If you've decided to move to Baltimore (or even if you're just thinking about it), let me be the first to welcome to you this exciting city with lots to do! I first moved to Baltimore when was a sophomore in college, and I was on an extremely limited budget. I had never looked for an apartment before, so I tried the obvious websites like Apartments.com and Rent.com. Unfortunately, all that came up were apartments and condos that were part of managed buildings, and these were way out of my price range.
I moved to a Baltimore suburb with my older brother while continuing my apartment search, and made a few friends that lived in the city, where I ultimately wanted to live as well. Once I knew them well enough, I started asking them their rent and I was astonished. One friend is paying $270 for a small, but adequate studio with kitchen and bath next to the beautiful Baltimore Inner Harbor. Another friend has a huge two-bedroom apartment with antique hardwood floors in trendy Mount Vernon and she was paying $525 a month. Why couldn't I find deals like these?
The problem was that I was looking in the wrong places. Apartment buildings are nice and often have amenities like fitness centers and laundry facilities, but you will pay a hefty premium for those. Most of the professionally managed apartment buildings I looked at were asking a minimum of $800 to $1200 a month in rent.
The secret to living cheaply in Baltimore is to find an apartment that is owned by a private landlord or a small business owner. In many of the most exclusive parts of Baltimore, the shops, bars, and boutiques were built with an apartment or two on the second and third floors for the owner and the family to live in. Many of these businesses are now run by corporations, or the owners do not wish to live in the city, and they are willing to rent out these apartments for bargain basement prices because they are a great way to add a little something to their bottom line.
Many of these landlords don't want to go to the hassle or expense of maintaining a leasing office or showing the apartments to tenants. Most of the friends I know who had gotten amazing deals on their rent knew someone that had lived in the space prior to them and had simply transferred the lease over, usually on the same exact terms.
So basically, it boils down to word-of-mouth. You won't find these great deals on apartments if you look in the newspaper or search traditional online rental websites. But, with a little bit of "detective work," you too can land an apartment with absurdly affordable rent in the heart of Baltimore...here's how:
If you know someone who lives in Baltimore, ask them if they know of any apartments that are available for rent. This seems obvious, but many people forget this step. This simple question can lead to some of the most amazing deals on rent that you'll find.
Use social networking websites like Craig's List and MySpace. One friend I know who is paying $310 for a two-bedroom apartment with a balcony and a great view in Charles Village found his apartment by browsing profiles on MySpace. I see apartments in the $300 to $600 range all the time on Craig's list. These might not be the first places you'd think to look, but often these venues are where you'll find the best bargains.
Look for ads in smaller newspapers that wouldn't be considered "mainstream," like Baltimore Gay Life, OutLoud!, and the Baltimore Jewish Times. Advertising in a big city newspaper like the Baltimore Sun can be prohibitively expensive for some people, and other owners like to advertise to communities to which they feel they belong. By searching for less-known media outlets in Baltimore, you may be able to find a great rental property in an exclusive neighborhood for a price that's easy on the pocketbook.
If you're really strapped for cash, other options to consider might be on of the many government-assisted housing communities available in Baltimore, or to share a space with a roommate or two. With Johns Hopkins University, University of Baltimore, MICA, and other major universities all in the heart of the city, you'll often find people looking to split their living expenses with someone else. While it may not be ideal, it may be just the solution for a few months or a year while you look for something else.
With a little bit of research, and a willingness to look "off the beaten path," you can find affordable housing pretty much anywhere you want in Baltimore. It may take a little time, but some patience and perseverance will definitely pay off in the long run.
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