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Questions
and Answers
Why
should I only use one locator service?
- The locating services in the
Dallas Ft Worth Area usually use one of two databases (we
use both!) for the Apartment listings. They subscribe to
these services which provide information on 99.9% of all
properties. Therefore all the locating services have access
to the same information. Consequently, when you use more
than one locator, you'll likely end up with some of the same
properties being referred by both locators and you'll be
forced to choose which one of them gets the credit. Believe
me, you don't want to go there!
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Do
I have to only use one locator service?
- Of Course not. Just because a
locator has a database, doesn't make them a genius... and no
law says you have to only stick with one service. If you
feel you're not getting the service you need, then by all
means get some assistance from another locating service!
Also, if you have been contacted by an apartment only
locator, you could be missing out on the private listings
that only a Realtor has access to.
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What's
the difference between a Realtor and an Apartment Locator?
- All Realtors and Apartment
locators are real estate agents. That means they are
licensed by the state of Texas to practice Real estate. An
apartment locator does not necessarily have to be a realtor,
however. Only a Realtor has access to MLS, (Multiple Listing
Service), the database that Realtors use to list property
owned by an individual owner for sale and for lease. The
Apartment databases that most Apartment only locators use
only lists apartment and townhome communities that are owned
and managed by companies. We at Metro Apartment Locators are
Realtors as well as Apartment Locators and utilize both
apartment databases and the MLS system of private listings.
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Why
is your service Free? What's the catch?
- There is no catch! Our fees
are paid by the landlord or the apartment community you
lease at. Our fees come from the advertising budgets and DO
NOT affect your rent. You are also entitled to all the same
lease specials. In fact, we make sure that all our customers
are aware of any lease specials that are available which the
properties often don't tell you about if you just stop
by...they consider them "closing tools" and don't
mention them unless they have to. Believe me, that's the
first question we ask!
- For us to get paid for our
services, all you need to do is list your agent and our
company as the referral source at the property you lease.
There is usually a spot on the application to do this.
Remember, when you put our name down, you are signing our
check so don't forget about us! Also you'll need to contact
your agent and tell him or her where you leased so he can
follow up with the property. That's it! You're happy. We're
happy. Great, isn't it?
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How
do I make sure you get paid by the property?
- Thought you'd never ask and
darn glad you did! Thanks for thinking of us!
- First of all be sure to tell
the leasing agents when you visit the property you are
working with Metro Apartment Locators and make sure they
write it down on the guest card.
- Secondly, and most
importantly, there is a spot on the rental application that
says "how did you hear about us" or how were you
referred? In that spot be sure to write METRO
Apartment Locators (Please, do not write
"Internet" or "stopped by" or anything
else). If you remember your agent's name write it in as
well.
- On the blue TAA application,
it is on the right about halfway down...next to the pet
info.
- Lastly, please call us or
e-mail us and let us know where you put in your application.
You don't have to wait until you're approved.
- That's It! Simple, eh?
- We know things get hectic, but
please don't forget about us because when you sign our name
to your rental application, it's like signing our paychecks!
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Do
you only work with certain properties?
- No. We work with over 98% of
the apartment communities in the metroplex. Some "Mom
and Pop" places don't work with locators but for the
most part, almost all of the Apartment communities work with
Locators. As for private listings, we have access to all the
properties that people list through an agent.
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What
is the average rent in Dallas/Ft Worth?
- Apartment rental rates vary
depending on location,
- Efficiencies start around 350
to 550.
- One bedrooms are in the
$400-$1500 range with most in the $500-$750 range.
- One/den or 2/1 floor plans are
$600-$1700 most average $650-$900.
- Two bedroom two baths have a
range of $650-$2000 with the majority leasing for
$700-$1100.
- Three bedrooms are $750-$2500
most will lease over $900/month.
- Again price will depend on
location and the apartment. Most new properties list their
places for about 1 dollar per sq. ft but they also tend to
have more lease "specials" and discounts.
- Any private listing will rent
for about 1% of the sales prices so most homes and duplexes
tend to start around $1000 per mo, unless you go to some of
the outlying areas like Garland or Mesquite or some of the
older homes close to the city.
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What
is the average size of Apartments in Dallas/Ft Worth?
- Apartment sizes vary. Most of
the older properties have larger rooms but smaller kitchens,
bathrooms and closets, whereas the newer properties tend to
have smaller rooms but more windows and larger closets,
kitchens and bathrooms.
- Efficiencies start around 300
sq ft to 550.
- 600 sq ft is a
"basic" (Kitchen, living area, bedroom and
bathroom). Most one bedrooms tend to be around 600-700 sq ft
but can easily be much larger (in a warehouse loft, for
example)
- One/den or 2/1 floor plans are
usually in the 800-1000 sq ft range
- Two bedroom two baths are
usually 900-1200 sq ft with most being plus or minus 1000 sq
ft or so.
- Three bedrooms are usually
1200-1500 sq ft
- Square footage can be
deceptive because some properties will "fudge" and
include the patio in the square footage quotes. Also,
Townhomes and other split-levels include the square footage
of the stairways so the square footage quoted is not
necessarily the usable space.
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How
can I tell what's available for my time frame and if there's any
lease specials?
- That's what we are for! We can
check availability for you so you don't waste time or gas.
We also ask every single community if they have any lease
specials or discounts for you. We also find out everything
we can about the available units (location, floor, view,
carpet color, etc.)
- Most communities and landlords
in this area require 30-day notices. Often they need 5-10
days to make it ready for the next tenant and they will
usually hold a vacant unit 2-3 weeks after it is ready. So,
we can usually only find out what will be available from now
to 45 days from now. We can check availability for you
within that time frame but we can not check availability
over 45 days.
- As a rule, we like to check
availability as close to the time you are going out looking
as possible. We hate to give you information on a unit that
is available only to have it leased before you get there.
Therefore, we like to get you information to review as soon
as possible but please let us know when you can go out to
look and we will check availability the day or two before
you go out looking. If we're taking you around, we can check
availability for you and get you the information before we
go out.
- New construction is a whole
different story. You can lease a unit on a new property
several months in advance if the unit is not scheduled for
completion until then. Of course you will not be able to see
the actual unit beforehand.
- Private Listings come on MLS
usually 21-30 days before they become available and most
owners will only allow it to be vacant a week or two.
Therefore it is pointless to look for a house more than
35-40 days before your move date.
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Why
are deposits so low?
- Deposits for Apartments are
usually $100-150 for one bedrooms, $200-300 for two
bedrooms, and $300-500 for three bedrooms. That is
substantially lower than other markets. Why? I don't know,
but its great. The properties do a pretty good application
process however and if for some reason you break a lease
somewhere, almost no one will lease to you.
- Deposits are often negotiable
and many properties will reduce or eliminate the security
deposit as a lease incentive.
- Homes and other private
listings usually require 1 months rent as security deposit.
This is NOT your last month's rent and if you leave without
paying that last month, they could go to court and you could
have an "eviction" on your record even after
you've left. These deposits are almost never negotiable.
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What
does it take for my application to get "approved" and
how long will it take?
- Apartment complexes charge
$20-40/person to process an application. They don't make any
money on this, it is usually forwarded to the screening
company.
- They will verify your
employment, rental history, salary, and check your credit.
Most require that your monthly salary be at least 3 times
the monthly rental amount.
- Most applications can be
processed in 1-2 days. The biggest holdup is usually
verifying the rental history. Be sure that when you apply
you have all the information (phone numbers, addresses, etc)
on former landlords and numbers that they can use to verify
your employment and salary. Pay stubs or "Company offer
letters" are good ways to speed up your application.
- Most communities use a scoring
system and most properties have differing degrees of strictness. Here
are some basic guidelines though:
- If you've broken a lease, you
can rule out 99 percent of the places. Credit is one of the
least restrictive of the criteria. Basically most properties
are content with you having 70% Good credit (7 out of ten
items on your credit report must be good). Bankruptcies over
2 years old usually aren't a problem. Most want you to have
been on your current job for 6 mo or so. Don't worry if you
are newly hired in the same field as you were before or you
are just graduated, that's not a problem as long as your
school/working has been more or less continuous.
- A lot of places will work with
you if you have credit/employment issues with some type of
extra deposit. Ask your locator which ones will work with
you. (Don't worry, its not only the low end properties that
will work with you!) You're not the only one whose been
through a divorce, breakup, job loss, bad roommate
situation, etc. They have heard all the stories and they'll
listen.
- If you have any questions
about acceptability guidelines for certain properties, ask
your locator.
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Can
I get "Pre-approved" for all the properties or must I
wait and put in my application?
- Unfortunately not. Right now
since the approval criteria varies so much and different
companies use their own application, there is not a standard
one time application. Most of the properties will accept the
TAA (Texas Apartment Association) application but you must
still submit it to each individual property. We have these
on file and we can send them to you. We can also help you
lease via long distance through fax and overnight mail.
- We are working with the
Apartment Association on this issue and hopefully will be
able to solve this is the near future.
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Will
they take a credit card?
- Not Yet. We are working with
the Apartment Association on this issue as well and
hopefully sometime in 1999 this will change.
- Almost all of the properties
will take a personal check, even if it is from out-of-state.
(If it bounces, you just don't get in!)
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What
lease terms are available?
- 6-13 month leases are the
standard. Usually there is not a difference in price between
a 6-13 month lease.
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What
if I need a shorter term rental than 6 mo.?
- Several apartment communities
offer a 3-month lease but it will cost you $50-250/month
extra per month. You can go month to month after the 3 mo.
is up.
- There are less than 5
communities in the metroplex that will do a Month-to-month
lease. Otherwise, you will have to rent a "Corporate
apartment". Corporate apartments are fully furnished
and include utilities. They are also fairly expensive: one
bedrooms are $1200-2000, two bedrooms $1700-2500, and three
bedrooms are $1900-3000/month.
- If you are looking for a
pretty short term lease (less than 3 mo). it is usually best
to go to a "suites" type hotel. You can get a
basic one bedroom with utilities included and furniture for
700-1000 per mo.
- However, several properties
offer a "Buy-out" clause on their lease which
means that you can leave any time before your lease term is
up as long as you give 30 day notice and pay a
"re-letting" fee (usually 85%) of one month's
rent. This is a good plan for people who think they might be
there for 6 months but aren't sure (e.g., home buyers,
project consultants). That way you don't end up paying the
additional money per month for a 3-month lease only to stay
there 6 mos.
- You are not
"breaking" your lease when you exercise the early
termination clause since you are fulfilling the agreement in
your lease for that provision. Ask your locator which
properties have this "buy-out" clause.
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What
are standard pet deposits and restrictions?
- Pet Deposits vary depending on
the size and type of breed. Almost all of the communities
accept small dogs or cats under 20lbs with a $300 average
deposit. On our reports you will usually see "n/r"
which means the "non-refundable portion" of the
deposit. That can be anywhere from 50 dollars up to 50% of
the deposit, though some places even charge a "pet fee'
which means the entire deposit is non-refundable. A few
places also charge "pet rent" of $10-25/month, but
this is usually instead of paying the non-refundable part of
the pet deposit. Ask your locator which way you'll be better
off.
- Deposits for Dogs over 30lbs
range from $300-1000 with the same going for the
non-refundable portion. Only a few apartment complexes will
accept large dogs and many have restrictions on aggressive
breeds (e.g., Rottweilers, pit bulls, etc)
- Often you can "pay
out" the pet deposit in installments. Your locator can
find out which properties will let you do this.
- The pet weight restrictions
are "guidelines" and not set in stone. I have
never seen a property weigh a dog so you can usually
"fudge" 5 or ten pounds.
- A lot of places will charge a
pet deposit for each pet. Not all of them do this and some
only charge just a little more for the 2nd one. Most places
have a maximum allowance of 2 pets.
- The Bottom line is things can
get pretty confusing when dealing with pet restrictions and
deposits and all that so ask your locators which properties
will take your pet(s) and which ones have the best deal on
the pet deposits.
- Private listings tend to be
more restrictive of pets in general.
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What
if I need a furnished Apartment?
- As a rule. the apartment
communities are not furnished. You could go the
"corporate apartment" route but as we mentioned
above that can get expensive. The other way is to rent furniture. You
can get the basic furniture (bed, couch, tv. etc) for a 1 br
for about $80-100 per mo and $120-130 for a 2 br. If you
need "the works" (linens, silverware, dishes etc)
as well as furniture you can usually get that for about 120
for a 1 br and $160-175 for a 2 br per mo. We can get you
the information on various services as well as coupons for
discounts. See our Links
page for more info.
- The furniture companies will
come out and move the furniture and furnishings in for you
and set them up.
- There are just a handful of
properties that will come furnished for 25-50 more per mo
than unfurnished. They are usually small 1 bedrooms and most
of them are by DFW airport. Ask your locator which ones
those are if you are interested in those.
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What
utilities will I have to pay for and how much will it cost?
- You will have to pay for
electricity, phone, and cable. Almost no one has gas....let
me rephrase that....almost no properties have gas heating
and only a handful have gas stoves.
- Electricity will run about
40-60 dollars per bedroom on average with the summer months
(need that ac!) being the most expensive usually.
- About half of the communities
now charge for water and from what I understand, most will
be by the summer of '99.Water is pretty inexpensive, usually
5-15 dollars per mo.
- A handful of places will offer
basic cable as a special incentive. Basic cable costs about
30-35 dollars per mo.
- There are very few "All
Bills Paid" properties and they tend to be the much
older properties (Over 25 years old).
- In properties dating from the
70's to early 80's you can find places that have
"Commercial electric" which means that you pay the
property instead of the utility company. You usually don't
have to pay a deposit and the price is about half of
individually metered electricity.
- The properties will all
help you set up your utilities when you lease, either by
giving you the toll-free numbers to call or notifying the
utility companies when you lease and getting them to send
the bills to your new address. If you'd like you can contact
the major utilities via our Links
Page. Most of the time the unit
will have electricity already (they just need to change over
to billing to you) and phone can be set up within a day or
two.
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I
love my Internet Access! Who has high speed internet
access
(cable modems, satellite, etc)?
- There are several high
speed options available and of course more are coming soon
and we'll stay on top of it. We've seen cable modems, ISDN,
satellite internet services and T1's all make inroads at
different properties. Here's a brief run-down of what's out
there but ask your locator since this information is
changing constantly and properties are upgrading their
service.
- TCI , the cable company is
currently offering cable modem service in parts of Euless,
Richardson and Garland. The cost is about $50 per mo. More
areas will be up by spring of '99. TCI Dallas says they
won't have cable modems for Dallas until mid next year. They
don't have the network equipment up and their contract with
the city is up for renewal and I suppose they are waiting
for the city to get down on its knees and beg for higher
fees and mediocre service before they do anything.
- ISDN can be run to virtually
any apt. Your cost depends on how long of a contract you are
willing to sign. The last time I checked, the fees for the
Dallas/Ft Worth areas were (these are ballpark figures):
$200 or so for no contract, 90-120 for a 1 year contract,
0-40 for a 2 year contract). The cost for the service is
around 50-70 per mo for 2 lines (channels, to be more
exact). Some properties are "pre-wired" for ISDN
which would save you the installation cost though not the
service cost.
- A few places are offering an
interesting service called "The Beam". It is a
satellite based service with speeds rivaling that of Cable
modems. It costs around $50 per mo. Ask your locator which
properties have this amenity. I have heard that the beam is
up to 4Mbps download but you are restricted to 28k upload
because that is through your phone line.
- Another service is Broadband
Now. They offer over 1Mbps upload and download. It is closer
to $75 per month
- Other places are offering high
speed internet access through T1 lines through a service
called InterQuest. You have to share the T1 line with
everyone in the community who is online but they say they
can offer pipeline burst of 1.4 MBps and guarantee 1Mbps
upload and download. They will help you install a LAN card
and say they have good security.
- Ask your locator which
properties offer which service because most properties are
"choosing" a high speed provider.
- News Flash! ADSL
is coming! Sw bell is
advertising that ADSL is coming to the Dallas area and will
be available in early spring 99. That means you can hook up
at high speed anywhere, just through your copper lines. I
have heard they are starting at about 40 dollars per month.
We'll keep you posted.....
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I
want to use a satellite service (DSS, Primestar, etc). What are
my options?
- First of all, I don't blame
you.
- Fortunately for tenants, the
telecommunications law of 1996 was amended and took effect
January 22, 1999 to allow tenants the right to use satellite
dishes anywhere they have ".....an exclusive leasehold
interest" (in your apartment or on your private balcony
or patio). Of course there are numerous provisions,
loopholes etc which will keep the attorneys happy until the
next millennium. We are not attorneys but as we have been
told: Basically the owners can not have a blanket policy to
not allow the satellite dishes.
- So far from what we have seen,
the property owners are reluctantly going along so long as
you keep your dish "free-standing" (on a tripod)
and don't permanently affix it to the building. You'll still
need to have a place on your balcony that you can point your
dish to the satellite (usually southwest) so ask your
locator to find out about the way the vacant units and their
balconies might face.
- For more info Click
Here for the FCC question and answer info on this
subject
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What
appliances come standard in the Apartments and Homes?
- Almost all of the Apartments
will come with a Dishwasher, Electric Stoves, Refrigerator,
and Central heat and air.
- Some of them have a washer and
dryer already provided and most others have the washer/dryer
connections. If they have just the connections, you can
usually rent a washer & dryer from the community for an
additional 25-40 dollars per mo. for both (usually 30 per
mo.)
- Some communities come with a
built-in microwaves, especially the newer ones.
- Most homes will have
everything but the refrigerator and washer/dryer, though
some will have a refrigerator.
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I
see terms like Loft, Townhome, Studio, and Villa used in
different ways from what I'm used to. What's Up?
- There are two types of
"lofts". Warehouse style lofts are 1 big room and
split level lofts are upstairs and downstairs. The upstairs
has a balcony and overlooks the downstairs. Most places on
our reports refer to the split level loft unless the
community name has loft in it (i.e. Adam Hats Lofts).
- The term studio is usually
used the same way as split-level loft, not just a 1 room
living area as the term is used in other parts of the
country. We call that an "efficiency" here.
- Town home merely means that
the unit is a split-level but it has an enclosed upstairs.
It does not mean it has a yard.
- A "Villa" or
"Bungalow" floorplan means that it is only one
level, but you do not have an upstairs neighbor. Sometimes
you share a common wall with one other unit, like a duplex.
Some do, but most do not have a private yard.
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What's
the differences between an apartment and the "Private
Listings "(Homes, Townhomes and Condos)?
- "Apartment" in the
Dallas/Ft Worth area is a pretty broad term. The term
"apartment" merely means it is managed by a
company instead of owned by an individual. Many newer
apartment communities are laid out like duplexes or
townhomes. The deposits are low ($100-300) and they will do
a 6-13 mo lease. Many of the newer ones have garages and
some, but not very many, have private yards.
- A "private
listing" is a home, townhome, or condo that is owned by
an individual or small investment group and is listed
through an agent usually a Realtor®).
The deposit is usually equivalent to one months rent and
almost all lease for a 1 year term.
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Hints
and Tips
Save
money on Auto Insurance: lease in Denton or Collin County!
- That's right. Auto and other
types of insurance are on average about 20 percent cheaper
in Collin and Denton County vs. Tarrant or Dallas County. By
literally moving a block away, you could save 20-30 dollars
a month on insurance.
- Collin and Denton County start
in Far North Dallas just below the Plano city line
(Roughly--Trinity Mills to the west of the toll way and
Frankford and Renner to the east) Collin and Denton county
are pretty comparable in cost as are Tarrant and Dallas
Counties to each other.
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Do
you need that 2 bedroom or will a 1 den or 1 study floorplan
work for you?
- Save money! A 1-den is usually
40-60 dollars cheaper a month than a 2 bedroom.
- Very often a 1-den or 1-study
floorplan is just about the same as a small 2br-1 bath. The
study/den will close of with its own door and have a small
closet. This floorplan can be perfect for a young couple
with a small baby or someone needing a separate office.
- Because of occupancy
restrictions, 4 people cannot occupy a unit this size but
several properties will allow three people to occupy this
size. Not all of them will allow 3 people so ask your
locator to check on this.
- Usually its not apparent from
the literature whether the study closes off so ask your
locator. Most of the time we know right off the top of our
head but we can also pull the floorplan for you.
- A 1-br sunroom is not exactly
the same thing. Usually the sunroom is the patio/balcony
that has been enclosed but does not have its own door. They
also won't allow three people to occupy this kind of unit.
This floorplan is best suited for people who just want an
extra area for an office or computer and don't need a
balcony/patio.
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