Looking for An Apartment in the Tri Cities? Good Luck!

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By Chelsea Kopta

Summary

If you're having trouble finding a place to rent you're probably not alone. Many people looking to for an apartment in the Tri-Cities are coming up short since apartment reps say they have the lowest vacancy rates in years.

Story Published: Sep 16, 2009 at 5:40 PM PST

RICHLAND -- "Welcome" signs greet you at every corner at the Timbers Apartments, ushering you inside the Richland complex. But once you get there, you might not stay very long.

"How many vacancies do you have right now?" Action News reporter Chelsea Kopta asked.

"We have no vacancies right now," Timbers Apartments Resident Manager Crystal Mills said.

No vacancies despite that the complex, on the corner of McMurray Street and Stevens Drive, has 267 units.

"Between calls and people coming in, I'd say we average 20 people a day looking for apartments," Mills said.

A huge stack of papers laid on the lobby desk, containing at least 100 people on the waiting list. Mills said she's even heard of people staying at hotels until a room becomes available.

Right now people are taking whatever they can get. For instance, reps said the cheapest, smallest one-bedroom apartment at Timbers averages about 40 people a month who put their name on the waiting list for it.

I called more than half a dozen other apartment complexes in the Tri Cities and all had similar stories.

Workers at On the Boulevard, on Gage Boulevard, told Action News they have 70 people on their waiting list and there's not a quick time line for moving in. They said, at this rate, the soonest new renters could move in would be around November. And even that wasn't a sure thing.

"To me it's normal," Mills said. "I can't imagine having 50 percent occupancy which is where we were two years ago."

A survey by Crown Property management found Tri-City apartments ranged between 96 and 97 percent occupancy rates. Resident managers attributed the shortage to schools starting back up, a vibrant economy and new Hanford jobs.

"That's the major reason we're so full," Mills said.

Stimulus dollars brought 2,960 new jobs to the area this year including direct hires, contractors and support staff.

So what are apartment-hunters to do?

"My recommendation to everyone is, take the first thing that's in your budget just because you could go an hour and that one might be gone," Mills said.

Act fast so you have a welcome place to go home to.

Crown Property Management comes out with newer survey numbers next month and they expect occupancy rates could be even higher, if you can believe that.

So does the apartment shortage mean complexes will raise their rates? In some cases, it will but not for all. Mcany reps told action news, they have to raise rates to stay competitive.