| : |
Apartment Complex |
Private Apt or Duplex |
House |
Mobile Home |
| Cost |
$450-600 for 2 BR |
$300-500 for 2 BR |
$400-800 |
$350 unit, $150-215 lot |
| Qualifications |
Good credit and rental history;steady employment. Must earn approx. 4 times rent per month. Everything will be checked out. |
Depends on condition and location. Job will be verified. Will be a credit check for eviction or bankruptcy. |
May depend on price and whether you rent from a property manager or the owner. |
Depend on age of park. Usually not strict. Probably won't check credit if the unit is older. |
| Maintenance |
Ship-shape when you move in. Repairman on site and timely. Everything kept in working order by management (but if you broke it, you pay). Regular pest control. |
You rent "as is." Tenant may have to clean it up, fix smaller problems, and stay out of landlord's hair. The fewer complaints, the fewer rent raises. Landlord may not know legal responsibilities. |
Varies according to age of house. Tenant must keep up yard and keep eye on furnace, plumbing, etc. Disputes can arise when there's a systems failure and landlord may not have the money to repair. |
Often poor. Unit may have dangerous defects. Cheap construction means more breakage. Parks (or any rental units) outside city limits aren't regulated by housing inspectors. |
| Advantages |
Ease of communication with on-site professional manager. Amenities such as central heat/air, dishwasher, storage room, laundry, pool. More accessibility for disabled. Fair housing policies. More security, drug-free policies, rules enforced. Fair damage deposit return. |
More privacy, less pressure from neighbors, ground floor (garden, play yard). Unit may have "character" and unique features. Fewer rules and less landlord interference. More flexibility in lease. Evictions may not be as rapid. |
Can live "normally" as part of the neighborhood. Privacy, space, storage, yard, garage. Freedom for kids. May not be limit on number of children or pets. Good long-term choice. |
Can live in country setting for little cost. May not need to make long-term commitment. Might trade skills for rent. |
| Disadvantages |
Complicated lease strictly enforced and expensive to terminate. Little toleration of late rent, unauthorized guests, unsupervised children, and noise. Standardization and conformity. Pet fees. |
Landlord may be unpredictable or hard to reach. May not offer lease. May not know the law; may be slower to make repairs or refuse to repair; may attempt to throw tenant out without proper notice. |
Older houses hard to clean and may be expensive to heat and cool. Tenant may be responsible for routine maintenance. Pressure from neighbors to keep up. May be security risks. Landlord may be difficult to contact. House may be sold mid-term. |
May encounter discrimination or other legal infractions. Units difficult for disabled. Landlord may be difficult and unpredictable. May be many rules that change often. Sometimes must buy utilities, skirting, etc., from landlord. |
