Why more Americans are renting housing in apartment complexes

According to statistics, about 40% of Americans rented housing, and this figure has been growing since 1965. Among the reasons are lower monthly payments than when purchasing, monthly payments, the reluctance, especially of young people, to become attached to a specific place, as well as the convenience of living in apartment complexes. By the way, in Ukraine A slightly smaller share of the population rents housing - up to 10%.

Фото: Depositphotos

Like many new arrivals in the United States, my wife and I, too, are still renting an apartment, says Alexey Shumayev for VOA. Our home and living experience are, I think, fairly typical for America, although some details may vary depending on the city and the specific apartment complex. Our case, I think, is closer to the highest level of apartment buildings. You can find houses with better service and living conditions, but there are many more that are much more modest.

Some people live in the former bank premises, and others - the post office.

The lion's share of the rental housing market in the United States is occupied by apartment complexes, which can consist of one or more houses. They are often built as a "fortress" in a rectangular or square shape, with several open-air public areas inside and an almost "fence" of houses outside. Typically, such complexes are equipped with parking, rooms for storing property, bicycles, and the like.

Sometimes hotels or former business establishments are rebuilt into such complexes. For example, we live in a building that previously belonged to a bank, and our friends live in a former post office.

In most cases, the company owns the entire complex, although some apartments, if allowed by their charter to be sold, may have separate owners.

As a rule, on the ground floor or in a separate building there is a so-called “Rental Office”, similar to the counter in five-star hotels. We agreed to meet with the manager in advance, he treated us to coffee and gave us a short tour, talking about the pros and cons of the complex.

Photo: Alex Shumaiev (VOA)

However, the desire of a resident to live in a particular apartment complex is often not the only condition. Sometimes, in order to be signed to a residential contract, you need to meet a number of financial and legal criteria, such as a credit score or visa status. There are apartment complexes where children are allowed, while in others animals are prohibited.

The contract itself has a dozen or more pages, which stipulate all aspects of your life and the life of your animal, if you have one. In this case, for the animal, you must first pay a one-time fee, and then pay a monthly fee. Separately, the contract contains penalties for late payment or damage to property of the complex and the like.

Dishwasher, oven and ... bare walls

When you are looking for housing in the USA, you must immediately take into account that here the number of rooms is calculated differently - by the number of bedrooms. A Ukrainian two-room apartment here becomes a “one bedroom apartment”, or a one-bedroom apartment.

And they seem, in most cases, empty. Bare walls, floor, doors. As a rule, only the bathroom and kitchen are equipped. Household appliances include a stove, oven, dishwasher, microwave and refrigerator. In our case there was not even a hood.

The first week we lived in an almost empty apartment, and our kitchen table was a suitcase

This was a shock for us. New furniture and appliances must also be purchased, which is a separate item of expenditure, and then wait at least several days until they are delivered. So the first week we lived in an almost empty apartment, and our kitchen table was a suitcase.

Photo: Alex Shumaiev (VOA)

In the US, for a fee, you can take furniture and appliances for temporary use. But it is not cheap. On the other hand, there are plenty of options to buy cheap used furniture.

We were also impressed by the American “gigantomania”: doors up to the ceiling, microwave and oven the size of a turkey. The absence of chandeliers, false ceilings and curtains adds a feeling of spaciousness.

The concierge is not the security system of an apartment complex

When we lived in Kiev, a very nice 50-year-old woman was responsible for our security. She was very nice, but she couldn’t expect any real opposition from the criminals, so from time to time bicycles and prams were stolen from our house. The only way to protect your own apartment was to install armored doors and an alarm system.

The apartment complex is equipped with dozens of surveillance cameras.

In our home in the US, security is handled a little differently. Firstly, all residents of the complex have unique electronic cards that open separately the doors to the complex, separately the door to the house and the parking lot, only the elevator works with them. You can enter the common areas only with this card. Secondly, the apartment complex is equipped with dozens of surveillance cameras - on each floor, in the elevator - they are monitored all day by a concierge sitting at the entrance.

However, the doors to individual apartments, similar to hotel rooms, are not very strong, and the locks are very simple. During the first weeks, I fell asleep thinking that someone wouldn’t break into our apartment.

Also in the American apartment complexes fire checks occur annually. Each apartment has an audio alert column and smoke detectors. By the way, the lack of hoods in our house often causes the arrival of rescuers: someone prepares a steak at home, and fire detectors trigger from smoke.

Once again, a local sheriff comes to us in the quarter and reports on the work done in the area.

You don't have to go far for friends

Apartment complexes in the USA are somewhat reminiscent of luxury complexes in Ukraine or European hotels. There is carpet on the floor in the corridors of the house, and classical or lounge music is playing. There are many common areas: a swimming pool, a gym, a grill area or an open kitchen, a large common living room for parties, a business center with equipment and Internet access, rooms with billiards and board games, sometimes cinema rooms, libraries and the like.

Photo: Alex Shumaiev (VOA)

The management of the house sometimes organizes special events for residents - pool parties, lunches or breakfasts. All this helps to get to know your neighbors and build a local community. I'm not sure about "ask your neighbor for salt", but inviting him to a party or lunch together is a common practice here.

The keys to the apartment are not only for its tenants or owners

As a rule, the owner is responsible for servicing the house. Each floor is regularly vacuumed and cleaned. Once a year, each apartment is checked and, if necessary, cleaned from insects. Every year or twice a year in the apartments they check the plumbing and air conditioning, wash the windows outside.

What came as a shock to us was that almost every employee in the building had keys to the apartments. We first encountered this when, after moving, our toilet doors did not work. We were told that they would send a master. Our question is “when can we expect it?” the office didn't understand. When we returned home after work, we found a piece of paper in the kitchen where it was written that everything had been fixed. This revealed two things.

Photo: Alex Shumaiev (VOA)

The first is that anyone can freely enter your apartment at your request and fix something.

Secondly, when you rent an apartment, you don’t even have to change the light bulbs yourself! They will be replaced free of charge by a special person. In this case, as a rule, everything is done in a few hours.

Once we needed emergency help with air conditioning - and they came to us at night

Over the course of two years, we repeatedly used the services of plumbers and electricians; they repaired our air conditioner and dishwasher. The window and cistern were repaired. All this happened during the day and without our presence. Once we needed emergency help with air conditioning - and they came to us at night. This service was probably the main surprise for us. None of this is free, but it's still impressive.

Perhaps it is these features that determine the popularity of rentals in the United States. Here they not only try to rent out living space to people, but also strive to create positive emotions from living in rented apartments. Perhaps this is caused by competition, or perhaps by mentality. Definitely, the feeling that you are living in a hotel, and sometimes in a resort, plays into the hands of the landlord. Renting in an apartment building can be the best choice, especially for young, childless, and busy professionals.

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