Apartment Application Fees - Can you haggle them down?

cstewart6

cstewart6

Just smart enough to operate the machines
I'm moving to CLT at the end of this month with the fiance for my new job (Airnet - WOOT!). And It looks like I'll finally be able to afford a decent place. We're looking at some luxury apartment places with nice pools and new appliances and all that. A one bedroom can be had for around $800 - $900, the price of a glorified jail cell in NJ. So we're pretty excited.

But I was wondering if anyone has had success in not having to pay an application fee? Or getting it reduced? I've never had to pay an application fee before so I'm wondering if this is the norm, since some are around $250 which seems pretty steep.
 
It can't hurt to ask. The worse that would happen is they would say no. I would walk out if they say no at first and more than likely they would call you back (unless it is high demand with few units left, then maybe take it anyway).
 
That's pretty cheap for a one BR. As for $250 app fee, good luck with getting that reduced. Never had any luck with that myself. Of course now, dropping two hunert fiddy at Costco is a cheap day for me.
 
Yea looking at the rental prices I almost felt rich until I read most of them want you to make 4x that per month. :( Now once the fiance starts makin some dough that will be no problem but it won't happen right away.

I read that some people have brought copies of their credit reports already printed out, and also negotiated the fee to be taken out of the first months rent with some success.
 
Or you could not live in a mega apartment complex and try to find a duplex or a subdivided house. I've always tried to avoid the mega complexes just because they do nickle and dime you on petty stuff and someone is always complaining about the noise, even when you're not home. And that nice little old lady that lives above you and is so quiet for the first month dies and 30 Mexicans move in up stairs and have their own Mariachi band going 24/7 and never seem to stop stomping around all night.
But if you pay in cash you can usually get the fee waived. That is if you have cash to throw down right then and there. The income thing is usually BS too.
Pay cash up front, tell them to take the fee out of first month rent if you'd like and then say that the other apt. complexes that are of the same quality have agreed to do the same thing but that you really want to live here because of XYZ and they'll usually go for it. At least thats been my experience. Besides the person you're usually dealing with is a minimum wage earner and bases all their decisions on first impressions and getting done with the paperwork asap so they can go back to soaps/sleeping/solitaire/FB/nothingness.
 
BajtheJino said:
Or you could not live in a mega apartment complex and try to find a duplex or a subdivided house. I've always tried to avoid the mega complexes just because they do nickle and dime you on petty stuff and someone is always complaining about the noise, even when you're not home. And that nice little old lady that lives above you and is so quiet for the first month dies and 30 Mexicans move in up stairs and have their own Mariachi band going 24/7 and never seem to stop stomping around all night.
But if you pay in cash you can usually get the fee waived. That is if you have cash to throw down right then and there. The income thing is usually BS too.
Pay cash up front, tell them to take the fee out of first month rent if you'd like and then say that the other apt. complexes that are of the same quality have agreed to do the same thing but that you really want to live here because of XYZ and they'll usually go for it. At least thats been my experience. Besides the person you're usually dealing with is a minimum wage earner and bases all their decisions on first impressions and getting done with the paperwork asap so they can go back to soaps/sleeping/solitaire/FB/nothingness.
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Haha true, cash talks. Some good ideas, thanks. It looks like townhomes are around the same price.
 
I like it there too. Been there plenty of times to visit family in Raleigh, and the uncle has a beach house on Emerald Isle. Hit me up if you're around.
 
I don't remember ever having to pay such a high application fee....most i think i ever paid was $35 and that was taken out of the rent if approved too...

are the fees refundable at that cost? if not, i'd walk if they don't want to deal.
 
Some of them are things like:

-Security Deposit (refundable): $300; Fees (non-refundable): Application $50 -per applicant; Administrative $75​

-$50 Application Fee, $200 Holding Deposit and $100 Administration Fee.​

... and so on.

So the first one is $175 non-refundable and the second is $150. I saw another that was $250 but I forget where.
 
Make them waive all that horse crap. If not, just walk. Well the deposit is to be expected, but the rest is just a company screwing you.
 
Yea that's how I'm starting to see it. We get down there a week from today so i'll have to see how it goes then.
 
The "Security Deposit" is standard and there's no way you'll get out of that, the others you may or may not be able to negotiate out of depending on the popularity of the property. If there is a line of people out the door wanting to live there, they'll just say "Nope. Sorry. Have a nice day." and send you on your way. You'll only be able to negotiate if you have negotiating power on your side.
 
I had 1 day to find a place to stay in CLT so I did a lot of apt hunting before hand online.Then I ran all over the place checking them all out in that 1 day. I found out that if you are willing to sign the same day you can get a lot of fees knocked down or out if you are willing to sign a lease that same day.
 
flymike said:
I had 1 day to find a place to stay in CLT so I did a lot of apt hunting before hand online.Then I ran all over the place checking them all out in that 1 day. I found out that if you are willing to sign the same day you can get a lot of fees knocked down or out if you are willing to sign a lease that same day.
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Cool good to know. I'll try that
 
Pilotforhire587 said:
Holy crap! In Nashville, I paid $600 a month for a 1200sq ft 2 bed room, 2 bath apt. That's a lot of money!
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Yea thats about the same price as most places in Charlotte. We're looking at ones with granite counter tops and stainless appliances and toilets that wipe your butt for you (i wish). That might be the reason we're seeing all these fees tho.

But it really wouldn't make sense for us to get a 2 bedroom because we have hardly any furniture anyway. And the last thing I want to do is spend my paycheck on crap to fill empty space.
 
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