first and security isn't equal to even 1%

Taxes are a huge wild card... especially in Washington...

I had just signed a two year lease to a nice family... he traveled a lot and had a two year assignment...

The ink was not even dry and I learned the property had just been reassessed 80% higher... yes... 80% higher... the rent didn't even come close in light of the taxes almost doubling.

Tenants... do your due diligence which is easier than ever and why wouldn't you?