I paid over 4,000 on my last move. It was brutal.
Add “can’t afford to move? Pay more rent”
Then there’s the Application Fee Scam. They charge you a non-refundable $50 per person, sometimes more, just to apply. In my case, that’s $150, which goes to the Property Manager. So the property manager is motivated to take as many applications, and turn them down, as possible. They can easily make far more in application fees than whatever fee they collect from actually renting out the place.
After spending hundreds, only to get turned down within minutes ("Here’s $150…oh, it’s a No?), I learned to only deal with the person who OWNS the property, no property managers, real estate companies, etc.
Reasons for being turned down? Usually none given. Once it was because of my “criminal record” - a speeding ticket two years before. Goodbye $150.
You might drive the apartment too fast
Christ, I remember when they were just happy if you gave them money. Now hearing about the song and dance you have to go to to just be considered…
Then you get approved, to pay 50% of your income to live in a place that wouldn’t pass any kind of inspection, so the ceiling leaks and ruins most of your possessions, this happened in 2 different locations.
In Spain you get a paid vacation day for moving. You just show your lease contract and you get the first day of the lease off.
But you usually have to pay first month up front and put in a security deposit. It used to also be that you had to pay a fee to the agency. The law now says that the landlord pays that fee but sometimes they will still say it o you. You can either pay or keep looking.
So worst case you need 3x the rent to move. Best case you just put in the security deposit which you get back at the end of the contract.
Great news for 0.6% of the world’s population!
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You just need residency. Which basically means you just need a job. But keep in mind that the right is on the rise here, like everywhere else, so most likely in a couple of years a lot of progress made here will also be rolled back. I think EU is still great place to be long term, just don’t focus on current situation too much when choosing where to go. Things will change.
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and that key?
That key is money. So most people will never have the key to escape, but they’ll never stop getting charged to look for it.
Good news, you’re legally allowed to keep all the copper in the walls as a leaving present.
Sidebar, I’m a big fan of a minimal life aka having as little stuff as possible. My truck can hold all my stuff for a one trip move. If I didn’t have that then there’s the $20 daily van rentals which are honestly going to be like $60 all said and done. If I couldn’t afford a deposit and first months rent on an apartment then I could rent a room. I’ve also been tempted to get a cheap trailer for an RV park. Finally there’s the option of taking on a roommate. In college we had two people to each room and a guy with a makeshift wall renting the living room. Is it glamorous? Hell no. Could things be better? Hell yeah. Is it better than living out of my truck or on the street? Most definitely.
I used to suggest committing a crime and getting to jail (if government cannot manage the country economy, at least they could support you with food and shelter).
Then someone told me there is a waiting list for prisons in USA…
Also doesn’t work if have a family.
But yeah it sucks so much here
Americans can afford to start a family?
AI
AI slop post
I’ve never heard of “utility deposits” in my life…
Some utilities charge a deposit, I’ve only ever had it once myself, and it was a city owned utility that eventually sold out to the corpo scum
If your credit score is dogshit sometimes you get stuck with them.
For good reason.
For good reason.
For good reason.
For good reason.
For good reason.
They’re real.
Paid to the utility company itself to get services turned on for the first time in your name (and typically not paid again when you move, as long as you transfer your service to the new address), its usually returned to you via a credit to your bill after 3-12 months of service depending on the utility company.
Wow, well, I can tell you I’ve never heard of this as a US native who has lived across multiple states, at least. I thought it should say “security deposit.”
Wanna give that post a second go so we can figure out what you’re on about.
Security and Utility deposits are both a thing in America.
Yeah, I missed sec. dep. the first time. I still have never heard of utility deposits, though it also seems according to someone else here that they’re only for people with bad credit, so I guess that’s why.
Not always. Some just due it as a matter of course on the opening of a fresh new account.
Yup. It’s funny how they all seem to converge on the mannerisms of LinkedIn garbage.
This account is 100% rage bait. Look up the account. It’s all posts like this, same formatting, tone, similar themes.
It’s all bullshit, he contradicts himself constantly.
There’s also a community note that the account is based in Africa.
Doesn’t change the fact that this is how it is.
It doesn’t mean that the scenario he described isn’t authentic. I’ve experienced it myself several times in my life.
He may have framed his story as an actual thing that happened to him, but that isn’t important. What’s important is that he laid out the parameters for a discussion on the problems with switching rental properties, and a substantive discussion followed. The discussion is the point, not how the premise was presented.
There are lots of awful things that happen in America. Bringing them up for discussion is not automatically rage bait just because it makes you angry. Rage Bait is when you give it a misleading, anger-inducing headline, just to get someone to click on it, and then see advertising. That’s Rage BAIT. What is this BAITING us into? A discussion about the economics of moving?
Yeah, it’s bullshit. A real American would have said “First month’s rent. Last month’s rent. Security deposit.”
So you’re saying people in Africa have a better idea of how fucked Americans are, more so than Americans do? I mean, that honestly checks out.
That monster, we can’t just let him post content and get away with it.
Okay, you’re right, but also they aren’t wrong (in this case).
Easy. Just buy a house cash and never pay rent or make mortgage payments. Simple.
I did exactly this. I only had to save up for … 35 years.
Got my own place at 35 as well. My parents bought their first place in central London (although admittedly it was a dump by all accounts) at 19.
Lol I meant 35 years … starting at age 21.
This is legitimately advice my aunt told me. I must have looked at her like she had 3 heads.
It’s honestly great advice…if you happen to have ~$500k laying around.
Doesn’t your family trust employ people that just take care of that for you?
Only until I accidentally give them a sock.
Mind if I crash on your couch for a few decades while I get the cash together?
Landlords don’t want you to know this one simple trick.
But pay property taxes (and sometimes HOA fees) forever
Eh, I bought a $142K house and my property taxes plus homeowner’s insurance come to $4800 a year, which is $400 a month. What’s insane is the condominiums in my district – over $200K for a 2BR 1BA and you pay the larger property taxes and insurance and you pay condo fees of $800 to $900 a month, and cross your fingers that you don’t get hit with any special assessments. You’re basically paying $1600 a month to rent your own home.
Which is factored into the cost of rent, along with repair costs and more.
And be responsible for fixing & replacing appliances, AC, heating, pipes, electrical, etc
Moving has always been a huge financial set back for me. It’s why some degree of rent control is important as renters are in many ways trapped. It’s also super depressing to move to lower rent housing. As you age there’s a societal and self imposed expectation of financial progress, paying a bunch to move to lower rent housing is a double tap.
That lower rent housing could still feel like financial progress. If it meets your needs still, you now have more money to spend on things that aren’t housing. I’ve seen some older couples sell their larger homes and move into small apartments or houses. It cuts back on their costs, maintainance demands, and frees up money for other things like better wine, gifts for the kids, or vacations.
I think they meant they are spending the same rent but getting a lower quality place, in multiple ways. So there isn’t more money, just a distinct lower quality of life at the same money.
“Paying a bunch to move to lower rent housing” implies the rent is lower, if its about quality they would have specified paying the same rent to get a worse place.
If they are moving because their current rent went up, and they are moving into a place with the same as their old rent, then they are still moving into a lower rent place.
Well first month’s fee and security deposit are annoying but they’re one of payments to get away from a increased recurring payment, so yeah it’s a pain but it’s still worth doing it.
I’ve never been understood who people who get moving trucks, you can rent a truck for less than the cost of a moving company.
Are you young and healthy? Plenty of people can’t physically move their belongings and need someone else to do it for them.
Pizza and beer for your friends does the job, but yeah it definitely sucks if you don’t have friends like that.
My friends are all around the same age as me and developing their own health issues. Things were different when we were in our 20s.
For sure, was thinking about including younger cousins etc
Friends and family are a blessing
I rented a Uhaul (The van, it was raining) to clean out an apartment recently this year. $200. We had it for 24 hours.
The post says, “Moving Truck”, not movers also.
For the first and last, some folks… dont just have that on them. So even if it’s “worth doing” youre pulling blood from a stone there bud
It’s important to stay on good terms with friends and family so they will help you when shit like this arises. So you can move back in with mom and dad, or couch surf for a while.
Sadly, for too many people, there is no help, and they end up homeless.
nothing against you, but coming from a shit background this read to me as, “pretend to like people you actually dont so you can use them in the future”. aye… yeah, ive been homless :/
So many people are on the edge themselves, and taking on one more mouth to feed, use water and electricity, less privacy, less convenience, etc. might push them over the edge, too.
Times are tough out here.
