We can answer many of the most frequently asked questions
about the Austin rental market:
Click the question to see the answer:
What steps do I take to get a place?
How soon should I start looking?
How fast can you find the perfect property for me?
Can you find move-in specials?
What are the normal qualifications to lease?
How do 1st time renters get qualified?
Can imperfect credit, an eviction, or a broken lease
limit me?
What lease terms are available?
Are furnished apartments available?
Is corporate housing available?
Can you find major employer discounts?
Can you find condos, townhomes, duplexes or houses?
What are the differences between apartment flats, condos, townhomes,
and lofts?
What is a studio efficiency?
What is an income resticted unit?
Can you find a place for my big dog?
Can you find a place with views, lots of trees and privacy?
Can you search near particular schools, employers, shopping
areas, etc?
Where are the safest areas?
What amenities can you find?
Can you find washer/dryer connections, or w/d units
included?
Can you give me unit floorplans?
Can you find units with garages?
What bills are paid by the apartments?
What are the average utility costs?
Who turns on the utilities?
What steps do I take to get a place?
First, contact us using our online forms, or email. When you search here
you will get full service assistance by our agents who will help guide you through your
search. When you give us your search criteria, we will select a few properties we
think you will like and that match your criteria closest. When you are ready to look
at specific units, we will call several properties and get the most current availability
for you. This can save you a lot of time calling tons of places trying to match your
criteria with what is actually on the market. We are experts in finding the best
fit!
How soon should I start looking? You will
probably want to get serious about particular units 4-6 weeks before your move-in
date. However, we can help you at any time.. even if you need to move today!
Since most residents do not give notice until about 30 days before they move out, you have
to act fast once they do. Many of these units will be gone within days of giving
notice, because Austin has about a 98% occupancy rate.
How fast can you find the perfect property for
me? We might already know about the perfect place for you, right now. Since we
are constantly searching Austin's rental market for our customers, we have the most
current availability. We have even helped people move-in the very same day they
started looking. Even if you are not in Austin, we can help you lease a place by fax
without having to view it in person.
Can you find move-in specials? If they
are out there, chances are we know about them. We can look for lower deposits,
partial or full months free, major employer discounts, and more.
RETURN TO TOP
What are the normal qualifications to
lease? There are three common items found on the application. Job
History/Income, Rental History, and Credit History.
Job History/Income: Most managers want
you to have at least 1 year of employment history or school. They also want about
3-4 times the rent of verifiable household income (before taxes). In most cases this
is a combined total of every employed occupant. For example, an 2 bedroom renting
for $800 requires a total income of at least $2400/month at 3 times the rent. Some
income qualified properties have a maximum limit as well. A "co-signor"
will help with certain financial situations such as students and other situations.
Rental History: Many managers check
your past 2 year rental history. In some cases, a "co-signor" will help
here as well.
Credit History: This varies from place
to place, so ask us about your situation, and we will help you find the best option.
How do 1st time renters get qualified?
First time renters usually can get a place based on their employment and credit. In
some cases, a co-signor may be helpful. We can help you gather the necessary
information you need to get qualified.
Can imperfect credit, an eviction, or a broken lease
limit me? We do know of places that will work with most credit situations.
Many times they will excuse certain items from your credit report if you explain your
situation, and provide documentation to support it. Sometimes an extra deposit may
be required, such as the last month's rent up front. We can help find the best
apartment options for you.
RETURN TO TOP
What lease terms are available? The
standard apartment lease terms are 6 and 12 months (sometimes in between). Some
apartments offer 3 month or month to month for an additional premium. Longer lease
terms can protect you from higher rents, so try to sign a lease for as long as you think
you can. Some apartments have special situations where you can escape your lease
contract. Contact us for the details.
Are furnished apartments available? You
have a few options. We can find apartments that have furnished units already
ready. We can also get you furniture rental discounts from a company that will
provide any home with the furniture of your choice. You can also go with a corporate
suite where you can really get taken care of. They provide everything from furniture
to pictures on the wall and vacuum cleaners. Contcat us to get more info about these
options.
Is corporate housing available? Yes, we
know of several corporate housing options. You will get full service assistance
finding a home that comes complete with everything down to the toothbrushes and extra
lightbulbs. You will have nothing to worry about, and all you need to bring is your
clothes and personal items. Lease terms range from month to month or longer.
Can you find major employer discounts?
Yes, we know of the places that offer these discounts as well as others, so contact us for
the details.
RETURN TO TOP
Can you find condos, townhomes, duplexes or houses?
Yes, we do locate all properties that are professionally managed. At this time, we
can not locate privately owned units for rent. You will have to drive around and
look for signs in yards to find those, since that is often the only way they advertise.
However, can help you if you are interested in buying such a unit.
What are the differences between apartment flats,
condos, townhomes, and lofts?
Apartment Flats are described as one level units,
that can be on any floor you desire. Condos are identical, except
that they are built with higher quality standards and could qualify to be individually
owned.
Townhomes and lofts are built to the same quality
standards as condos. They are multiple level units that have interior stairs and
often do not have units above or below them. A loft has an area that openly
overlooks the level beneath. It is a more open floorplan with fewer walls and doors.
What is a studio efficiency? An efficiency has
one room that is used as both a living room and bedroom, instead of separate rooms.
What is an income resticted unit? This
means that there are certain minimum and maximum income limits that must be maintained for
the property to offer discounted rental rates due to tax breaks.
RETURN TO TOP
Can you find a place for my big dog?
Most apartments accept up to about 25 lb pets. However, we can find places that take
up to 100 lb dogs! You may have to pay a pet deposit that depends on the exact
size of your dog. Also, the options may be a little slimmer.. so contact us quick to
get every one of them.
Can you find a place with views, lots of trees and
privacy? We can definitely search through our personally recommended
properties to find the amenities you request. Unit location is important, and we can
find out which units will have what you need. Let us take the headaches out of
searching for your new place.
Can you search near particular schools, employers,
shopping areas, etc? Yes, our expert agents can search for properties near
whichever areas you request.
Where are the safest areas? We can not
say which ones will be safest, but you can view the crime statistics of the apartment or
area you are interested in.
RETURN TO TOP
What amenities can you find? Here is a
list of some of the amenities we can find for you: Washer/dryers, views, weight
rooms, intrusion alarms, limited access gates, business centers, clubhouses, tennis
courts, fireplaces, wet bars, sunken bathtubs, and more.
Can you find washer/dryer connections, or w/d
units included? Yes. We can find the places with connections, and if they do
not already include the units, we can set you up with a rental service to offer discounted
rates on a set for as long as you live there.
Can you give me unit floorplans? We have
flooplans on our database that can be given to you online, by email, or fax.
Can you find units with garages? We can
find units with covered parking, detached garages, and attached garages that access
directly to your unit.
RETURN TO TOP
What bills are paid by the apartments?
Most apartments pay for water, sewage and trash. Some have you pay for your own
water. Some pay extras such as gas, hot water and cable. The only other
utilities are electric and phone. There are a very few "all bills paid"
communities, but they are not often the best choice. Searching for one limits your
options, and they often raise the rent to cover the utility costs anyway. So you
limit your selections and pay the same.
What are the average utility costs? You
can get this info from the utility company, but it will range depending on your own
personal usage. It also depends on the number of bedrooms and size of your
unit. Some of the newer proeprties offer energy efficient units that can lower your
utility costs. Let us know if this would interest you.
Who turns on the utilities? Some
apartments offer this as a curtesy service for you. If not, we can give you info
about the local utility company to set up your services.
RETURN TO TOP
