How to Find a Low Rent Apartment

So you’re thinking about moving to an apartment that has low rent, but it seems like the only ads you find are for apartment complexes or big homes that are charging $1000 and up for a decent apartment.

When you are trying to live on part time income, or perhaps you just want to live on less income than what you earn and put the rest into savings, living in a low rent apartment or home will often be an ideal situation. Imagine having a decent apartment for only $400, or even less. Here’s how.

1. Use Craig’s List and local classified newspapers to get an idea of rental properties available. My favorite source is Craig’s List, but you may have a local classified section (we in Lafayette, LA have Quik Quarter classifieds, yours may be different) and you should be picking those classifieds up. It’ll give you a price range to work with.

2. Be ready to move. Hopefully, you’re moving closer to work. However, if that’s not possible because rent is high, look for an easy commute and cheap apartments. Maybe consider a work at home job where you don’t have to commute, and then you can live wherever you want.

3. Unless you really love apartment complexes, avoid them. I try to avoid the high priced cardboard boxes, myself.

4. Look for individuals, not companies, renting FROGs (finished rooms over garage), duplexes, even homes. The home the Cajun and I rent now costs $900 a month, about the same as we were paying when we were living separately ($450 each). Our old apartments and this new house are within a mile of each other.

5. College towns tend to have safe neighborhoods and cheap rent.

6. When you can’t live in town, consider outside of town. I once rented a very nice three bedroom home with a half acre of yard for $400 a month. Some in the area were being rented for much, much cheaper.

7. Get creative. Try Caretaker.org or other organizations where you may find a house sitting, care taking position of some sort. I’ve lived in Arizona, New Mexico and other locations as a care taker. I received free rent in exchange for about 10 – 20 hours worth of chores a week. Rent included all utilities, and a great experience!

8. Avoid living arrangements with family and friends when possible. It may seem like a nice opportunity to utilize Aunt Betty’s spare rooms, but money agreements between family and friends usually do more harm than good. Trust me.

9. Ask for long term leases in exchange for lower rent. When we moved into the house we live in now, we signed a year lease instead of the offered six month lease. In exchange, we got $100 a month taken off of rent. Just ask, “If we signed a longer lease, would you be willing to lower the monthly rent fee?”

10. Get ready to drive. Some of the best deals aren’t published in newspapers. People will place “For Rent” signs outside of places they want to rent. In college towns, scouring neighborhoods like this is the best way to find an apartment. Also, talk with people, at the college, at bars, etc. You can get great recommendations simply by talking to people. I talked to a hotel manager once when I moved to Folly Beach, SC, and she not only told me where to find a cheaper apartment, she also offered me a job!