HOW IT WORKS
We’re not just in the real estate business; we’re really in the stress relief business. Here’s How Our Expert Apartment Locator Services Work:
Share as much or as little as you know about what you want or need in an apartment. That could be location, washer/dryer situations, pets, roommates, budget, amenity and layout preferences, anything really! Your personal apartment locator will be able to match all your requests to Nashville’s apartment inventory!
Our apartment locators in Nashville confirm rental rates, application fees, admin fees, deposits, qualification criteria, availability, pet policies, and more so you don’t have to! You’ll have every bit of information you need to narrow down your options to the best of the best. Our expert locators can give you guidance on neighborhoods, commutes, and lifestyle fits so you can pick the apartment that best fits your story! Once we’re sure, it's time to tour!
This isn’t Zillow, Apartments.com, or even Google (Yep, we just gave you direct links to those sites!). Our Expert Apartment Insiders have access to the kind of information you’ll never find on the internet. We also know other apartment communities in the city, not just the ones that choose to advertise online. Apartments tell us about unadvertised specials, name changes, policy changes, and renovations first! We have the Insider scoop, and we share that information with you for FREE.
No car? No Problem! We can drive. Our apartment locators don’t just leave you with a list. We escort you to every apartment to make sure you see everything you need to see and get every question answered, so you can make the right decision for you.
Questions? We have answers! Once you’ve picked the ideal apartment for you, we can help you with the application, the qualification process, and make sure you get any special rates you’re entitled to. With your own apartment Insider with you every step of the way, you have someone who has your back from start to finish.
FAQ
It’s totally free! We are paid a referral fee out of the apartment’s marketing budget. This doesn’t cause an increase in rent or fees for you either. Actually, we know where the best deals are. When we say free, we mean FREE!
Our expert apartment locators don’t just generate a generic list for you, they provide a hyper-personalized and totally tailored list for you. If they give you that list weeks out from your tour date, by the time you’re actually ready to tour often 99% of those options will have either leased or seen a price change. We do this to ensure the most accurate pricing and availability that works for your move-in timeframe!
Kinda. Here’s what we mean: We know what questions to ask to ensure you are fully informed and getting the best deal available. Sometimes we are able to spot pricing disparities with our trained eyes and Insider connections since real estate is an imperfect market. You benefit from that. We cannot negotiate pricing on individual, one-off units. However, we do have an amazing Property Relations team who works extra hard to negotiate better rates and exclusive deals on select apartments, in bulk. We ALWAYS post these exclusive, negotiated savings on our Instagram channel, so be sure to check us out there: https://www.instagram.com/apartmentinsiders/
Yes! All apartment locators at Apartment Insiders are extremely professional, well-trained Licensed Tennessee Real Estate Agents.
Our apartment locating service is totally free to you because we are paid from the apartment community where you lease. In order to receive credit for you leasing there, we need to be with you the first time you visit the apartment community. To minimize any confusion, it also helps to let the apartment community know that you are working with Apartment Insiders during any initial discussions with them. Also, please write your agent’s name and Apartment Insiders in the referral section of your paper application. If you are applying online, there is usually a section titled “How did you hear about us?” or “Referral source” where you must choose “Locator” or “Apartment Insiders” from the drop-down menu.
We can try to beat your renewal rental rate if you share it with us and are serious about moving! However, unfortunately we aren’t able to work with the apartment community on your behalf if you are interested in staying at that same apartment.
Feeling safe is important for everyone when looking for a home. Since our agents are Licensed Real Estate Agents, we can’t discuss safety or demographic questions – however, based on your preferences as we get to know you, we would love to make sure you’re in or near areas that interest you! We don’t want to represent one thing or another to you when we could be wrong. There are people of all types and backgrounds all over town. Additionally, crime doesn’t have an address and can honestly happen anywhere. Below are some links to crime maps, which can provide with you with a little more data on that topic: https://www.crimemapping.com/map/tn/nashville https://spotcrime.com/ https://www.familywatchdog.us/Default.asp
We do if they are managed by a management company (similar to an apartment)! We do not work with private rentals directly from a landlord.
It’s best to tour when you’re ready to make a decision, typically 45-60 days out from your move-in date. Pricing, specials and availability are subject to change every 24 hours, so if you tour and don’t jump on a unit you run the risk of the price jumping as well as losing out on look and lease specials! Our process is highly efficient, yet it’s thorough and not rushed. Your personal Apartment Insiders Locator can guide you through this process to ensure your time isn’t wasted, but you’re making the best decision for you.
It honestly really depends on many factors. Prices are usually a little higher from March to August and cool off some during August to February. That’s due to the usual seasonality in apartment pricing. However, there’s really no way to predict pricing exactly so following us on social media is the best way to stay up to date on the best deals! We often think about it as climate vs. weather. We have an idea of what the climate might be locally a year from now, but there is no way with any good level of certainty that we could tell you what exactly the weather will be like on this same day one year from now.
Yes, it really is! Apartment Insiders is a totally free apartment locating service. Working with us does not affect your rent amount whatsoever. In fact, we know where the best deals are being offered in the market and can take you to those opportunities.
We get paid a small referral commission by the apartment management companies when you move in (it is paid from their advertising budget).
No. The properties plan on paying us, and our cost is already worked into their marketing budgets. We have deep relationships with the apartment communities. We are talking to them and visiting them every single day. We often know where the best deals are. This includes information the internet doesn’t even know yet.
One of our expert Apartment Insiders takes you to visit the top apartment community choices that you would like to tour in person!
While there are several different benefits to working with us, we’ll point out that the internet can offer you information about our local apartment market, but we have knowledge. In fact, being Knowledgeable is one of our Company’s Core Values.
Great question! Apartment Insiders has the most apartment community relationships in the market over any other apartment locating service. You won’t need to call anyone else because we will do a fast, efficient job for you and find you the perfect Nashville-area apartment.
Yes, we are absolutely based locally! We’re very fortunate to be the only locally owned and operated apartment locating service in the Nashville market. The Founder of our Company previously founded another apartment locating company in the Nashville market and left the company in 2021 before starting Apartment Insiders. We are very familiar with Nashville and its surrounding cities such as Brentwood and Franklin and can provide all kinds of great information about neighborhoods and school districts in addition to restaurant, shopping, and entertainment recommendations!
Not at all! We know almost all of the apartment communities in the Nashville area, and we will make sure that we give you every property that fits your needs.
No worries! All of our agents offer video and Facetime tours so you can actually see where you’ll be living. Leasing a unit sight unseen can be stressful, we like to send videos so you know if that closet will fit all of your shoes, or if that particular unit has a wine rack. We love wine.
Yes! But we actually only know availability and pricing 60 days out. While we can definitely start narrowing down potential neighborhoods and apartments, we won’t truly be able to start the search process until we’re 60 days away from moving in! Don’t be afraid to reach out to us so we can connect and setup a game plan for when your moving date gets closer.
This is our full time job, and all of our Insiders work pretty much all the time. If you’re coming in on a Saturday, just let your Insider know and we can have updated availability and pricing prepared to discuss in detail with you before you come. We love touring out of towners because we get to show off how much we love this city. We can show you the different neighborhoods, best bars to meet new people, and definitely our favorite restaurants. We’re foodies around here.
We work with apartment communities in Nashville and certain surrounding areas. The City of Nashville, Tennessee has a consolidated city-county form of government. That means that the entire county Nashville is located in, Davidson County, is all considered Nashville as well. We work with apartments in Nashville as well some of the outlying cities such as Brentwood, Franklin, Hendersonville, Gallatin, and Mount Juliet. Some of the suburbs or neighborhoods we work with in Nashville include East Nashville, Bellevue, SoBro, Wedgewood Houston, 12 South, 8th Avenue South, Green Hills, Germantown, Downtown, the Gulch, West End, Vanderbilt, West Nashville, Antioch, Hermitage, Donelson, Metrocenter, the Nations, Cool Springs, Sylvan Park, Percy Priest Lake, South Nashville, Goodlettsville, and Old Hickory. The markets where we don’t work include Clarksville, Murfreesboro, and Columbia, Tennessee. Those areas are just too far for us to be able to consistently deliver our 5 star service, and we would never want to let any client down.
We love telling people who move from big cities like New York or LA about deposits here in Nashville. They usually range anywhere from $0-400. Sometimes higher if there are credit issues, but no apartment requires first and last month’s rent, which is awesome. Some apartments will even give you a month of free rent! You will also pay an application fee of $0-100 and an admin fee of $0-300. We’re pretty good at finding killer deals though, so you shouldn’t expect to pay more than $500 for move-in costs with good credit. If you have a pet, it’ll be a bit more.
We’ve partnered with Cort Furniture to help furnish apartments through furniture rentals instead of having to purchase everything! As for short term leases, the minimum lease term we work with is 6 months, but pricing is usually MUCH higher for short term leases; sometimes double the price. We always tell people that if they’re planning on moving here for at least a year, it’s worth it to just do a year lease and save the money!
Nope! The difference is that Apartment Insiders spend a lot more time training to learn the apartment market than regular apartment locators do. While Apartment Insiders have real estate licenses and technically are apartment locators, the training program Apartment Insiders go through is rigorous, and they meet multiple times a week to discuss changes happenings with apartments in the market. That’s what sets them apart. They also benefit from the longstanding relationships the company has within the local apartment market. No other company has these same connections or database.
We only work with professionally managed apartment communities.
For bad credit and misdemeanors: Your Insider will dive deeper with you about the details about your credit or misdemeanor – depending on this, the options that accept these details might be limited, but if they are out there we will help you find them! For evictions and felonies: Most properties that work with us do not accept applicants with any felonies or evictions on their records unless they are over 10 years old. Even if they are over 10 years old, there still may be some challenges.
We totally get it! Sometimes things change. If that’s the case, your locator can talk through how you’re feeling with you and help you find something that feels right. In some cases this might mean you lose those application fees for your original unit, but when you’re talking about where you’ll live for a year, sometimes it washes out!
Most properties require you to make 3 times the monthly rent as your gross income for the month (that’s before taxes!) For example: If the apartment costs $1300 per month, you’d need to bring in $3,900 per month before taxes to qualify.
In the State of Tennessee, any occupant over the age of 18 residing in the unit must be listed on the lease. Sometimes the occupant can be listed as an approved guest rather than a leaseholder. Different apartment communities address this issue differently. Your Insider can help you navigate this.
When it comes to apartments and rentals, both co-signers and guarantors can help you qualify – keeping in mind that they have a few key differences. A guarantor is an individual who takes on the financial responsibility of the apartment should the tenant default or fail to pay rent. Guarantors are not considered tenants and therefore not approved to live in the unit. A cosigner is considered a tenant and can live in the apartment they cosign for. This also means the cosigner is immediately responsible for paying the rent and has the same liability for the unit that the primary renter has.
Credit is an important part of renting. If your credit isn’t so hot or you don’t have any credit it can diminish your chances of getting the apartment you want. For the total newbies, credit is when a company will give your goods or services before you have paid for them. Some examples include: credit cards, credit lines, rental leases, mortgages, and car payments. But, when people, or more importantly apartments, refer to your ‘credit’, they are typically referring to your credit score.
Your ‘credit score’, also referred to as your ‘FICO score’ is an objective way for a company to tell if you are likely to pay for the goods or services that they are providing you on credit. It is a number between 300 and 850. The lower your score the less likely you are deemed to pay for the goods or services they are providing. The higher, the more likely.
Equifax, TransUnion and Experian are the 3 companies that currently calculate credit scores in the US. They use factors like: (1) How much credit is available to you (2) How long you have had that credit (3) How much of the total credit available to you are you using? (meaning how much you owe vs. your total credit line) (4) Your payment history including late payments and non-payments (5) Any collections history (if creditors have had to send your balance to a collections agency to try to get repayment)
The majority of landlords, lenders and companies view credit scores in these ranges: Below 550 – Bad 550 to 649 – Poor 650 to 699 – Fair 700 to 749 – Good 750 & Above – Excellent
Well…that varies significantly between apartments. That’s why it’s good to have our apartment locators on your side. We know the qualifying credit scores for most apartments and can help you quickly find the ones that will work for you!
Absolutely! Paying your rent on time every month is a good way to do it too! Adversely, NOT paying your rent on time every month can tank your credit score very quickly and make it hard to rent in the future. Also… (1) Have credit that you don’t use. Lenders like to see that you don’t need all the credit that you have available to you. (2) Keep your credit lines open. Even if you aren’t using a credit line on the regular, try to keep it open. If you get a notice that they are about to close a line due to non-use, charge something small to it, then pay it off, to maintain that line. How long your credit lines have been available to you matters in your score. (3) Pay on time, even if it’s the minimum. Late payments cause late charges and hurt your credit score.
Landlords, rental property owners and apartmentcomplexes use something called ‘Qualifying’ to decide who they will rent to. The process includes looking at key factors that indicate whether you will be a good renter, pay your rent on time, and take care of their property while you are renting. Apartment and landlords typically look at the following factors: INCOME The majority of apartment communities will require you to make at least 2.5x to 3x the rent amount in verifiable monthly income. For example $1000 RENT NEEDS BETWEEN $2500 (2.5x) & $3000 (3x) in verifiable monthly income To verify your income, an apartment complex will typically request 3 months to one year of employment history in the form of paystubs, bank statements, or a letter of employment and compensation from your employer. IMPORTANT NOTE: They will likely be looking at your pay before taxes are taken out (your ‘Gross Income’). Don’t have any credit history? You may need a Cosigner.
Cosigners are persons other than the renters who are legally obligated to pay any debts incurred from non-payment of rent, fees, or damages by the renters. Cosigners are a great way for first time renters or students to give landlords and property owners the peace of mind necessary to approve their rental applications.
Parents, family, even friends. Really, anyone that is qualified and willing.
Cosigners typically have to make 5-6 times the rent monthly and have good credit.
No, not all apartments accept co-signers. Many apartments do accept co-signers, but it isn’t a given, even in a town with multiple colleges like Nashville. Good news though! We know all the apartments that will work with cosigners. If you need an apartment that accepts cosigners and you don’t want to waste your time calling around, request your custom search and we’ll make sure we only show you apartments that we believe will work with you!
Renting with a cosigner means that the landlord or property management company is acknowledging that you don’t have the required income to pay the rent for this property and that likely the cosigner is either paying the rent for you, or acting as a backup. Some properties allow it, others don’t, and almost always the cosigner has to make much more than the standard 2 – 3x rent.
Nashville is SUUUUUPER dog friendly. Our owner’s dog comes to our office every day. There are tons of bars and restaurants that allow dogs on their patios as well. Almost all of the apartments allow non-aggressive dogs as roommates (with a deposit), and some have dog parks, green areas, and even small yards. If you have an “aggressive” breed (we use quotations because we know your pit bull is sweet) then your options will be more limited, but they still exist. Contact us and we can give you the details on what to expect and different options. Cats are typically allowed as well.
We love our pets too, but they do come with some extra considerations when you are renting. Not all apartments accept pets, or all types of pets; and those that do usually require extra rent, deposit or application information.
Pet applications are a common practice for apartment complexes. They typically want to know weight, breed, quantity, even references! Many also require a letter of good health from your vet. Even if you are approved, it doesn’t mean your pet will get approved. Many apartments will accept small, non-restricted breed dogs and cats, but large dogs, restricted breed dogs and exotic pets can be harder to place. Our apartment locators know which apartments take which pets and can help you avoid the pit-falls of pet applications.
Almost all apartments that accept pets will require an additional deposit specifically to cover any damage done by your pet. This deposit is in addition to your standard deposit. It is refundable if your pet does not cause any damage. When you find that pet, let us know, we want to adopt them :)!
Some apartment complexes also charge a pet fee during the application process to cover the cost of processing your pet application. As a fee, it is not refundable.
Pet rent is an additional rent that you pay on top of your standard rent. Often it is per pet, the more, the more expensive and it can vary by type of pet or breed.
Yep! Many apartments now offer pet facilities including dog parks, dog washing stations and access to running trails and parks.
In short, an apartment lease is a legal contract between you and apartment owner / landlord that you will pay a certain amount of money each period (usually a month) and abide by the rules outlined in the lease and in exchange the apartment owner / landlord will allow you to occupy the property for the duration of the contract.
The only universal requirement to sign a lease is that you be at least 18 years old and legally able to sign a contract. Aside from that though, every landlord / property owner is different in their requirements for whom they will lease to. By law they cannot discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, handicap, familial status, or national origin. What owners and landlords usually look at is your income, your rental history, your credit and your public record.
Leases are long legal documents, but the main information includes: Your information and any roommate’s information as the renter(s) The apartment or rental property legal description (what you are renting) The landlord’s information The start and finish date of the lease The agreed upon rent and when it is due (this is usually monthly) The terms of lease, for example: Rules regarding pets Rules regarding guests What you are responsible for, ie the yard, etc. Terms regarding transferring the lease Non-renewal terms (how you need to leave the property if you decide not to renew) There’s lots more in a lease, but these are the highlights.
EARLY LEASE TERMINATION – Usually leases prohibit early termination with only a few very select exceptions that are legally required, or allow you terminate early, but only with a hefty penalty. TRANSFERRING A LEASE – This is also rarely allowed, or comes with many stipulations and possible fees. Each lease is different though, so it’s important to read it carefully and understand the terms to which you are agreeing!
First of all, when considering an apartment, you have to think about more than just rent! In addition to moving costs, there are fees and deposits, pet costs and utilities, that all come into play. You should consider all these (below) with your monthly rental budget and make sure you can actually afford it! RENT Almost all financial advisors say your monthly rent (or your portion of the monthly rent) should not exceed 1/3 of your monthly income. Therefore, most apartments won’t accept renters that make less than 2.5 to 3 x the rent. Do you like apartments a little out of your range? As a result, here are a couple ways to land the pad you want and stay on budget. Snag a roommate! Since sharing the rent for all the communal spaces can really cut your costs, finding someone you can get along with and share your space with can help you get into an area or apartment that you really want to be in. Prioritize. Do you really want a fantastic interior? A resort-style pool? A downtown view? A short commute? Also central locations + great interiors + great amenities = $$$$. But if you can figure out what is most important to you, you can usually find really nice amenities and interiors a little further away for a MUCH better price. Is location your thing? Maybe you can do without the stainless steel appliances. Look for Specials. Finally, this is where our apartment locators really hook you up! While most communities don’t advertise their specials except on their own site, we keep a current database of current unadvertised and advertised specials. PET RENT Have a pet? Almost all apartments will charge you pet rent in addition to your regular rent. FEES Apartments and landlords typically charge fees for processing your application or pets or pet applications. While fees, unlike deposits, you don’t get back, whether you rent or not. DEPOSITS Deposits are money you may get back. Furthermore, deposits are meant to cover any damages done to the property by yourself, your guests or your pets. Therefore, if you’re renting with a pet, many apartments charge a pet deposit in addition to the standard deposit. MOVING You may still be in the phase of wrangling all your friends for a case of beer and moving yourself. Hence, if that’s the case, think about the cost of renting the moving truck and your time value. Maybe you are hiring movers, even packers. In addition, you should count those expenses to your overall cost. The further you have to move, how easy move in is, all affects the cost of the move.
Some apartments offer all or some of your utilities with your rent, but the large majority do not. Therefore, think about: ● Electric heating vs. gas ● Age of the property ● Location and size of windows ● What providers are available at the property and their rates In conclusion, all of those may affect how much your monthly bills come out to.
Renting an apartment in Nashville is always a challenge for someone who is not familiar with Nashville’s apartment and rental property market, or perhaps they are not familiar with Nashville in general. Seems like there are many factors that go into choosing a place to rent – whether it be an apartment, condo, townhome, duplex or even a house – there are some things many people do not think to consider that might drastically affect how much you enjoy your new home. Furthermore, when the expert apartment locators at Apartment Insiders evaluate a new Nashville apartment or rental property, there are many things they consider. Some of the factors they consider are obvious: number or bedrooms, unit availability, pet policies, rent, and location. However, these are not the only factors that should go into your Nashville apartment search. Here are few that you might not have thought of:
You know how many bedrooms you want in your apartment, but do you know how you want the floor plan laid out? Did you know you have a choice? While many apartments have similar floor plan configurations per the number of bedrooms, they often have subtle differences that can make each apartment distinction. For example, where are the washer and dryer located in the apartment? How close are the bedrooms to the apartment’s front door? Do individual rooms have balconies vs. one main balcony? Did you know some apartments offer a den? You would be surprised at the variety, so don’t just go on the number of bedrooms and baths – look at each apartment’s layout to see which apartment suits your needs.
Once you have chosen an apartment community, it is not a bad idea to visit it during the evening or on the weekend. If you can, specifically visit the apartment unit you are considering. If you only visit during the week, while most people are at work, you will not get a true appreciation for the neighbors. Don’t forget – corner unit apartments have less adjoining walls, so they tend not to have as many noise issues, and apartments on top floor don’t have any overhead noise.
The leasing agent is not the one who will be fixing your dishwasher if it breaks. He or she is often not the property manager. It is always a good idea to meet these people before move in. Introduce yourself and have a short conversation, so they are more likely to remember your name and face if there is an issue you need addressed down the line.
While there are many quality apartments that are not brand new, the age of the building is a factor in several things: price, maintenance and style to name a few. Think about how this might affect the apartment properties’ floor plans, amenities and maintenance. Then weigh that against any potential budget savings on rent and the proximity to the location you want. This will help you make the right decision.
By location we don’t mean the location in Nashville, more the location of the actual apartment unit within the apartment community. Do you want to be close to the pool? Or maybe overlooking a greenbelt? Do you like morning sun vs. afternoon sun on your balcony (if the apartment offers one)? How close is your parking? And very important – how many stairs are you willing to climb with your groceries? Furthermore, location of an apartment within an apartment complex can make or break your experience living there and definitely needs to be considered. Finally, there are almost infinite issues that we could address when talking about renting, we do not have enough space here to look at them all. That is why apartment locators are such a good resource when looking for your next apartment. As real estate agents, their services are completely free to the buyer and they can save you a lot of time, money and effort in your apartment search. Apartment Insiders, we work with experienced apartment locators who are deeply familiar with the Nashville apartment market and specifically with the North Nashville apartment market. In addition, we have a proven track record of success placing hundreds of clients with the rental property or apartment that was right for them. We pride ourselves on personal attention, quality customer service and results! Therefore we can help you work through all of your questions regarding your apartment options and renting, then help you find the perfect place
This one is actually tough because there are so many different neighborhoods that we love!! Some of our favorites include Knox/Henderson, Deep Ellum, Oak Lawn, Uptown, and West Nashville. But ultimately there are a lot of other factors that include your budget, work location, etc. that can determine which neighborhood is best for you! But don’t worry, we’ll walk you through the process for sure.
All apartments in Nashville come with a fridge and a microwave. Parking is usually included unless it’s a downtown property or if you have specific requests.
Here in Nashville we have unregulated energy so you can choose from a number of different providers. Luckily, we have a full-scale concierge service that can compare rates and find the best prices for you! Just call or text (214) 414-9453 to get in touch with our Apartment Insiders Concierge.
We always tell people to check Yelp reviews for movers, and your specific agent can give you a couple of potential movers that we’ve had good experiences with in the past!
Nashville has a metro rail called the DART (Nashville Area Rapid Transit) that can take you pretty much anywhere. We know of plenty of Nashville apartments that are within walking distance to a DART station if you’re not planning on bringing a car. But we will definitely suggest a car, only because Nashville is pretty spread out. Everything is bigger in Tennessee.
Duh! The majority of our partners do offer discounts and specialty pricing just for our clients.
Yes! We’re your new friend in your new town. So even better, we have special deals just for Apartment Insiders clients worked out with our friends around town who would like to earn your business. Many of them will give you an upfront deal (like a free haircut, free workout session or two, etc.) to try out their place hoping that you’ll keep coming back since they know you are new to town. Ask your Insider for access to this list of deals. Write helpful private rentals article with links Links to schools Schools Davidson County School District Map (Interactive) – https://mnps.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=cedc432ee9d1418db4300bc2ab30fc33 Davidson County School District Map http://maps.nashville.gov/webimages/MapGallery/PDFMaps/School%20Locations.pdf Davidson County Public, Private, Charter Schools – https://www.nashvillechamber.com/explore/live/schools School Ratings – https://www.niche.com/ School Ratings – https://www.greatschools.org/tennessee/nashville/ Pets Nashville is a remarkably pet friendly city. Most apartments will have amenities for pets (pet parks, dog runs, pet spas) and most apartments are pet friendly. Property management and individual landlords are more of a case by case basis with the highest degree of flexibility. Pet policies at apartments will vary from the following: “Aggressive” breed restrictions (Pitbulls, German Shepherds, etc.) {Most apartments} No breed/size restrictions {Few apartments} Pet interviews (fur real) {Fewer apartments} Weight restrictions (35lbs., 50lbs., 75 lbs.) {Few apartments} 2 pet maximum {most apartments} 3 pets or more {few apartments} Different Areas Feeling safe is important for everyone when looking for a home. That being said, what one considers “safe” will be subjective. https://www.crimemapping.com/map/tn/nashville https://spotcrime.com/ https://www.familywatchdog.us/Default.asp Aside from online tools, you’ll find it’s highly recommended to drive around, stop, and get a feel for any areas you’re considering making home, particularly during the times you’re most likely going to be out. If you don’t feel comfortable driving, let alone walking, around then you probably won’t feel comfortable calling that area home. It’s unfortunate that I have to add this, but some people will incorrectly judge the safety of an area based on specific demographics. It’s such uneducated, and divisive, judgments that previously led to unfair & unethical Real Estate practices (redlining [lenders wouldn’t lend to minorities in certain areas essentially creating a redline around areas], blockbusting [agents/developers would tell white landowners minorities were moving into the neighborhood to scare them into selling], steering [using a protected class {color, race, sex, age, etc.} to steer a buyer/resident to/from an area]) that had to be addressed with legislation (Fair Housing Laws) to prohibit discriminatory practices. As such when dealing with any Real Estate professional we will not discuss any matters on demographics for an area, especially when related to any protected classes. Such information is easily found through Google. Utilities Utilities List (Multiple Counties) – https://liveitnash.com/utilities NES (Nashville Electric Service) – https://www.nespower.com/ Piedmont Natural Gas – https://www.piedmontng.com/home MWS (Metro Water Services) – https://www.nashville.gov/Water-Services.aspx Internet There are others aside from the major 3 below. Use the addresses of your options to find service providers. Google (Select areas/apartments/condos only) AT&T Comcast Public Transportation (Don’t Expect Much) Nashville is car DEPENDENT; Some neighborhoods are bicycle-friendly, many are not – https://www.walkscore.com/TN/Nashville-Davidson WeGo (Bus) – https://www.nashvillemta.org/ Music City Star (Train) – https://www.rtarelaxandride.com/ B-Cycle (Bicycles… Currently Suspended) – https://nashville.bcycle.com/ Cost of living – https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Nashville Climate https://weatherspark.com/y/14687/Average-Weather-in-Nashville-Tennessee-United-States-Year-Round Driver Services – https://www.tn.gov/safety/driver-services.html New Residents- https://www.tn.gov/safety/driver-services/classd/dlnew.html You said something about a “special”? Correct! Apartments periodically run “specials” & “look and leases” that can save you quite a bit of money, if applied correctly. Phrasing matters as deals all vary. Specials are generally unit/time-based. Look and leases will have short expirations, generally the life of the quote (24-72 hours), to incentivize you to make a quick decision. In each instance, you will receive a credit worth the amount of whatever special you receive in your online account (where you will pay your rent) upon move-in. What will vary is how the apartments will allow you to prorate your special. For example: “Move-in by the end of the month and get your 1st month free!”* *(1 bedroom w/ 13 month lease) Must physically move in by the end of the month to receive 1 month free on a 1 bedroom unit with a 13-month lease. “Lease by the end of the month and get your 1st month free!”* *(1 bedroom) Must sign lease agreement by end of the month to receive 1 month free on 1 bedroom units. “1 month free” Must sign lease agreement by time point (end of special) to receive special. ***Specials are usually only applied for specific lease terms (12 months)*** In each instance, you will receive 1 month free. However, the apartment will determine how that credit is applied. Either way, you will receive the same amount in savings from the credit. Credit is used for your 1st full month (you don’t pay rent your 1st full month) Credit is prorated at your volition (you choose how you spread out the credit over your lease) Credit is prorated over a specific amount of time (i.e. First 4 months) For example: $1,000 for a 1 bedroom apartment offering 1 month free on a 13 month lease (1st full month) $1,000 X 13 months = $13,000 Spent on rent over life of lease without special $1,000 X (13mo -1mo) = $12,000 Spent on rent over life of lease with special 0 + 1,000 + 1,000… = $12,000 $1,000 for a 1 bedroom apartment offering 1 month free on a 13 month lease (Self-prorate) (a lot of ways you can prorate this) $1,000 X 13 months = $13,000 Spent on rent over life of lease without special $1,000 X (13mo -1mo) = $12,000 Spent on rent over life of lease with special 0 + 1,000 + 1,000… = $12,000 – or – $12,000/13mo = $923 per month if spread out evenly over the life of the lease $923 x 13mo 923 + 923 + 923… =$12,000 $1,000 for a 1 bedroom apartment offering 1 month free on a 13-month lease spread over the first 4 months (Specific increment) $1,000/4 = $250 off for first 4 months $750 + $750 + $750 + $750 + 1,000 + 1,000… = $12,000 Look and leases will generally be smaller offers such as waiving your application fees, or a smaller credit, that is only good for a short period of time (24-48 hours) to incentivize you to apply. The time will start upon contacting/touring the apartments depending on the apartment. For example: “Move-in by the end of the month and get your 1st month free!”* *(1 bedroom w/ 13 month lease) Application and administration fees waived if leased within 48 hours” Must physically move in by the end of the month to receive 1 month free on a 1 bedroom unit with a 13-month lease. However, if you lease within 48 hours you will also get your application and administration fees waived. Or you can just have me do all the hard work for you! Please read this before asking any questions. If you can’t find the answer here, or through Google, try giving the sub a quick search to see if it’s already been asked/answered. If no luck then feel free to post. The more information you can provide (barring any personal contact info) the higher the odds of someone stepping in with an answer, well a helpful one. Housing Buying Get a Realtor! The buyer’s agent’s cost is generally covered by the seller in a traditional real estate transaction. You’ll find no shortage of agents. Talk to multiple people before deciding. You’ll be interacting with this person a good bit, on quite possibly the largest purchase of your life, so clear communication on both parts is huge. A few Redditors that may be able to assist: u/JakeDaniels585 u/MB9015 Renting (Leasing) Apartments Get an Apartment Locator! We’re also Real Estate Agents, but instead of buying/selling houses, we find people apartments throughout the Greater Nashville Area (every surrounding county except Cheatham currently). We get paid by apartments for referring new residents at **absolutely no cost to you**. Nashville has been my home since before high school and I’ve been to practically all the apartments in town. I’m a part of a team of Apartment Locators. We’re constantly getting emails/calls/texts updating us on pricing/availability/specials/tour policies directly from apartments and we have our own group-chat to update each other on the fly. You tell me what you’re looking for in an apartment and I can do a personalized search based on your needs/wants. Fill out my Apartment Search Web Form or email me at [email protected] for free help! If you’d like to spend your free time doing the research on your own (I truly don’t know why you would though, I’ve done the apartment search the old school way it *ssssuuuccckkkssss*, but hey your choice lol): Apartments.com Rent.com Hotpads.com Apartmentguide.com Zillow.com Zumper.com The pictures/videos are, usually, great on said websites, but the pricing and availability are also, usually, outdated. (Most Nashville apartments have switched over to software-based pricing that updates frequently) Reviews can be helpful, but also distracting. Repeat mentions of specific issues merit attention, but reviews are also often used as a means of retaliation. Ask your Locator their thoughts and if they’ve had any clients move into said apartments and their experiences. Private Rentals (Houses – Condos) Drive around neighborhoods of interest (turn down every road) calling every “For Rent/Lease” sign you see. I’ve found great deals on housing this way. There are plenty of landlords out there that don’t bother listing online and only use word of mouth/bandit signs (signs in the yard) to find tenants. Sign up for Realtor emails. They will promote their upcoming listings and a lot of Realtors will offer to list rentals for their clients. Realtor.com Zillow.com Trulia.com Zumper.com Rent.com Hotpads Craigslist Facebook Marketplace Facebook Groups Roommates, rooms, short-terms, & subleasing Apartments generally only offer month-month to their current residents. The shortest lease term that I’ve seen is a 2-month lease term. However, the price usually goes up with a shorter lease term. That being said, there are a lot of people that are looking to move before their lease ends so they look for people to sublet their leases. Subletting is most likely going to be your best bet in finding an affordable short term lease. Conversely, check with the leasing office if they allow sublets for your lease. If they do then consider getting a longer lease term to sublet the months you won’t need. (This comes with the risk of not finding someone to take over your lease so take serious consideration if you’re comfortable subletting your lease) Facebook Groups Facebook Marketplace Craigslist Padlist.com Roomies.com Roomster.com Hotpads.com Furnished units? There aren’t a lot of apartments throughout Nashville that will offer furnished units. When you do find one you’ll notice that it comes with a price increase. You’re paying to rent out the furniture. Here’s the secret. Just because an apartment doesn’t offer the furnishings directly doesn’t mean you can’t get a furnished apartment. You can furnish any apartment in Nashville regardless of whether the apartments offer it or not. The ones that do offer furnishings go through a company called CORT. You can go to their website and look their rates up. However, I deal with their local representatives so if you want some direct contact info feel free to give me a shout. With CORT you’ll be paying for two things. The furniture and the service. They will move the furnishings for you at the beginning/end of your lease. If you transfer units they will move it as well. You can furnish as much/little as you would like through them and as such their prices will vary greatly. I like to tell people to expect to add a few hundred to the budget for furnishings. Another option that I’ve had people do is to simply find used furniture and then attempt to sell it before your lease ends. You won’t recoup all of your money, but you have the potential of recouping some of it as opposed to simply renting it and not getting anything back. What if I can’t make a trip to Nashville to tour apartments in person? Even more reason to give me a shout! [email protected] Most apartments offer some form of virtual tour, but it will vary with each place. We’ll virtually discuss the different neighborhoods, apartment communities, and specific units to narrow down your options to your favorites and I’ll stop by in your place to get photos/videos/video chat. After your virtual tour you should get a quote for a specified amount of time (24-72 hours) locking in the price***. (***A quote doesn’t reserve the unit under your name, it simply reserves the price for that unit for a specific amount of time {Yes, I’ve had to break the news to multiple people that the quote doesn’t prevent someone else from leasing the unit before you and it’s not a fun conversation for anyone}***) You found your next home, now what? Apply!* You’ll apply online with most apartments/property managers. It’ll vary with individual landlords. The only way to ensure a place for yourself is to apply to start the screening process before anyone else. Apartments/property managers won’t “hold” units while you wait. A private landlord is more likely to honor that request since they have more flexibility, but they also can use that flexibility to change their minds and lease their place to someone else with no notice. Application fee $25 – $75 per applicant (anyone over the age of 18 will be considered an applicant) Administration fee $150 – $350 per application (one application per apartment/house) Pet fee $100 – $300 Pet rent $15 – $35 a month (per pet) {some places will do a flat $50 for 2} Security deposit (Varies from place to place) (**Contingent on credit**) $100 – 1-month’s rent *Exercise caution when renting from strangers online. The risk of renting an apartment site-unseen is that you end up with an apartment you hate. The risk of renting a private rental site-unseen is that you get scammed out of money. Don’t send/transfer funds without physically seeing the property if possible. If not possible get them to Facetime/Google Duo you to show you the property, if they can’t/won’t do that it’s a red flag. If they can’t send you videos/pictures they probably don’t own the rental. I’ve talked to an average of 2 people per month this year that have been scammed when trying to find a home. What information will be checked when you apply? There are 3 things that will be checked when applying for an apartment, that will probably be checked by a property management company, and might be checked by a private landlord. Income Credit Background Each matter. However, the degree to each will vary depending on the apartment community/property manager/landlord. When you apply at whatever place you decide to call home your information will be sent over to a 3rd party screening company for them to review and decide. Income Gross income (pre-tax) ≥ 3x base rent (some will ask 2.5x){base=not including amenity/utility/fees/specials*) [i.e. $1,000 base rent ($3.00-$6.00 pest/$5-$25 trash + 1 month free = $1,008-$1,031 net rent + 1 month free*) < $3,000 gross monthly = $1,000 base rent < $3,000 gross monthly] Generally accepted documents to verify income: Offer letters Pay stubs Income statements Bank statements (showing sufficient funds to cover entire lease term will at times suffice) W2’s, 1099’s Tax returns Credit ≥ 600 is the general benchmark for approval < 600 some places will deny but you’ll still have options; higher deposits may be required Bankruptcies limit options Background Criminal background (Felonies limit options – misdemeanors vary {theft & violent offenses generally automatic denial} Rental background (Generally looking for 2 years rental history {flexible so don’t sweat this) Evictions limit options (set up a payment plan to increase your odds of approval at certain places) Just because you’ve been denied at an apartment doesn’t necessarily mean that all other apartments will also deny you. Get your denial letter (ask the leasing office for your denial letter and they will either give it to you or give you the number or website to contact the screening company to give it to you. Using that you can find out why you’ve been denied. Contact me and I’ll see about getting you approved elsewhere.***
