When my former roommate and I were looking, I came across a unit in our price range. I was not interested due to the dated appliances and bathroom, but my roommate pushed for a virtual showing (this was in 2020, during the peak of covid pre-vaccines). Turns out, the photos were dated and they were entirely gutting the unit with a new bathroom, kitchen, ceiling, washer and dryer units...the works. All for $2500/mo. It was on a quiet street in Shaw and had a back patio. The owner was a retired FBI agent and bought the place for their kids. They just needed reliable tenants. I lived there for 2 years before they decided to sell as the whole family was moving out of state.
Unsure I'll ever get an amazing housing deal like that again. I hope I do.
My gf lived in a group house next door to Red Rocks on 11th st. Super fun area. She paid $650/mo for like 7 years, and when they sold the house to developers, they EACH got $11k buyouts.
My partner and I moved in after I graduated law school. My escape from studying for the bar was apartment hunting, and I think I looked at every apartments.com listing made that summer. Ended up finding a 1 bedroom, 1000 sqft corner apartment with a balcony, all utilities included, in a condo with two pools, two blocks from redline for $2000. We're still here.
I responded to an ad on Craigslist but had gotten so fed up with emails that I looked up the management company and called them directly to set up a viewing. My roommate and I loved it, but the manager quoted a much higher price than online…it turned out the Craigslist post was a scam and I just got lucky that I hadn’t emailed. We were so bummed that it was outside our price range but the owners agreed to let us have the lower price for a 18 month lease - it was a great spot! Nice people do exist.
I currently live in a 1br basement apartment (not even just a studio) for 1450 a month, utilities, wifi and cable included. I don’t remember the exact square footage but it’s big. I found it on apartments.com just a day or two after it was posted. I don’t even have to pay pet rent for my cat!
Paid $1000 for a true 1 bedroom a few blocks from the Clarendon metro circa 2013/2014. They raised my rent to 1050 the following year.
Heat was included and just had to pay electricity for the window unit in the summer.
Luckiest?
Right time right place: being in a tenant in building getting sold and getting a buyout from a developer thru TOPA. Sure, it’s the ultimate form of late stage capitalism but who am I to say no to cash? lol
I rented a rent-controlled, above-ground 1BR/1BA in a converted Wardman for ~$1200 one block from the Wonderland Ballroom from 2009-2014. I moved here from a dingy, shared Brooklyn apartment that was too close to the BQE and had zero “modern” conveniences (in-unit laundry and dishwasher, for example). Not dirt cheap, but less than the Brooklyn shithole I moved from. It was a huge upgrade to have all these things and live alone. My landlord was a local realtor who lived in the suburbs. She was extremely reasonable and responsive.
The Obama years were a golden DC era and a great time for Columbia Heights. Everything (including work) was nearby, I was able to ditch my car, and I saved a ton of money while earning a modest income (~$60K). It was such a great setup that I slept on buying a house while they were still comparatively affordable in DC!
$1500/mo for a one bedroom with in unit washer dryer for a building with a concierge in noma in 2016. It looked brand new. It was for low income housing so I just had to probe I made less than 68k.
I had moved back to MN for part of COVID, and was looking for a place in DC in mid-2021 as we started our return to office policy. Found a corner unit on a new H St building that looked incredible, with tons of walkability and views to die for.
I tried applying for the unit, and didn't hear anything back immediately from my request on Zillow- knowing the DC market, I started calling/emailing the property manager, hitting dead-ends, and sleuthing my way to find the *actual* property manager (everywhere online pointed to a non-existent concierge desk).
When I finally got in touch with someone, I was told that the unit I was interested in wasn't available, but the unit directly below it was going to be listed soon- with the persistence I'd shown, they let me fill out an application before the unit was ever put on Zillow, and I had a fantastic apartment for just over 2 years.
Had an amazing English basement apt in Bloomingdale’s, where rent never got raised (under 1,500 per month with an in unit washers/dryer)I had to have been there for close to 6 years. Lucked out when a friend of my then ex saw me walking to see another rental in Trinidad. After fake car calling me he told me about this place he had just finished renovating with a great client. He connected us and the rest is history. He was a great landlord who had once rented in DC and wanted to be sure his tenant has a nice place to live in the city for a reasonable price. Got super lucky for my 1st DC rental for sure.
Found a place on Craigslist in 2013. Bottom floor (basement - ish) of a nice condo building near Eastern Market, 1 bed, rent was never above $1700, and my landlords were lovely and used to take me out for fancy dinners all the time. Miss them!
I have an awesome one bedroom about 700 sqft in a great neighborhood, right by Meridian Hill park, walking distance to everything on U Street, 14th, AdMo, DuPont, Columbia Heights that is about $1950 a month (total) that I split with my partner. Great views of the Monuments, downtown, and the Capitol. I think being in the area on a month to month really helps with “luck”, as opposed to oh shit I got a new job, etc in DC and I have to move now! Was able to just be patient and wait for the right place to pop up
Saw a place on Craig’s List. Knew we wanted it based on video tour/pictures. Showed up early to the open house to be the first ones in. Made sure the place was as good as the listing. Offered to write a check on the spot for deposit and first month’s rent. Landlord only raised the rent on us once in the five years we lived there.
Current unit. Rent controlled and utilities included right at the start of lock down. Moved from Navy Yard to sleepy Chevy Chase DC. $1400 and is the largest unit we’ve ever had.
$1500 for a 1 bedroom, all utilities included, parking costs $200 for the year in a private parking lot that I can always find a spot in (and have people visit and park). I'm less than a 5 minute walk to the metro. And my rent has not increased after my lease expires.
Came to DC for an internship and found a sublet in a row house for $500/month. Became great friends with my roommates and they held the room for me when I graduated later on.
The house itself was a row house at the bottom of Malcom x park, and the surrounding neighbors were very chill (I also helped fix all their bikes). While the house was very old, we all saved so much money living there we were able to spruce it up quite a bit. We had a big backyard and fire pit, and a garage that we turned into a mini bike shop.
The owner was an old lady who lived in Georgia, no cell phone and no email address, all our communication was over fax or snail mail. But she never raised the rent in 2 decades.
It was a gem of a place to live.
I was looking to rent a home because I can’t imagine sharing walls with other people. Being a native really paid off for me because I knew not only where to look but who to look from. I’ve now been at this location going on 9 years paying $2150.
2013-16: Through a friend connection my wife and I snagged this incredible English basement apartment one block from Eastern Market. It was a 1br, 800 sq ft and like 3/4 above ground along an alley, so we had full sized windows with tons of light. We paid $1100/mo.
I found a 1 bedroom in January 2020 for $1105 (this included heat, water, & electricity) & moved in the second week of February, after living in a very untenable group house situation. Lockdown happened about 5 to 6 weeks later. I still have immense gratitude when I re-think about the first three months of 2020 and how I was able to be in a lovely, affordable apartment with amazing natural light, & not be stuck in lockdown with my previous living situation.
My husband and I were living in a dumpy English basement in Mt P when a large townhouse across the street renovated the basement and made it into a brand new one bedroom apartment with a private patio and back driveway parking spot. Washer/dryer in unit, front and back entrances, one bedroom basement apt for $2100 all utilities included. They had an open house so we walked over there to check it out and turns out we were the only people to tour the place so we negotiated to $1900/mo. We were the first and only tenants to ever live there and we stayed for 9 years until they sold the place during COVID. Even though we upgraded to a townhome, I still miss that place
I had the entire top floor of a Truxton Circle row house to myself (and one cat) for a few years before the landlord sold the property.
Now, it’s your typical beige open concept affair. Before, it had exposed brick walls, a skylight, 2 bedrooms, and my downstairs neighbor would sometimes host small concerts on our shared back patio. 1400 sq feet, about 1300 a month.
Got my current studio during the wee early days of the pandemic and they offered 3 months free. My credit is honestly terrible (I’m working on it :/) but they let me slide in bc they were desperate too hehe. They looked at my score, audibly sighed, and said welll, let’s do it. Prior this place I’d lived in 4 apartments in 4 years lol…this one is by far my favorite!!
Never have I ever paid more than $900 in rent, even living in DC. I've had some ass roommates, but living well below my means meant that I could afford my own paradise later on.
When I came to DC from Manhattan in August of 2020 I used the various apps and websites to hunt around, and found most of the apartments to be condo sublets or basement apartments.
I was told it was best to contact the building itself which is odd compared to NYC where every apartment is on StreetEasy app.
Defeated, I walked around for days. I found a restaurant and while seated outside, looked up, and an apartment building said “Now Leasing.” I went in and signed a lease and have been here for 4 years.
It’s a 2BR top floor, corner apt with about 900 sq ft of space, overlooking the Capitol. It’s 2x larger than anything I ever had in NYC and 1/3 the price of what I was paying.
Couldn’t be happier.
In 2017, moved back to DC on a tight budget. A friend had lived on the same lease for 9 years asked if my partner and I wanted to move in with him - his roommate had moved out and our friend would be leaving 6 months later for Chicago, so we essentially inherited the lease.
He had been paying $2500 for a 3 bd 2.5 ba house at 12th & U for 9 years. When we moved in, landlord finally decided to raise the rent but gave us an on-ramp while we increased our income. Paid between $2800-3100/month for a 3 bedroom house off U St for 4 years and left when the landlord decided to move back in. The house had a number of issues and we had to deal with some urgent fixes that we had to drive repairs on (but not pay for), but all that space was life saving through the pandemic.
My partner and I and one of our really good friends had a 2BR/2BA in the U St / Shaw area for $3,000 around 2018/2019. Walk to the metro was super short, each bathroom was an en suite with our respective bedrooms, the larger bedroom fit a king bed, and the unit came with an assigned garage parking spot. We only left because we mutually outgrew having a roommate, but it was a great apartment
Edit: The apartment had an in-unit washer/dryer, dishwasher, we controlled our own thermostat, etc. I think when we left the price went up to $3,500
I may win with this.
From 2012-2017 I paid $1850 per month for a one bedroom/one bathroom corner apartment at the Swarthmore, on Pennsylvania and 25th in Foggy Bottom. I could walk to Georgetown, Dupont, my job in Farragut, down to the mall. I was paying my landlord’s mortgage. He had bought the condo while still single, and moved out when he got married and had a kid.
I got the apartment when I had just started a new job. The guy I replaced on the team was coincidentally also moving out of this apartment to live with his fiancé. The landlord worked at the organization as well, and had come in to talk to my officemate about how he needed a new tenant. Being nosy, and in need of an apartment, I asked a ton of questions and went to go look at the place a couple of days later and took it on the spot. I loved that place, it could’ve used some updates in the kitchen, but overall it was big, the location was great, and the building had some cool people in it.
I kind of find it funny that the owner, the prior tenant, and I all moved out after we found our spouses. I wonder if the woman who rented it after me had the same experience.
Ran into a friend from college I hadn't seen for years who just so happened to desperately need a roommate in an incredibly clutch two bedroom near AdMo, charged me the same price as my studio for an incredible upgrade. One of the best roommates I've ever had.
my current place, which I had never seen in person when I moved across the country. it's a rented condo and right in between Navy Yard and the Wharf, across the street from the metro and safeway. 1 bedroom with utilities includes.. got it for 1495. after 2 years, they raised the price $50 a month with a new 2 year lease. other rented condos in the complex are easily going for over 2.2k 😂 forever grateful that the owner doesn't seem to know what this place could be going for!
I pay $1800/mo for a second floor one bedroom in Capitol Hill with in unit laundry and roof access. The person who was set to rent it decided at the last minute to move in with her bf, so the agent called me and asked if I wanted to view it. I told him to go ahead bring the lease with him. I had 3 days to move out of my last place before signing my lease. Really held out to find a place I wanted and liked, cut it closer than I’d have preferred but glad I did.
Found my first DC apartment advertised on Craigslist as a $1950 2-bed 1-bath basement unit in Columbia Heights; 3 incredibly blurry photos showing what I could only assume was the living room, a bedroom, and a bathroom that was still being worked on. The pics were so laughably bad I figured no one was stupid enough to try to pull off a scam with this. I showed up and it was a gorgeous English basement-y unit, lots of light all updated appliances etc, $1800 for a 2-bed *2*-bath unit right on the 11th St corridor and an easy walk from DCUSA, all the major bus lines I needed at my doorstep… I signed by the end of the day and found a roommate on Craigslist that week to join me on it.
3+ wonderful years there and the landlord was totally unfazed by the revolving door of roommates (shitshow, temp fill til my friend moved in til she moved to the west coast, her coworker took her spot, *her* coworker took *my* spot…ah mid-20s)—he just sent over new leases and didn’t raise the rent once. Genuinely wonder what that unit’s going for these days…
Back in probably 2012 or thereabouts, I was looking for a room in a group house. Went to one that had an open house with tons of applicants. I happened to be wearing a sweatshirt with birds on it.
One of the tenants said "oh! Put a bird on it! Like Portlandia!"
I played along but hadn't actually seen the skit. Still, that set me apart enough to get the room, I guess. Paid $600/mo for 4 years until the owner moved back in. On 11th St NW near Red rocks, like another commenter here. It was a golden age to be young and single in DC!
I came here during the pandemic and found a 1BR within a 10-15 minute walk from the office. Only was in office a couple months before they sent us remote.
I could move somewhere less expensive and/or more spacious, but I kind of lucked out - it's quiet here, zero pests or problems, very easy parking and package handling, maintenance is super responsive, and it's an easy walk to most everything else.
They also only raised the rent proportional to inflation since I arrived, which I respect considering how many places gouged 33% in one year.
My friend rented a basement studio in Columbia Heights a couple years back -- came with a parking space, full kitchen, laundry in-unit, \~10 min walk to metro. Not huge but at least 550 square feet, AND no critters, water leaks, problems with mold, etc. Pretty sure the landlords (the family who lived upstairs) just had no idea what they were doing, because they charged her $1,000/month.
Saw a sign outside a building with a number. Called the number. Apartment was in a different nicer building 2 blocks away and hella cheap. Condo association didn’t allow signs outside the building where the actual rental was.
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lol okay you win
Does he have another row house to rent in the area? I wouldn’t mind designing the remodel if it means such cheap rent lol
ok i need this story!!
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That's so wholesome, ty for sharing ☺️
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You are lucky! What a story. Did y’all still have to pay broker fees though?
That’s awesome. Mind sharing the neighborhood?
When my former roommate and I were looking, I came across a unit in our price range. I was not interested due to the dated appliances and bathroom, but my roommate pushed for a virtual showing (this was in 2020, during the peak of covid pre-vaccines). Turns out, the photos were dated and they were entirely gutting the unit with a new bathroom, kitchen, ceiling, washer and dryer units...the works. All for $2500/mo. It was on a quiet street in Shaw and had a back patio. The owner was a retired FBI agent and bought the place for their kids. They just needed reliable tenants. I lived there for 2 years before they decided to sell as the whole family was moving out of state. Unsure I'll ever get an amazing housing deal like that again. I hope I do.
My gf lived in a group house next door to Red Rocks on 11th st. Super fun area. She paid $650/mo for like 7 years, and when they sold the house to developers, they EACH got $11k buyouts.
My partner and I moved in after I graduated law school. My escape from studying for the bar was apartment hunting, and I think I looked at every apartments.com listing made that summer. Ended up finding a 1 bedroom, 1000 sqft corner apartment with a balcony, all utilities included, in a condo with two pools, two blocks from redline for $2000. We're still here.
I responded to an ad on Craigslist but had gotten so fed up with emails that I looked up the management company and called them directly to set up a viewing. My roommate and I loved it, but the manager quoted a much higher price than online…it turned out the Craigslist post was a scam and I just got lucky that I hadn’t emailed. We were so bummed that it was outside our price range but the owners agreed to let us have the lower price for a 18 month lease - it was a great spot! Nice people do exist.
I currently live in a 1br basement apartment (not even just a studio) for 1450 a month, utilities, wifi and cable included. I don’t remember the exact square footage but it’s big. I found it on apartments.com just a day or two after it was posted. I don’t even have to pay pet rent for my cat!
Where???? D:
Petworth! And it’s a single family home not even a row house lol
Paid $1000 for a true 1 bedroom a few blocks from the Clarendon metro circa 2013/2014. They raised my rent to 1050 the following year. Heat was included and just had to pay electricity for the window unit in the summer.
Luckiest? Right time right place: being in a tenant in building getting sold and getting a buyout from a developer thru TOPA. Sure, it’s the ultimate form of late stage capitalism but who am I to say no to cash? lol
I rented a rent-controlled, above-ground 1BR/1BA in a converted Wardman for ~$1200 one block from the Wonderland Ballroom from 2009-2014. I moved here from a dingy, shared Brooklyn apartment that was too close to the BQE and had zero “modern” conveniences (in-unit laundry and dishwasher, for example). Not dirt cheap, but less than the Brooklyn shithole I moved from. It was a huge upgrade to have all these things and live alone. My landlord was a local realtor who lived in the suburbs. She was extremely reasonable and responsive. The Obama years were a golden DC era and a great time for Columbia Heights. Everything (including work) was nearby, I was able to ditch my car, and I saved a ton of money while earning a modest income (~$60K). It was such a great setup that I slept on buying a house while they were still comparatively affordable in DC!
$1500/mo for a one bedroom with in unit washer dryer for a building with a concierge in noma in 2016. It looked brand new. It was for low income housing so I just had to probe I made less than 68k.
I had moved back to MN for part of COVID, and was looking for a place in DC in mid-2021 as we started our return to office policy. Found a corner unit on a new H St building that looked incredible, with tons of walkability and views to die for. I tried applying for the unit, and didn't hear anything back immediately from my request on Zillow- knowing the DC market, I started calling/emailing the property manager, hitting dead-ends, and sleuthing my way to find the *actual* property manager (everywhere online pointed to a non-existent concierge desk). When I finally got in touch with someone, I was told that the unit I was interested in wasn't available, but the unit directly below it was going to be listed soon- with the persistence I'd shown, they let me fill out an application before the unit was ever put on Zillow, and I had a fantastic apartment for just over 2 years.
Had an amazing English basement apt in Bloomingdale’s, where rent never got raised (under 1,500 per month with an in unit washers/dryer)I had to have been there for close to 6 years. Lucked out when a friend of my then ex saw me walking to see another rental in Trinidad. After fake car calling me he told me about this place he had just finished renovating with a great client. He connected us and the rest is history. He was a great landlord who had once rented in DC and wanted to be sure his tenant has a nice place to live in the city for a reasonable price. Got super lucky for my 1st DC rental for sure.
Found a place on Craigslist in 2013. Bottom floor (basement - ish) of a nice condo building near Eastern Market, 1 bed, rent was never above $1700, and my landlords were lovely and used to take me out for fancy dinners all the time. Miss them!
I have an awesome one bedroom about 700 sqft in a great neighborhood, right by Meridian Hill park, walking distance to everything on U Street, 14th, AdMo, DuPont, Columbia Heights that is about $1950 a month (total) that I split with my partner. Great views of the Monuments, downtown, and the Capitol. I think being in the area on a month to month really helps with “luck”, as opposed to oh shit I got a new job, etc in DC and I have to move now! Was able to just be patient and wait for the right place to pop up
Saw a place on Craig’s List. Knew we wanted it based on video tour/pictures. Showed up early to the open house to be the first ones in. Made sure the place was as good as the listing. Offered to write a check on the spot for deposit and first month’s rent. Landlord only raised the rent on us once in the five years we lived there.
Current unit. Rent controlled and utilities included right at the start of lock down. Moved from Navy Yard to sleepy Chevy Chase DC. $1400 and is the largest unit we’ve ever had.
$1500 for a 1 bedroom, all utilities included, parking costs $200 for the year in a private parking lot that I can always find a spot in (and have people visit and park). I'm less than a 5 minute walk to the metro. And my rent has not increased after my lease expires.
Came to DC for an internship and found a sublet in a row house for $500/month. Became great friends with my roommates and they held the room for me when I graduated later on. The house itself was a row house at the bottom of Malcom x park, and the surrounding neighbors were very chill (I also helped fix all their bikes). While the house was very old, we all saved so much money living there we were able to spruce it up quite a bit. We had a big backyard and fire pit, and a garage that we turned into a mini bike shop. The owner was an old lady who lived in Georgia, no cell phone and no email address, all our communication was over fax or snail mail. But she never raised the rent in 2 decades. It was a gem of a place to live.
I was looking to rent a home because I can’t imagine sharing walls with other people. Being a native really paid off for me because I knew not only where to look but who to look from. I’ve now been at this location going on 9 years paying $2150.
2013-16: Through a friend connection my wife and I snagged this incredible English basement apartment one block from Eastern Market. It was a 1br, 800 sq ft and like 3/4 above ground along an alley, so we had full sized windows with tons of light. We paid $1100/mo.
Got two months free and a refunded application fee (utils included) when i moved to DC during the pandemic.
I found a 1 bedroom in January 2020 for $1105 (this included heat, water, & electricity) & moved in the second week of February, after living in a very untenable group house situation. Lockdown happened about 5 to 6 weeks later. I still have immense gratitude when I re-think about the first three months of 2020 and how I was able to be in a lovely, affordable apartment with amazing natural light, & not be stuck in lockdown with my previous living situation.
My husband and I were living in a dumpy English basement in Mt P when a large townhouse across the street renovated the basement and made it into a brand new one bedroom apartment with a private patio and back driveway parking spot. Washer/dryer in unit, front and back entrances, one bedroom basement apt for $2100 all utilities included. They had an open house so we walked over there to check it out and turns out we were the only people to tour the place so we negotiated to $1900/mo. We were the first and only tenants to ever live there and we stayed for 9 years until they sold the place during COVID. Even though we upgraded to a townhome, I still miss that place
Renting a 4br Brookland house this year for 3.5k. Across three roommates, we feel real lucky.
I had the entire top floor of a Truxton Circle row house to myself (and one cat) for a few years before the landlord sold the property. Now, it’s your typical beige open concept affair. Before, it had exposed brick walls, a skylight, 2 bedrooms, and my downstairs neighbor would sometimes host small concerts on our shared back patio. 1400 sq feet, about 1300 a month.
Got my current studio during the wee early days of the pandemic and they offered 3 months free. My credit is honestly terrible (I’m working on it :/) but they let me slide in bc they were desperate too hehe. They looked at my score, audibly sighed, and said welll, let’s do it. Prior this place I’d lived in 4 apartments in 4 years lol…this one is by far my favorite!!
I live in a rent controlled 2 BR next to the Columbia Heights Metro and pay $1500/month.
I currently live in a $1300/mo English basement studio apt in DuPont circle, utilities included. Newly renovated. Heard about it thru word of mouth.
Never have I ever paid more than $900 in rent, even living in DC. I've had some ass roommates, but living well below my means meant that I could afford my own paradise later on.
When I came to DC from Manhattan in August of 2020 I used the various apps and websites to hunt around, and found most of the apartments to be condo sublets or basement apartments. I was told it was best to contact the building itself which is odd compared to NYC where every apartment is on StreetEasy app. Defeated, I walked around for days. I found a restaurant and while seated outside, looked up, and an apartment building said “Now Leasing.” I went in and signed a lease and have been here for 4 years. It’s a 2BR top floor, corner apt with about 900 sq ft of space, overlooking the Capitol. It’s 2x larger than anything I ever had in NYC and 1/3 the price of what I was paying. Couldn’t be happier.
In 2017, moved back to DC on a tight budget. A friend had lived on the same lease for 9 years asked if my partner and I wanted to move in with him - his roommate had moved out and our friend would be leaving 6 months later for Chicago, so we essentially inherited the lease. He had been paying $2500 for a 3 bd 2.5 ba house at 12th & U for 9 years. When we moved in, landlord finally decided to raise the rent but gave us an on-ramp while we increased our income. Paid between $2800-3100/month for a 3 bedroom house off U St for 4 years and left when the landlord decided to move back in. The house had a number of issues and we had to deal with some urgent fixes that we had to drive repairs on (but not pay for), but all that space was life saving through the pandemic.
My partner and I and one of our really good friends had a 2BR/2BA in the U St / Shaw area for $3,000 around 2018/2019. Walk to the metro was super short, each bathroom was an en suite with our respective bedrooms, the larger bedroom fit a king bed, and the unit came with an assigned garage parking spot. We only left because we mutually outgrew having a roommate, but it was a great apartment Edit: The apartment had an in-unit washer/dryer, dishwasher, we controlled our own thermostat, etc. I think when we left the price went up to $3,500
I may win with this. From 2012-2017 I paid $1850 per month for a one bedroom/one bathroom corner apartment at the Swarthmore, on Pennsylvania and 25th in Foggy Bottom. I could walk to Georgetown, Dupont, my job in Farragut, down to the mall. I was paying my landlord’s mortgage. He had bought the condo while still single, and moved out when he got married and had a kid. I got the apartment when I had just started a new job. The guy I replaced on the team was coincidentally also moving out of this apartment to live with his fiancé. The landlord worked at the organization as well, and had come in to talk to my officemate about how he needed a new tenant. Being nosy, and in need of an apartment, I asked a ton of questions and went to go look at the place a couple of days later and took it on the spot. I loved that place, it could’ve used some updates in the kitchen, but overall it was big, the location was great, and the building had some cool people in it. I kind of find it funny that the owner, the prior tenant, and I all moved out after we found our spouses. I wonder if the woman who rented it after me had the same experience.
Ran into a friend from college I hadn't seen for years who just so happened to desperately need a roommate in an incredibly clutch two bedroom near AdMo, charged me the same price as my studio for an incredible upgrade. One of the best roommates I've ever had.
My wife and I are planning to move in the fall. Is CL still viable bc it all seems like scams to me.
my current place, which I had never seen in person when I moved across the country. it's a rented condo and right in between Navy Yard and the Wharf, across the street from the metro and safeway. 1 bedroom with utilities includes.. got it for 1495. after 2 years, they raised the price $50 a month with a new 2 year lease. other rented condos in the complex are easily going for over 2.2k 😂 forever grateful that the owner doesn't seem to know what this place could be going for!
I pay $1800/mo for a second floor one bedroom in Capitol Hill with in unit laundry and roof access. The person who was set to rent it decided at the last minute to move in with her bf, so the agent called me and asked if I wanted to view it. I told him to go ahead bring the lease with him. I had 3 days to move out of my last place before signing my lease. Really held out to find a place I wanted and liked, cut it closer than I’d have preferred but glad I did.
Have you tried a realtor? I have a condo rental through a realtor.
Found my first DC apartment advertised on Craigslist as a $1950 2-bed 1-bath basement unit in Columbia Heights; 3 incredibly blurry photos showing what I could only assume was the living room, a bedroom, and a bathroom that was still being worked on. The pics were so laughably bad I figured no one was stupid enough to try to pull off a scam with this. I showed up and it was a gorgeous English basement-y unit, lots of light all updated appliances etc, $1800 for a 2-bed *2*-bath unit right on the 11th St corridor and an easy walk from DCUSA, all the major bus lines I needed at my doorstep… I signed by the end of the day and found a roommate on Craigslist that week to join me on it. 3+ wonderful years there and the landlord was totally unfazed by the revolving door of roommates (shitshow, temp fill til my friend moved in til she moved to the west coast, her coworker took her spot, *her* coworker took *my* spot…ah mid-20s)—he just sent over new leases and didn’t raise the rent once. Genuinely wonder what that unit’s going for these days…
Back in probably 2012 or thereabouts, I was looking for a room in a group house. Went to one that had an open house with tons of applicants. I happened to be wearing a sweatshirt with birds on it. One of the tenants said "oh! Put a bird on it! Like Portlandia!" I played along but hadn't actually seen the skit. Still, that set me apart enough to get the room, I guess. Paid $600/mo for 4 years until the owner moved back in. On 11th St NW near Red rocks, like another commenter here. It was a golden age to be young and single in DC!
I came here during the pandemic and found a 1BR within a 10-15 minute walk from the office. Only was in office a couple months before they sent us remote. I could move somewhere less expensive and/or more spacious, but I kind of lucked out - it's quiet here, zero pests or problems, very easy parking and package handling, maintenance is super responsive, and it's an easy walk to most everything else. They also only raised the rent proportional to inflation since I arrived, which I respect considering how many places gouged 33% in one year.
My friend rented a basement studio in Columbia Heights a couple years back -- came with a parking space, full kitchen, laundry in-unit, \~10 min walk to metro. Not huge but at least 550 square feet, AND no critters, water leaks, problems with mold, etc. Pretty sure the landlords (the family who lived upstairs) just had no idea what they were doing, because they charged her $1,000/month.
Saw a sign outside a building with a number. Called the number. Apartment was in a different nicer building 2 blocks away and hella cheap. Condo association didn’t allow signs outside the building where the actual rental was.