CHANGES April 29, 2016 I have to move. I have been renting this one-room efficiency apartment since December 2004, over 11 years in the same place. It started out at $550 a month and incrementally gone up to $730, but yesterday I received notice that starting in June, my rent will be $950. A $220 jump! I think they must want me to leave. They are claiming that is the going rate now for efficiency apartments on Miami Beach. IDK, but I will soon find out as I look for another place, hopefully in this neighborhood where I have lived for the last 20 years. If $1K a month is the going rate and I absolutely had to stay in this neighborhood, I might consider the price gouge, but this apartment was never a beautiful place, just a comfortable one. The carpet looked so stained when I first came here that I had it steam cleaned. It did not help the drab colors or stains, but I knew it was clean. With a couple episodes of leaking air conditioner, the carpet is now even worse looking but I have covered most of it with 3 large throw rugs. I know when I vacate they will take up the carpet and likely tile the floor or at least a new carpet. They will not get $950 for this apartment otherwise. I have accumulated so much stuff over the years that I have always dreaded moving. Since living here, the only new accumulation is about 800 DVDs and their shelves that line the walls. Maybe I can shed some of this accumulation with this move - figure out what I never use (and hope I never need it in future) and get rid of it. However, this is really a bad time to be moving. I am going on a two week cruise starting Sunday, May 1st. Ten days after getting back from England, I am scheduled for surgery on both hands, so I don't know how incapacitated I will be for carrying an apartment worth of furniture and boxes. I will have to find another apartment, then find someone to move me within two weeks of returning from my trip. I guess it is just a new adventure in living - ending comfortable complacency and heading out for a change of environment. More Pix of my comfortable home: Full View facing North Bed and West Wall Close Up Computer Workstation Kitchen Bathroom
The rental market is insane. I worked at a call center for apartment inquiries all over the country. This was a few years ago and prices were insane then so i can only imagine what they are now. 950 for an efficiency in Miami Beach sounds about right honestly. Happy apartment hunting!
Wow, what a drag. I can't believe that they are allowed to increase your rent by that much. Our rent here goes up $40.00 a year, the max that they are allowed to increase it. 800 is a lot of DVD's. Are you able to condense them at all? I've been thinking about getting one of those big CD binders and condensing all my movies into one or two of them (or however many I'd need) and tossing the cases. It would save a significant amount of space. If I lived in your area, I'd help you move in a heartbeat. I am sure it wont be a problem for you to find a few people to help you, though. You seem like the kind of man that has a lot of friends (or lovers) and there are always people willing to help. I read a good book recently about the art of organizing and de-cluttering, which might be useful for you now that you are in the position to have to possibly get rid of some things. Basically the Kon Mari method says that if something doesn't spark joy for you, then get rid of it. It is an easy read and you should be able to get through it on your cruse in no time.
cruise + hand surgery + moving = disaster see if at least one of these can give. they may be wiling to give you a short-term lease extension at the new price. in principle you could sign the new lease and then break it, but I don't know what the legal consequences would be.
Even with the vintage bathroom you're fortunate to be under $1000 for where you are. But I'm with you, such a jump really sucks. They should have stepped it up gradually to prevent this. But it's also a market-driven issue and landlords become as heartless as corporations fast. The thing about Florida beach neighborhoods is how fast they can change. Stuff I remember from 5 years ago in Cocoa Beach are ancient history now. If you're more of an opportunist, move out and set the place up as a furnished AirBNB flat for $200 a night. Get someone to do a faux job on that protruding right angle. Remember the fire extinguisher.
Shale I just finished looking at Craigslist.org for a Miami Beach Zip Code and they don't have anything for less than $900 in the next 30 days. Best of luck. Wait, just reviewed my search process. I was doing it wrong. Sorry. It seems there are options for that amount of money.
That is a rather large jump in rent. Do you not have rent controls regarding increases there? I hope you can find something that you will like and that your new place is one that feels more like where you want to be rather than where you live.
For God's Sake Stop Wingeing....... Ya Miserable "Tight Ass".......Here In My Australian Country Town What You Are Renting Would Be $250-00 A Week......$1000-00 A Month.......And You Are In Miami Beach.......Methinks You Should Be Paying Upwards Of $2000-00.Per Month. Cheers Glen.
Wow thats some price hike! I've moved so many times (husbands work)so am an experienced mover.Moving is a good time to de clutter.Those dvd's?Unless you're really attached to them,or watch them very regularly,I would sell them.Maybe hold a garage sale?(Time permitting of course)I only have the bare essentials in my house,and travelled to various countries where people have alot less.(no guilt trip here intended,merely stating that people dont need half the stuff they seem to acumulate ) I think if I were you,I'd contact the landlord and ask for more time explaining your operation.Hopefully they will give you some more time.Good luck in finding a new home,and it might even be a better move for you?
$1000 a month would be a good condo rate in Charlotte, which offers very little in terms of outdoor recreation. A house at the lake there will run you at least $600,000 plus homeowner's association dues and a boat dock lease. So, $1000 doesn't sound high to me for Miami near the beach.
Man, they of course always come up with this shit in a time period you had some serious stuff planned... Good luck finding something new! You can do it Helping you move seems like a good excuse to come to Miami but I'm just as poor...
Around 2000 I did buy an efficiencey condo - same layout at the one in the pix. (who knew?) However, as a single working person it did not match my lifestyle. If something went wrong, like plumbing, major appliance, electrical, I would have to take a day off work and HOPE they showed up as scheduled. So, after a couple of years I let it go. Mortgage and condo fees was about $400 a month, a couple hundred cheaper than renting. I have been checking around and my place (in refurbished condition) is going for $1K a month in all the places I have checked. I noticed a couple of realty signs dominating all the apt bldgs in the neighborhood and I think that is the problem. Like my apts, the owner is not in the U.S. Foreign investors have bought up a lot of property in Miami & Miami Beach. They are in it purely for the money and have no interest in the tenants. So, like Key West has been for years, common working stiffs will soon not be able to afford to live here any more. BTW, for the past year I have been on a fixed income, which the Repugnicants who get a COL raise automatically refuse to give to Social Security recipients. So, my income is 1,400 a month. I am not being a tight-wad. After rent I have $450 to live on - that includes gas, electric, internet, fone and, uh, ... Oh yeah, I do like to eat occasionally.
wheres the server room? i thought for sure youd have servers for storing those bazillion "fotos" you take of everything
