As some college students do, I moved off campus about a
year ago. It was a sweet relief getting out of the dorms and on my own. I
enjoy having my own room, playing music, watching TV, and playing video games
as loud as I want, when I want. I have no RA or RD to obey, no rules, and all
the freedom I could ask for. However, with all great things, there are
problems.
Last year I lived in an apartment two floors below where I live now. I
moved out of that apartment because the lease was already signed for May. My
roommate and I waited forever to find a new apartment and were stuck with where
we”re at now. The apartment is small, but it is kind of homey and sufficient.
However, it has some problems.
In the summer when we moved in, it was hot in that apartment. I
couldn”t sleep in my room because it was too hot in there, so I slept on the
couch in the living room. The apartment has no A/C, but I was aware of that in
the beginning. Some of the windows didn”t have screens and the windows
themselves are pretty shabby. Some are hard to open and close; others won”t
stay up without being propped.
Now it”s winter. The heat doesn”t work so very well and now, even
though the heat is at max, all the pipes are frozen. This means no water, no
shower, no sinks, and no toilet. It also means no sleeping. It”s a good thing
I”m not taking classes this semester or my academic progress would probably be
suffering. If someone can”t rest comfortably in their own place, then they”re
certainly not going to be able to do very well academically.
For all of its problems and lack of space, the apartment is $410 a
month. It”s certainly not worth it. I could probably find a better apartment
in the ghetto for a cheaper price. Certainly there are those in Radford with
better apartments at better prices. So, this brings up a good question; do
realtors really care about us college students or do they care only about the
money they see every month?
Until now, I”ve had no major problems with the apartment. Maintenance
has been good about answering my cries for help, but I wonder what they”re
going to do about this recent situation. I was told to keep the heat on during
the winter so the pipes wouldn”t freeze. Well, I did and we know what good
that did (or didn”t do).
Luckily, I had somewhere to go to escape the cold. Right now, I think
my apartment definitely isn”t worth what my roommate and I pay in rent each
month, and realtors should ensure that their apartments are in good quality
condition before renting them to students, especially for $410 a month. It may
have also done some good if I had known what problems I might face before I
chose this apartment.
So, what can we do about shabby apartments? Complain to the realtor,
hope for better service, and be smarter consumers. We should pay more
attention to the condition of an apartment before we move in. We should make
sure everything works properly and that it will be cool enough in the summer
and well heated in the winter.
I can guarantee I won't be in this apartment after the lease runs out.
Responses:
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Name: Nick
Comments:
I am pretty sure that 1000 a month for an apartment in the DC area is pretty cheap, but I am not sure. I know those big areas like that are real expensive. Radford is such a small town, $410 is expensive because we have a lower cost of living around here, and since it is primarily a college town, realtors have to consider that in their pricing. However, DC has a huge economy and a much higher cost of living, so I can definately see where you are coming form "girl no longer at RU". At least you are in the right feild to be able to afford it, though. hehe!
Name: Greg
Comments:
No, try $410 for this shitty apt. that I'm in. That's what I'm talking about. $410 isn't so bad when u divide it by 2, but for the apt. I'm in now, nope. Anyway, this article may have been misdirected as I later learned that my apt. froze (not only because of how much it sucks and the damn cold) because the people below me covered their vents because they felt a draft. This means that we had no heat. My betta died, pipes froze, a pipe busted, and it was way too damn cold! Thanks for the comments. Maybe I need to write an article about being considerate (since so many people seem to lack it).
Name: girl no longer at RU
Year: sophomore
Major: computer science
Comments:
You guys are funny, 410 is NOT a lot, come to the DC area my friend and be prepared to pay over 1000 for an apartment... ok, so the pipes won't freeze and the heat should work, but I could only dream of finding an apartment up here for 410...
Name: Nick
Comments:
I had a similiar situation, but I was at the other end of the spectrum! It wasn't a college town, and the apartments were pretty decent. There were three of us living there, and the realtors would always leave nice notes at everyones door, and on holidays, they would send cards to all the residents with sparkly little address labels. It was almost too kind, it made me want to puke. There is a healthy mean between not caring and being too concerned for renter's welfare. ANyway, great article Greg!
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