Featured Apartment:
Minneapolis NO FEE - "Hotel, Motel, Holiday Inn". Sounds like a catchy tune, but if you seek uncommon, great value, fully furnished rooms, look no further. minneapolis's exceptional hotel alternative, studio units contain Maple cabinets, Blue Sapphire granite, All Stainless Steel appliances, Italian lighting, White Color TV/VCR; as well as all utilities, free phone, cable, HSD Modem hook up, and Concierge services. Maid service available. Available short-term starting at: $300 per week. View More Listings -->
Renting an Apartment in St. Paul
What You Should Know
Saint Paul is the capital and second-largest city of the state of Minnesota
in the United States. It is the county seat of Ramsey County. As of the 2000
census, the city population was 287,151, although that number had decreased to
276,963 in the Census' 2004 estimates. Saint Paul and the adjacent city of
Minneapolis form the core of the area known as the Twin Cities.
History
Saint Paul began its life in the early 1800s when a collection of fur traders,
explorers and missionaries came to the area for the protection that Fort
Snelling offered. Many of these people had come south from Canada and were of
French descent; others had come from the East after treaties with Native
Americans officially opened the area.
In the early years, the settlers lived close to the fort along the confluence of
the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers, but as a whisky trade started to flourish
the military officers in Fort Snelling banned them from the lands the fort
controlled with one retired fur trader turned bootlegger, Pierre "Pig's Eye"
Parrant, particularly irritating the officials. By the early 1820s the area had
become important as a trading center and a destination for settlers heading west
and was known as Pig's Eye Landing. In 1841 Father Galtier established the St.
Paul Church and that same year the name of the settlement was formally changed
to Saint Paul in honor of the newly constructed church and Father Galtier's
favorite saint.
The next 10 years saw continued growth in the area and in response to that,
Minnesota was named a territory in 1849 with St Paul named as its capital. In
1850, the city narrowly survived a proposed law to move the capital to St. Peter
when territorial legislator Joe Rolette disappeared with the approved bill. In
1854, St Paul incorporated as a city and, in 1858, Minnesota was admitted to the
union with St. Paul becoming the 32nd state capital.
Geography
Saint Paul is located at 44�53′00″N, 93�12′00″W (44.8833, -93.2)GR1. According
to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 145.5 km� (56.2
mi�). 136.7 km� (52.8 mi�) of it is land and 8.8 km� (3.4 mi�) of it (6.07%) is
water.
The city is located just south of 45 degrees north latitude. In the northern
suburb of Roseville, on the east side of Cleveland Avenue, a block north of
Roselawn Avenue and just a few feet north of where Loren Street T's into
Cleveland, there is a stone containing a plaque, marking a point on 45th
parallel.[1].
Demographics
As of the census� of 2000, there were 287,151 people, 112,109 households, and
60,987 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,101.0/km�
(5,441.7/mi�). There were 115,713 housing units at an average density of
846.6/km� (2,192.8/mi�). The racial makeup of the city was 67.02% White, 11.71%
African American, 1.13% Native American, 12.36% Asian (mostly Hmong and
Vietnamese), 0.07% Pacific Islander, 3.84% from other races, and 3.87% from two
or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race (incl. white) were 7.91% of the
population.
Saint Paul has the world's second largest urban Hmong population.
There were 112,109 households out of which 29.1% had children under the age of
18 living with them, 36.1% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a
female householder with no husband present, and 45.6% were non-families. 35.9%
of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone
who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the
average family size was 3.32.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 12.5%
from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65
years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there
were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,774, and the median income
for a family was $48,925. Males had a median income of $35,111 versus $29,432
for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,216. About 11.7% of
families and 15.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including
23.2% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.
Neighborhoods
Saint Paul is noted for its neighborhoods; the city has been called "fifteen
small towns with one mayor", owing to the neighborhood-based life of much of the
city.
The city's fifteen main neighborhoods, from northwest to southeast, include:
Saint Anthony Park [2]
A tree-shaded, upscale, middle-to-upper-income neighborhood adjacent to the
University of Minnesota Saint Paul campus, bordering Northeast Minneapolis on
the west and the Minnesota State Fairgrounds on the east. It was the home to
three Minnesota governors (William Marshall, 1866-70; Andrew McGill, 1887-1889;
and Elmer L. Andersen; 1961-63). Originally set out as estates for the wealthy
of Minneapolis in the late 1800s, it has become a neighborhood of college
professors, professionals, international students and ordinary working people.
It is centrally located in the Twin Cities, providing a quaint,
pedestrian-friendly business district that contains many services - including
many independently owned shops and restaurants. A Carnegie Library, with an
excellent new addition for its children's collection, and the top-rated St.
Anthony Park Elementary School are the focal points of the neighborhood. St.
Anthony Park, known to residents as SAP, is home to two colleges, the St. Paul
campus of the University of Minnesota and the Luther Seminary, and thus home to
graduate students from across the world. The largest area park is named for
former St. Anthony Park resident Nathaniel P. Langford, who was responsible for
the world's first national park (Yellowstone). Langford's most famous book, The
Discovery of Yellowstone Park [3] was published in 1905.
Merriam Park [4]
A well-to-do neighborhood bordering the Mississippi River on the west.
Macalester-Groveland [5]
Wealthy neighborhood with two post-secondary institutions (Macalester College
and the University of Saint Thomas), with scenic East River Parkway and a
gorgeous view of the Mississippi River as its western border. East River Parkway
(and West River Road, on the Minneapolis side) are public park land and have
walking paths all the way along them. These roads are residentially zoned and
have very high property values due to the Mississippi river.
Highland Park [6]
Another wealthy neighborhood. Includes the Ford Motor Company Twin Cities
Assembly Plant where the Ford Ranger and Mazda B-Series pickup trucks are
produced. In April 2006, Ford announced the closure of the plant in 2007, and
what will become of the � square mile of prime real estate along the Mississippi
is yet to be decided. Highland Park became the city's primary Jewish
neighborhood after most of the Jewish population moved from the
Summit-University neighborhood in the mid-1900s, and it is home to most of the
city's synagogues. This neighborhood is also home to the College of Saint
Catherine as well as two, major, private schools, Cretin-Derham Hall High School
[7] and St. Paul Academy and Summit School [8].
The Midway [9]
A middle-class neighborhood which derives its name from being midway between the
downtowns of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Includes the city's primary warehouse
district and passenger rail terminal. Famous Midway natives include Peanuts
cartoonist Charles Schultz.
Como Park [10]
Cozy upper-class neighborhood situated around Lake Como, the city's main
recreational lake. The Como Park neighborhood has many recreational facilities,
including a golf course, bike path, various open fields, a pavilion, a municipal
pool, and the Como Zoo, the only zoo in the city of Saint Paul. The Como area is
also home to many of the city's gingko trees. There are several schools in Como
Park, the public schools in the area being the well-regarded Chelsea Heights
Elementary School and the Como Park Elementary School, the only school in the
city to have its own planetarium. The primary secondary school in Como Park is
Como Park Senior High School, one of the highest rated schools in the state
according to Newsweek. [citation needed]
North End [11]
A traditionally blue-collar neighborhood based on the Rice Street corridor, a
long, straight street that has many fast-food restaurants, bars and clubs.
Thomas-Dale
Dominated by University Avenue, Thomas-Dale is traditionally (and more commonly)
known as "Frogtown" to the locals, and has been regarded as a neighborhood in
transition for decades. Frogtown experienced massive problems as the center of
Saint Paul's drug and prostitution trades in the 1980s and 1990s. Notorious
1930's gangster and John Dillinger gang member Homer Van Meter met his end in
this neighborhood, during a police shootout at a University Avenue intersection.
Summit-University [12]
Another neighborhood in transition, "Summit-Uni" is the heart of the local Hmong
community as well as the city's other Asian communities, of whom Vietnamese,
Laotians and Cambodians are represented in large numbers. Summit-University also
includes the historic and gentrifying Cathedral Hill neighborhood, as well as
what remains of old "Rondo" - once a full-fledged neighborhood of the city in
its own right. Lower Rondo (known to the locals as "Cornbread Valley") served as
the center of St. Paul's tiny but thriving African-American community dating
back to the Civil War, but was nearly obliterated by the construction of
Interstate 94 in the late 1950's. Lesser-known Upper Rondo (aka "Oatmeal Hill"),
a once largely middle-class Jewish neighborhood, still remains to this day,
although the old name is largely forgotten, and the demographics are entirely
different. Famous Summit-University natives include baseball great Dave
Winfield. Writer F. Scott Fitzgerald was actually born in this neighborhood,
although he's more commonly associated with more prestigious Summit Hill (see
below).
Summit Hill [13]
Also called "Crocus Hill" by locals, the neighborhood's focal point is Summit
Avenue, the traditional home of the city's Robber Baron aristocracy; the
boulevard was originally conceived as a broad, Gilded Age showcase street, and
is lined with the mansions named after Saint Paul's "old money", most notably
that of railroad tycoon James J. Hill. At Summit's east end, overlooking
Downtown, is the massive Cathedral of Saint Paul, home of the Archdiocese of
Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Summit's terminus, several miles to the west, is at
the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River valley. With its vistas of downtown
and the Mississippi River, Summit Hill is among the priciest neighborhoods in
the Twin Cities, and is considered to be a prime candidate for the longest
stretch of preserved Victorian mansions in North America. It has been home to
artists as diverse as F. Scott Fitzgerald (who once quipped that Summit Avenue's
gaudy estates collectively were "a museum of American architectural failures"),
his wife Zelda, Sinclair Lewis, August Wilson and, currently, Garrison Keillor.
More notorious residents have included 1930's-era gangsters such as John
Dillinger and members of the Barker-Karpis Gang.
West Seventh [14]
Officially known as the Fort Road area, due to its location on old Native
American and fur trader paths along the Mississippi from downtown to Fort
Snelling. Known as "The West End" by locals (as distinguished from "the West
Side", more on that below), the West Seventh neighborhood is a traditional
immigrant neighborhood located below Summit Hill and along the western bluffs of
the Mississippi River, spanning the entire length of West Seventh St.(Old Fort
Rd.) The West End is the historical center of the Twin Cities' Irish, German,
Polish, Italian and Bohemian immigrant communities, and is currently the center
of Saint Paul's Russian immigrant population.
Downtown [15]
Downtown Saint Paul for the most part is a ghost town after 4 PM. Its glory days
were in the 1940s, and the neighborhood - always overshadowed by Downtown
Minneapolis - is constantly trying to regain jobs and prestige. Home to Xcel
Energy Center, home of the Minnesota Wild hockey team, Galtier Plaza, McNally
Smith College of Music and the Minnesota World Trade Center. When the Wild are
playing or there is some other event, downtown can become brimming with people
but generally people are scarce and sidewalks are clear.
West Side [16]
The name is somewhat confusing to newcomers, as the neighborhood is actually
somewhat east of the line bisecting the city; it's the neighborhood across the
Mississippi River to the south of Downtown, but technically on the west bank of
the predominantly north-south river. It is the home to the largest Hispanic
neighborhood in the Twin Cities, based along C�sar Ch�vez Boulevard.
Payne-Phalen [17]
The neighborhood ranges from a toughish, blue-collar area to the south, to a
solid middle-class area north of Maryland Avenue, and includes some fairly
upscale real estate around scenic Lake Phalen.
Dayton's Bluff [18]
Dayton's Bluff is another highly-transitional neighborhood. The lower part of
the Bluff, a sub-neighborhood called "Swede Hollow", is traditionally a fairly
tough area; the Hollow and the Bluff in general have been home, sequentially, to
most of the Twin Cities' immigrant communities, from Swedes and Germans in the
mid-1800's, through waves of Italians, Eastern Europeans, African-Americans,
Asians, Hispanics, and now Somali and Eritrean immigrants. Near the Mississippi
River is the Indian Mounds Park.
Greater East Side [19]
A largely middle-class neighborhood which borders on (and traditionally supplied
much of the workforce for) neighboring 3M Corporation, one of Minnesota's
biggest employers, whose corporate headquarters is just across McKnight Road
from the Greater East Side in the suburb of Maplewood.
Battle Creek
A large, middle-class neighborhood on the southeast side of the city, featuring
some spectacular views of the Mississippi River and Downtown Saint Paul.
Traditionally a bedroom community for 3M, it's become much more diverse in the
past 30 years.
A series of District Councils contribute to discussions of individual
neighborhood issues in Saint Paul.
Government and politics
The city's current mayor is Chris Coleman, a member of the
Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. Coleman spent eight years working in Hennepin
County as a public defender and prosecutor. Proposals to build a metal shredder
along the Mississippi River in Saint Paul inspired his first run for the Saint
Paul City Council. Mayor Coleman represented Saint Paul's Ward 2 from 1997 to
2003. Currently, he is also an investment management consultant working with
non-profit organizations and is also president of United Family Practice Clinic
(serving people without insurance and/or with low income).
The city's former mayor was Randy Kelly, a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Party. Mayor Kelly caused controversy when in 2004, he endorsed US President
George W. Bush for re-election. In what most political observers saw as a result
of the Bush endorsement, Kelly was ejected from the Mayor's office on November
8, 2005 in favor of Chris Coleman. Kelly lost the election by almost 40
percentage points.
Participants in a political discussion list maintain background information
relevant to Saint Paul Politics.
( As of 2006: The Saint Paul City Council includes Kathy Lantry, City Council
President (voted City Pages Councilmember of the Year in 2002), Ward 7; Debbie
Montgomery, Ward 1; Dave Thune, Ward 2; Pat Harris, Ward 3; Jay Benanav, Ward 4;
Lee Helgen, Ward 5; Dan Bostrom, Ward 6. )
The city of Saint Paul has elected a large number of Irish mayors. The current
mayor, Chris Coleman is an Irish-American. The city has had three mayors who
were natives of Ireland, William Dawson, Christopher D. O'Brien, and Frank
Doran. Other former Irish-American mayors of Saint Paul include: William
Mahoney, William H. Fallon, John J. McDonough, Edward K. Delaney, John C.
Daubney, Joseph E. Dillon, Thomas R. Byrne, and Randy Kelly.
St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center will be the host of the 2008 Republican National
Convention.
Education
Saint Paul contains the following educational institutions, sorted by type:
Primary
* Ames Elementary
* Battle Creek Elementary
* Capitol Hill Gifted/Talented Magnet [20]
* Community of Peace Academy
* Eastern Heights Elementary
* Groveland Park Elementary [21]
* Hayden Heights Elementary
* Jackson Preparatory Magnet
* L'Etoile du Nord French Immersion School
* Nativity of Our Lord [22]
* Nokomis Montessori Magnet
* Saint Anthony Park Elementary School
* St. Pascal Baylon [23]
* Webster Magnet Elementary
* North End Elementary
* (and more not listed)
Public Secondary
* Saint Paul Public Schools official web site [24]
* Arlington Senior High School [25]
* Battle Creek Middle School
* Central Senior High School[26]
* Cleveland Junior High School [27]
* Como Park Senior High School [28]
* Creative Arts Senior High School [29]
* Harding Senior High School [30]
* Highland Park Senior High School [31]
* Highland Park Junior High School
* Humbolt Senior High School [32]
* Humboldt Junior High School
* Johnson Senior High School [33]
* Murray Junior High School [34]
* Open School
* Ramsey Junior High School [35]
* Washington Technology Middle School [36]
* Hazel Park Academy Middle School [37]
Private Secondary
* Cretin-Derham Hall High School [38]
* St. Paul Academy and Summit School [39]
* Twin Cities Academy [40]
* (and more not listed)
Public Post-Secondary
* Metropolitan State University [41]
* Saint Paul College - A community and technical college [42]
* University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (technically located in Falcon Heights,
Minnesota)link
Private Post-Secondary
* Bethel University
* College of Saint Catherine
* College of Visual Arts
* Concordia University, Saint Paul
* Hamline University
* Macalester College
* University of St. Thomas
* McNally Smith College of Music
Post-Graduate
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
* William Mitchell College of Law
* Luther Seminary
* University of Minnesota School of Social Work
Culture
Sites of interest
Areas of interest include the Science Museum of Minnesota [53], Ordway Center
for the Performing Arts [54], the state Capitol, and RiverCentre, which serves
as the city's civic center. Saint Paul is also home to the Saint Paul Chamber
Orchestra, the St. Paul Saints minor league baseball team, the Minnesota
Thunder, professional soccer team, the Minnesota Swarm of the National Lacrosse
League and the Minnesota Wild National Hockey League team, which plays at the
city's Xcel Energy Center.
Grand Avenue is a much-frequented street for Saint Paul locals. The shopping
includes boutiques and brand name stores and the dining on Grand Avenue makes it
a favorite destination for people in and around Saint Paul. The intersection of
Grand and Snelling features the premier bakery Breadsmith, Jamba Juice, and a
Saint Paul original, Dunn Bros. Coffee. Other notable restaurants on Grand
Avenue include: Cafe Latte, The Lexington and The Grand Ol' Creamery.
The Cathedral Hill area, centered on Selby and Western Avenues, is home to some
of the best dining in the Twin Cities. Establishments range from traditional
bars and pubs (such as Costello's and the Muddy Pig) to the upscale fine dining
of W.A. Frost and Moscow on the Hill. In addition to fine dining, the area is
also home to the College of Visual Arts and the Saint Paul Curling Club, the
largest member owned club of its kind in the United States.
Nearby attractions include the Mississippi River which forms the southwest
border of Saint Paul, the Mall of America in Bloomington, and the Minnesota
State Fair's grounds. The fair - the largest state fair in the United States -
is open during the two weeks prior to and including Labor Day. It takes place in
northern Saint Paul next to the suburb of Falcon Heights, and just north of the
Midway neighborhood, appropriately defining the midway point between downtown
districts of the Twin Cities (see "Neighborhoods"). Immediately west of the
state fairgrounds is the Saint Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota
(however, like the Fairgrounds, the campus is located in Falcon Heights). The
Cathedral of Saint Paul is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of
Saint Paul and Minneapolis, and numerous other religious organizations exist in
the metropolitan area. Bordering the southwest edge of Saint Paul and the
southeastern tip of Minneapolis is the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International
Airport. Also notable is Historic Fort Snelling, which lies on the bluff above
the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers. Just below the bluff is
Fort Snelling State Park [55], which incorporates Pike Island named for the
explorer Zebulon Pike. The Como Zoo and Conservatory is a free zoo with a year
round inside garden and amusement park. Indian Mounds Park contain six burial
mounds believed to have been constructed approximately 2000 years ago by the
Hopewell Culture.[56]
Saint Paul is the birthplace of renowned author, F Scott Fitzgerald, as well as
cartoonist Charles M. Schulz (Peanuts). Because of the association with Schulz,
Saint Paul regularly has events centering around the Snoopy family. For the past
several years, local artists have painted and decorated giant Peanuts sculptures
around the city. These have been very popular with tourists.
Major corporations headquartered in the Saint Paul area include 3M, source of
products such as Scotch-Tape™, Thinsulate™ and Post-It™ notes; St Paul
Travelers, a major insurance firm; Ecolab, a chemical and cleaning product
company; Lawson Software, a business software and support company; and Gander
Mountain, the largest outdoor lifestyle retailer in the country.
Religion
Faith Organizations
* Saint Paul Council of Churches
Christian Churches
* House of Hope Presbyterian
* Listing of Council member churches
Synagogues
* Mount Zion Temple
Mosques
Media
Main article: Media in the Twin Cities
Television stations in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area:
* KTCA 2 (PBS) - St. Paul
* WCCO 4 (CBS) - Minneapolis
* KSTP-TV 5 (ABC) - St. Paul
* KMSP 9 (Fox) - Eden Prairie
* KARE 11 (NBC) - Golden Valley
* KTCI 17 (PBS) - St. Paul
* WUCW 23 (CW) - St. Paul
* WFTC 29 (My Network TV) - Eden Prairie
* KPXM 41 (i) - St. Cloud
* KSTC 45 (Independent) - St. Paul
Newspapers:
* St. Paul Pioneer Press - St. Paul
* Star Tribune - Minneapolis
Magazines:
* Saint Paul Illustrated - Bloomington, Minnesota
Sports
The Minnesota Timberwolves, Twins, and Vikings all play in Minneapolis
Transportation
Ground transportation
Most of the citizens of Saint Paul utilize a car to move throughout the region,
although the bus system, provided by Metro Transit, is also used by those with
and without cars. Metro Transit also operates the Hiawatha Line, a light rail
transit system, which connects downtown and south Minneapolis with the southern
suburb of Bloomington and the Mall of America. It also serves Saint Paul through
coordinated buses from the train stations. The expansion of the light rail
system, when it occurs, is expected to connect downtown Minneapolis to downtown
Saint Paul.
In the downtown area, buildings are connected by a skyway system in which
buildings are directly connected to each other, and pedestrians may walk from
one building to another without going outside. Another system of transportation
gaining popularity in Saint Paul is biking, especially with the advent of
additional bike lanes throughout the city and the metropolitan area. Bike trails
interconnect with those of Minneapolis and other neighboring cities.
The layout of streets around downtown St. Paul has often drawn complaints. Jesse
Ventura famously brought up the city's roadways during an appearance on Late
Night with David Letterman in his days as Governor of Minnesota. Ventura drew a
lot of criticism for his remark that the streets had been designed by "drunken
Irishmen," although people had already been complaining about the fractured grid
system for more than a century by that point. Some of the road structure comes
from the curve of the Mississippi River, conflicts between leaders of different
neighborhoods in the early city, and grand plans only half-realized. Outside of
downtown, the roads are less confusing, but the city is also somewhat unusual in
the fact that most roads are named rather than numbered. Another complaint is
the changing of the name of Concord St, which is near Highway 52, one of the
major highways in St. Paul. Many people are given directions to follow Concord
St. until it becomes Wabasha. The problem is that at the 52 junction, Concord
St. turns into Cesar Chavez, going in the direction of Wabasha. Many people
become confused, and end up following Concord in the opposite direction, towards
South Saint Paul.
Interstate Highways that serve the city are Interstate 35E running N-S, and
Interstate 94 running E-W.
Air transportation
The major airport for the area is the Minneapolis/Saint Paul International
Airport. Its major provider is Northwest Airlines, although low priced discount
airlines are beginning to gain strength in the area. Saint Paul is also served
by the smaller St. Paul Downtown Airport.
Some Things to Consider When Looking for an Apartment...
When searching for a new apartment make sure to take your time to
think through what are the most important things to you in an apartment
and plan your search based on those priorities. Here are some things to
consider when planning your move:
1. Consider the areas where you would like to live
* What is the crime rate?
* If you have children - what rating does the local school system have?
* Is there area convenient shopping, health and recreation services in
the area?
2. Make a list of your housing priorities
* Do you have pets?
* Do you need parking?
* Do you need to be on the ground floor?
* What amenities are important to you - swimming pool, fitness room, in
unit laundry?
3. Evaluate the building
* What is the condition of the unit and building?
* Are the grounds maintained?
* Are windows, steps, and railings in good condition?
* View the property at night. Is it safe and well lit?
4. The security of the property
* Are there security service? When is the guard on duty?
* Does the building have controlled access?
* Does each unit have secure door and window locks?
5. Talk to the neighbors
* Ask other residents whether they are satisfied with the building.
6. Amenities
* Who is allowed to use the amenities?
* When are they open?
* Are the fees charged to use those facilities included in rent?
7. Ask about Utilities
* Does the owner or tenant pay the utility bills?
* Are any utilities included with monthly rent?
* Do units have separate thermostats to control heat and air
conditioning?
8. Review the lease
* How much notice must you give before moving out?
* Can the rent be increased? If so, by how much and how often?
* Are pets allowed?
* What is the security deposit and cleaning costs upon move out?
* What is the responsibility of tenants for damage to property?
* Is there a penalty for breaking a lease?
9. Information too bring to a lease signing
* Credit Report
* Pay stubs/tax returns
* Reference
* Application
More Apartment Information
An apartment (or flat in Britain and most other Commonwealth
countries) is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a
building. Apartments may be owned (by an owner-occupier) or rented (by
tenants).
Some apartment-dwellers own their apartments, either as co-ops, in which
the residents own shares of a corporation that owns the building or
development; or in condominiums, whose residents own their apartments
and share ownership of the public spaces. Most apartments are in
buildings designed for the purpose, but large older houses are sometimes
divided into apartments. The word apartment connotes a residential unit
or section in a building. Apartment building owners, lessors, or
managers often use the more general word units to refer to apartments.
Units can be used to refer to rental business suites as well as
residential apartments. When there is no tenant occupying an apartment,
the lessor is said to have a vacancy. For apartment lessors, each
vacancy represents a loss of income from rent-paying tenants for the
time the apartment is vacant (i.e., unoccupied). Lessors' objectives are
often to minimize the vacancy rate for their units. The owner of the
apartment typically transfers possession to the occupant by giving
him/her the key to the apartment entrance door and any other keys need
to live there, such as a common key to the building or any other common
areas, and an individual unit mailbox key. When the occupant move out,
these keys should typically be returned to the owner.
Apartments can be classified into several types. Studio, efficiency,
bed-sit, or bachelor apartments tend to be the smallest apartments with
the cheapest rents in a given area. These kinds of apartment usually
consist mainly of a large room which is the living, dining, and bedroom
combined. There are usually kitchen facilities as part of this central
room, but the bathroom is its own smaller separate room. Moving up from
the efficiencies are one-bedroom apartments where one bedroom is a
separate room from the rest of the apartment. Then there are
two-bedroom, three-bedroom, etc. apartments. Small apartments often have
only one entrance/exit. Large apartments often have two entrances/exits,
perhaps a door in the front and another in the back. Depending on the
building design, the entrance/exit doors may be directly to the outside
or to a common area inside, such as a hallway. Depending on location,
apartments may be available for rent furnished with furniture or
unfurnished into which a tenant usually moves in with his/her own
furniture. Permanent carpeting is often included in an apartment.
Laundry facilities are usually kept in a separate area accessible to all
the tenants in the building. Depending on when the building was built
and the design of the building, utilities such as water, heating, and
electric may be common for all the apartments in the building or
separate for each apartment and billed separately to each tenant
(however, many areas in the US have ruled it illegal to split a water
bill among all the tenants, especially if a pool is on the premises).
Outlets for connection to telephones are typically included in
apartments. Telephone service is optional and is practically always
billed separately from the rent payments. Cable television and similar
amenities are extra also. Parking space, air conditioner, and extra
storage space may or may not be included with an apartment. Rental
leases often limit the maximum number of people who can reside in each
apartment. On or around the ground floor of the apartment building, a
series of mailboxes are typically kept in a location accessible to the
public and, thus, to the letter-carrier too. Every unit typically gets
its own mailbox with individual keys to it. Some very large apartment
buildings with a full-time staff may take mail from the mailman and
provide mail-sorting service. Near the mailboxes or some other location
accessible by outsiders, there may be a buzzer (equivalent to a
doorbell) for each individual unit. In smaller apartment buildings such
as two- or three-flats, or even four-flats, garbage is often disposed of
in trash containers similar to those used at houses. In larger
buildings, garbage is often collected in a common trash bin or dumpster.
For cleanliness or minimizing noise, many lessors will place
restrictions on tenants regarding keeping pets in an apartment.
In some parts of the world, the word apartment is used generally to
refer to a new purpose-built self-contained residential unit in a
building, whereas the word flat means a converted self-contained unit in
an older building. An industrial, warehouse, or commercial space
converted to an apartment is commonly called a loft.
When part of a house is converted for the ostensible use of a landlord's
family member, the unit may be known as an in-law apartment or granny
flat, though these (sometimes illegally) created units are often
occupied by ordinary renters rather than family members. In Canada these
suites are commonly located in the basements of houses and are therefore
normally called basement suites.
Staying in privately owned apartments rather than in a hotel is quickly
becoming popular with travelers.