Question about finding an apartment

I really need an apartment and I found a cheap place for only $435. The manager said that I need to make a copy of my social secruity/driver license/major credit card. Is this normal? He also said they do not accept checks for the montly rents and only cash because of some processing fee. Is this normal? Also, the downpayment is 800 something in cash. I'm really worried and the only thing I did was write a check for $100. Some help would be appreciated. Thank you.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I can't recall anything about having to give them a copy of my social or major credit card when I had my first apartment. The not accepting checks policy is normal, however you should be able to make a money order.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Musashi

I really need an apartment and I found a cheap place for only $435.

Depends on where you are, but yeah, that's kinda steep.

Quote:

The manager said that I need to make a copy of my social secruity/driver license/major credit card. Is this normal?

It's highly unlikely although I wouldn't doubt it, I'd look into other apartments in the neighborhood under different management and just see if they also require that as well. I remember having to show proof of social security and credit as in show up to the manager's office and bring him the documents to see it, but I don't remember having to leave him with copies of documents that can theoretically lead to identity theft.

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He also said they do not accept checks for the montly rents and only cash because of some processing fee. Is this normal?

Most places do take cashier's checks in place of cash. Personal checks not being accepted I can understand, but only having cash as payment option is quite lame.

Quote:

Also, the downpayment is 800 something in cash. I'm really worried and the only thing I did was write a check for $100. Some help would be appreciated. Thank you.

The manager not taking checks and only accepting cash is strange to me. Everywhere I've gone, I've managed to pay in cashier's check at least if not a personal check. I'm not quite sure what you mean by "$100 in check was the only thing I did." In this manager's case, I'd look around a little more before deciding; it looks like it can be a potential scam, although like I said it may just depend on the area you're looking into.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

$435 is a cheap place in my city. *shrug*

I don't believe it is abnormal to require a copy of a social and a driver's license. After all, with a social they can do anything and they need the social to run the background check. The credit card thing is a little odd, however. If this is your first apartment and you have no credit, though, I can see it being a substitute for someone co-signing for you.

I've never heard of a place not taking personal checks. I find that incredibly strange, but maybe that's my part of the country. That would make me incredibly wary. Are we talking a big apartment complex or like a guest house?

All the apartments I have lived in required a cashier's check or money order for the down payment/deposit/first last/whatever, and accepted personal checks thereafter. If this place really does only cash, I'd make that little bitch sign me a big ol' receipt every single time I made a payment.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

In Phoenix at least (Sup BlueMikey), $435 MIGHT get you a one bedroom apartment, but it'll be in a bad neighborhood or something, I know you can get a studio for that price though. Recently my mom went looking around for a 1Bedroom for 500 or under and we only found a couple places from that search, and nothing we could take (for other reasons), and these were like 480 to 500.

Also, it depends on what type of apartments: Are you planning to move into a Duplex, a condo, a townhouse community, etc.,? A row of small apartments outfitted from a Motel 6 would be cheaper then say a High Rise Condo downtown.

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Originally Posted by Musashi

Also, the downpayment is 800 something in cash.

870 by any chance? Because around here the downpayment is usually equivalent to two months' worth of rent. So I don't think this is abnormal.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by ^___^

870 by any chance? Because around here the downpayment is usually equivalent to two months' worth of rent. So I don't think this is abnormal.

Sometimes it's the 1st month's rent and a security (aka damage) deposit.

FELIPE NO

Requiring your driver's license, credit card, AND social security sound really damn strange to me. I watch Judge Judy(skoff if you must) and I NEVER hear about anyone giving this information to the landlord. They usually care about just getting the damn security and 1 or 2 months rent in advance, and that's it. This really sounds shady to me so I would go elsewhere for a place to live.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

yeah, i've decided to live somewhere else. Thanks everyone.

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By the way when you do look elsewhere consider this, if you don't have any references (they do that where you guys are, right?) they might be a little anal with the papers they require. I know cuz i had that problem (I'm in egypt i dunno if the same stuff applies in the states) when i was looking for an apartment, they'd ask for all sorts of weird stuff, my passport, university papers (well proof of me actually being in one, that is) and the like. I'd suggest if you get suspicious try saying you don't have what they require, like saying you don't have a credit card currently ( i don't know if that's possible there, but..) sometimes when you state that you can't do what ridiculous thing they required they just back off on that certain request (especially if it sounded silly at first).

Like i said, most people who rented me their apartments were like that at first.They might just be scared you'd turn out to be a killer or something :P .

Just something to keep in mind

There's nowhere I can't reach.

$435 is STEEP? I'm paying $900 for an old 1 bedroom in the middle of the ghetto, right next to a graveyard and THAT's considered cheap. Any decent 1 bedroom would run you $1500+.

I want to live somewhere where $435 is expensive.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Quote:

I want to live somewhere where $435 is expensive.

Not 'round here you don't, because you'll either have a very shady landlord who wont fix anything, or you'll be right down on the riverside (bad part of town).

In each place I've lived, I've had to provide both Social Security number and the information for at least one Major Credit Card as part of my lease application. They use this information to run a credit check on you -- most landlords like to know if you're good about keeping debt managed and paying your bills on time. Around this area, most landlords will also ask for proof on income in the form of at least two pay stubs, and set minimum income limits that they expect you to meet in order to be able to afford the place.

If your credit is in the crapper, and you only have a minimum wage job, chances are they will throw your lease application in the circular file and move onto the next person.

All the places I've lived in also refuse personal checks, but only after you miss the due date for rent. Once that date passes, they only took money order.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by jpnezeshorty

Depends on where you are, but yeah, that's kinda steep.

Dude, I wanna know where you live - I'm in a far cheaper city than where I used to live and that's still an amazing price. For here to get a decent place you need to shell out at least $600 a month, my gf and I got lucky finding this place for $500.

However, like as already been said, I'd be a bit suspicious if he insists on cash instead of check. That gives off a bad vibe there. Well, that and the rent is so low it's to the point of being suspicious rather than awesome. But I'm also basing it off of rent in Oceanside where I used to live and right outside of Canton where I am now, I have no clue what rent goes for wherever you are.

I was speaking idiomatically.

You guys do realize that in a place where apartments are cheaper, wages are probably also cheaper?

I'm thinking we're not teaching enough economics in high school.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by BlueMikey

You guys do realize that in a place where apartments are cheaper, wages are probably also cheaper?

I'm thinking we're not teaching enough economics in high school.

Word up to that! You wouldn't believe how many people I know that suck at managing their money. Well, we did have a class that taught you how to put expenses and savings into Excel, but nothing about using common sense in the real world.

Also, where I live, $500 Canadian will get you a nice 2 bedroom apartment that over looks a golf course/man made pond right near the college. It isn't a dorm and it's on the top (third) floor.

I've heard about living in the large cities, and I can't even begin to fathom how anyone thinks that paying more than $700 is cheap. I could get a morgage on a nice house for that much ~

How ya doing, buddy?