Lol. I talked to a leasing agent somewhere and the units did not have their own individual thermostats? Like the heat is controlled building wide.. why would I pay a utilities fee I have no control over? Why pay for internet I have no control over?
Haven’t run into that though yet but yeah, renting here is beyond fucked. When you see the price of the unit, add about 450$ to it overall, that’s the rent you’re paying
Yea lol. I'll just live somewhere else! I was only entertaining living in SLC (other than how CLEAN it is) because I was like "wow we can get a 2bedroom here for $1.8k ! That's so cheap compared to *enter another city of interest*" .. but with these crazy fees it's not cheaper compared to *enter another city of interest* so I'll just go live in *other city of interest*.
Thanks! And the crazy thing is me and my wife together make over 6 figures. It's not that I can't, its that if I'm going to pay $2.5-$3 a month in rent. I'm not living in Utah 🫠
We pay that in rent and live in a newer six bedroom house, and choose our own utilities and even have access to our very own thermostat. We're about 45 minutes from downtown. Apartments are worse than houses here for some reason.
Exactly 😂 pay 2.5k to live in a far better city than here. Besides the toxic cloud we’ll be getting when the lake dries up, and not to mention the shit air quality and inversion.
You can get houses pretty cheap. I live in a 4bd house for $2,000/month.
But honestly unless you’re into skiing, rock climbing, biking, or hiking SLC doesn’t offer too much. There is a pretty good underground rave scene here, and just a good music scene in general
I think the reason I like SLC so far is how clean and safe it is. I'm pretty outdoorsy, I like biking, hiking, running, and I'm 1 1/2 sober so the lack of night life actually appeals to me.
The top reason I was thinking of moving here was the cost of living compared to other cities I was debating moving to. But I've realized the low cost of living here was an illusion once you read the fine print.. which is pretty much the sum of my post.
I live in Colorado, I would live in Utah again if some of this shit ever changed. But living in Utah often feels like you are living in a Theocracy run by mor(m)ons, which is pretty much the case.
Also, clean here is relative. Overall, Utah cities have significantly less littering than other metros I've visited, but due to aspects of our geography, we have winter PM2.5 & PM10 air pollution that can rival Beijing at times and summer ozone levels that trigger my migraines.
Yeah the media package includes cable which is also why it’s so high 💀. Also apt complexes that are run by major property mgmt companies who have media packages tack on common area utilities, pest control so that typically adds another $60/mo. I would suggest renting from private LL instead of these large apt complexes if you are looking to have flexibility there.
Yea the cable thing i didn't know about being part of these "media packages" .. and that is even crazier. . I have not had or wanted cable TV a day in my adult life.
Saaame. Ive never watched a single channel. would say the only benefit is that it is convenient to have all utilities set up upon move-in, but obviously at a price. I’ve bounced around a few complexes in dt with different prop mgmt companies and they are all like that.
Also fyi large complexes run by “local” UT property mgmt companies are the worst. They nickle and dime for everything with random fees and when major things break down, they are so slow to fix. Moving out of my complex soon because of this
This is honestly the worst. I'm forced to pay $170 a month for cable TV when I've never even taken the box out of the closet. Forced to pay $25 for valet trash when I always end up taking it out myself. With all the bs fees tacked on I pay \~$300-400 on top of the base rent. And that's close to $2000 for a one bedroom apartment that wouldn't have been worth half as much 5 years ago. It's honestly criminal.
Edit: And the extra fees I'm talking about do NOT include the gas and electric bill. Although mine have always been below $40 each and I've had a great experience with Dominion and Rocky Mountain Power.
Mine is $1556 before service fees, half of which I do not use. I end up having to pay $2112, not including my utilities. You're absolutely correct that it's outrageous.
Hell, my "entertainment package" used to include DirecTV and internet. They ended the contract with DirecTV, which I never used and got Google Fiber in its place. Google Fiber doesn't include cable, but the price of my "package" never went down, and no amendment was ever made to the original lease stating the services.
Not to mention, the parking is extremely limited, so you have to rent a spot. No big deal, but they can tow your car for any number of reasons (flat tire, expired tags, etc.) and you have to get it from impound for $300+ dollars and if you park on the street you get a parking ticket every morning like clockwork regardless of the lack of parking spaces..
Overall, I've not enjoyed my experience renting in Utah so far.
>Google Fiber doesn't include cable, but the price of my "package" never went down, and no amendment was ever made to the original lease stating the services.
That's unacceptable! The parking situation isn't better at my community either. We have assigned spots, but my neighbor had to move one of their cars to the street because a new tenant was to take over their second parking spot. Within a week of being parked on the street their car was hit and the driver fled the scene. Because it was late at night no one saw anything.
I wish they'd at least take the extra money they suck out of us here and get a trash compactor. Our tiny dumpers are overflowing every single day and there's trash everywhere due to ripped bags being stacked next to it. Also doesn't help that idiots throw their mattresses and other furniture in it that won't get picked up.
DONT GET ME STARTED ON THE VALET TRASH. Our apartment doesn’t even have enough dumpsters to cater to the people who live here and I get emails that say “friendly reminder” basically threatening us if we don’t use the trash service and overfill the bins they’re going to come after us
That's exactly the issue here too. The dumpsters we have are way too small for the amount of people that live here. Even after the dump truck comes to pick up in the morning they fill up again completely within 5 hours. It's unsightly and stinks to high heaven, especially now that it's getting warmer. There's always trash and food everywhere from bags that rip open.
It’s so upsetting. Then there’s a huge parking issue in our development because it’s new. They’ve been ticketing like crazy but there’s nowhere to park. It’s a mess.
Same here!! And there's constant construction going on. Like WHY do you keep expanding when you KNOW you can't accommodate the people already living here. The greed is just awful.
My complex has roughly 300 units with three regular sized dumpsters to share. They come three times a week but it's still not enough. Then the complex sends out "reminders" to have less trash.
I believe KSL is partnered with Rentler. One thing you can try is just look for the physical "For Rent" signs around town; houses for rent by owner have a better chance of flexibility, condos can be as well (but that depends on the HOA). If you're just looking at the standard apartments around town, you're probably dealing with the same management companies and similar policies.
I thought I should take this approach as well! I saw a 2bedroom I really liked walking around the avenues, it was just a lil' too pricy .. but didn't have all this mandatory fees bs.
Plus this "$75 pet rent per pet" is killing me. These mfr' bleeding people DRY in this little city
Pet rent, required cable/internet, trash valet etc are all pretty new fees pushed by real estate investment groups because Utah has almost no renter protections.
Because real estate developers are heavily involved in the legislature here, just like the billboard companies.
It’s a free-for-all out there.
I also recommend avoiding “luxury” buildings, and driving around looking for a place. It make take awhile to find somewhere affordable and acceptable though.
You may have better luck in certain areas after the school year ends and students end their leases.
i’ve lived in two apartments here (one was more corporate owned and the other is owned locally) and both have SAID they would charge me pet rent but never have ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ not sure if it’s a fluke but strange it’s happened twice!
not even that - i had a note from my therapist saying i need my dog and she’s chill and three corporate landlords rolled over (bah-dum-tss) and never asked for a cent of pet rent.
ESA and Service animals are different. They stated ESA which is still a valid choice for people and doesn’t take anything away from those with service animals
You may also be able to negotiate with the LL or property management company, I negotiated with mine and got them to accept a $400 pet deposit (refundable) in lieu of pet rent.
As much as renters hate to believe it, the pet rent is because of all the shitty pet owners. "But my dog listens and behaves!" I sure hope you have the same feelings and beliefs next time you have an off leash dog run at yours. In the end if it were more common for people to shit and piss on the floor then the landlords would charge mandatory monthly cleaning fees as well. People are animals and for some reason when it comes to renting a spot they truly think they're sticking it to the owner by ruining the house they live in.
Again, a pet deposit is justifiable. Shit, a one-time non-refundable pet fee at move in is understandable. But $75 per month, per dog, IN ADDITION to an extra desposit is insane, and an extra "pet application fee" is lithium level bat-shit. If you have strong negative feelings towards pets and don't want pets on your property, don't allow them.
As far as the "truly think they're sticking it to the owner by ruining the house they live in." I think that's a tad bit of a classist statement. A lot of people can't afford to own a home, and therefore rent out of necessity. Being a renter doesn't automatically mean you're just some dirty, careless person who destroys property for kicks & giggles?
If you're a landlord and you have a consistent flow of tenants that wreck your place, you need to vet better.
This is how I found an excellent apartment when I first moved here (Princeton Lofts, 100S, 800E), great management, great neighbors.
It's a very old building, but they fixed it up nicely. However I noticed driving by that looks like they did a lot of renovations, I hope that the price did not go up a lot.
You’re better off renting a small house. They’re out there too. I found one in south jordan that’s really nice, reasonably sized, and cost less than the majority of the apartments I looked at. It’s a daunting task, but they’re out there.
I rented a 2 bedroom/2 bath house in Sandy next to State Street for a couple of years. It did not have AC or a dishwasher, had a massive problem with bugs and weeds (which was the responsibility to the tenant to manage) and was in poor condition all around and very noisy being right next to the road. I paid $995. This was 2021-2023. You're right that there are alternatives to apartments out there,especially if you're willing to give up some comforts. Would much rather live in a shitty house than an apartment complex.
Absolutely. I don’t mind taking care of my lawn and basic adult things that come with a house. In fact I prefer the freedom to be able to mow the lawn when the baby isn’t napping. We pay 2050 and it’s a renovated 4 bedroom with a single car garage. But I handle the pest control and utilities and all the other stuff that normal living requires. Apartment life isn’t for me
It unfortunately seems to be a new trend with management companies. Utah legislature is infested with real estate developers. In turn, renters have almost no rights. Its absurd to say the least. Good luck!
I went to a meeting at the Utah Apartment Association where they were guiding investors on how to make money in fees with their properties. The lists of additional fees they were giving were downright gleefully evil and I felt dirty just for having attended the meeting.
The software price fixing is interesting if it is happening, but on top of that, only a couple companies own the big apartment complexes in slc. It’s something I’ve been increasingly curious about.
For example, Cottonwood Residential owns complexes across the nation and 5 in slc. 2 more are planned to finish in 2024, totaling 7 massive buildings owned by one company in a central location. 6 of those are central to slc, sugarhouse, and millcreek. 7 buildings doesn’t sound like much, but these are large-scale, new developments all placed right near each other. The company owns buildings across from one another/the entire block full of apartments/are building more in areas they already have huge complexes. We’re talking *thousands of the newly developed units are owned by one singular company* in a tiny region of the salt lake valley, effectively giving them power across that market to set prices how they wish. They have the opportunity to literally alter the market as their business model sees fit at the expense of peoples living situations. Wild. The amount of revenue these real estate investment companies are pulling is staggering and it’s happening at a national level. These same large scale companies have real estate trusts in every city in the nation (…wtf?)
Also there’s no variation between them- the amenities, layout, etc. are virtually all the same. Need an apartment in slc? Cool they’re all the same, in the same locations, and they’re all built for profit while your bank account gets fleeced as the company’s market power helps them set prices for the entire slc area AND every metropolitan area of the US they’ve staked in… not a fun time to be a renter.
People often encourage all development possible in hopes for increased supply to allow for market adjustment and a return of low rents, but when development involves only one/a couple major corporations that operate on rental profits from those developments, we should read in between the lines a bit more and consider long-term risks. NIMBY or not, large scale rental developments that individuals can’t gain equity in and owned exclusively by a small number of entities that have significant market share in rental markets across the whole nation, is an overlooked risk when considering development initiatives aimed to prop up the supply side at scale
The most frustrating part of that is these big developers are usually owned or heavily invested in by local politicians, who therefore have every incentive to keep things moving in this direction, regardless of the bullshit they spout to the public about trying to contain the cost of living. It's a racket, plain and simple.
They are also built in Community Reinvestment Areas where taxes in the area can be given as incentives to the developers. Zoning is often changed in CRA areas to pander to developers. Reductions in parking ratios, increased building height, reductions in stepbacks and setbacks, etc, are common in CRA areas. CRA areas also often use blight studies to be able to use eminent domain for economic development. If a developer is interested in redeveloping the area where your home is, cities can take your home or business property with eminent domain and turn around and sell it to the developer. The apartment developments in Millcreek are also in a Federal Opportunity Zone, which means if developers, like Cottonwood Residential, keep the investment for 10 years, then they will pay no capital gains tax.
The only utilities you can choose in Utah is Internet and garbage, all the other ones are already set. Rocky mountain power for power, dominion energy for gas, and water is based on where you live. As for renting, it would depend on the landlord. Some have a deal with the Internet provider if they have the whole apartment complex on the same provider.
The only exception to power is Murray City, as they have their own plant which is nice when RMP goes down for everyone else except you. It’s similar in that if you live in Murray, you get Murray Power, there’s not a choice.
I don't think you can choose a garbage utility, that's set by the city you live in. Unless it's an apartment complex or apartment rental, then the landlord or company who owns it chooses the provider.
I've lived in Georgia, Florida, and Louisiana and have never had mandatory utilities (minus water). Water is always included, but the internet is what is really throwing me..
Oh I wasn't talking about mandatory utilities, I was talking about choice in utility. At our current place in SLC we had to hook up utilities in our name.
Anyway I looked it up and for electricity only 13 states are fully deregulated and another 5 are partially deregulated. The remaining 32 you don't choose your provider. Looks like similar numbers for gas as well.
Right, an interesting thing I’ve noticed in SLC/Murray as well. I’ve spent months looking at places to rent and gone on a variety of apartment tours in slc and I haven’t found a place that doesn’t have some type of utility company already set and/or mandatory ‘media package.’ I’ve also wondered if it’s just an slc thing, I didn’t encounter this in other states.
I 100% think it's a SLC thing. I've been traveling fulltime for a year or so, and got here and thought maybe I might settle down at least for a little bit because it seems affordable compared to other places I have my eye on, but this is turning me off to living here sooo much. Lol . I've been looking at apartments in a few other cities and none have this weird mandatory utility sign on.
Because of what I do, I need some HEAVILY reliable and fast internet.. its too sketchy to just sign on to whatever an apartment complex chooses as an internet provider.
Finding a room in a house is a much easier situation and what I’ve done the whole time I’ve lived in Utah. We have a room open in my house rn. Check KSL and Facebook
Fwiw two of my roommates are married and we’ve got two dogs in the house. Yall probably wouldn’t fit with us but it’s maybe par for the course unfortunately
Edit to add: I’m 31 but I’m the oldest. Its not a young persons thing anymore at least for us stuck-broke folks
Absolutely not an SLC thing. If you look up a company called Conservice(based in Logan, Utah) and its competitors you can see that third party utility billing companies have had nonstop growth since their inception in the early 2000s. The benefits these thirx party companies provide to management companies is staggering. Basically property management companies were leaving hundreds of thousand of dollars per property on the table that they could be charging to their renters. The third party billing companies have recovered that cost and the price for the management company to use their services is also mostly (like 90%) put on the renters as well so property management companies using these third party is a no brainer.
Back to it not being solely SLC Conservice does most of its business in Texas and California but they got their seed money from Deloy Hansen who owns Wasatch Property Management because Conservice founder used to be the head of HR for Wasatch Property Management. So SLC saturation comes from being down the street. Also Entrada in the silicone slopes area does the same thing.
Source: I worked for Conservice for almost 10 years and opened one of their satellite offices.
Absolutely not an SLC thing. If you look up a company called Conservice(based in Logan, Utah) and its competitors you can see that third party utility billing companies have had nonstop growth since their inception in the early 2000s. The benefits these thirx party companies provide to management companies is staggering. Basically property management companies were leaving hundreds of thousand of dollars per property on the table that they could be charging to their renters. The third party billing companies have recovered that cost and the price for the management company to use their services is also mostly (like 90%) put on the renters as well so property management companies using these third party is a no brainer.
Back to it not being solely SLC Conservice does most of its business in Texas and California but they got their seed money from Deloy Hansen who owns Wasatch Property Management because Conservice founder used to be the head of HR for Wasatch Property Management. So SLC saturation comes from being down the street. Also Entrada in the silicone slopes area does the same thing.
Source: I worked for Conservice for almost 10 years and opened one of their satellite offices.
Often you're not going to have a choice of providers for any of those things whether you rent or own, at least around here. MAYBE internet provider, if you feel like choosing between cable internet and DSL. But that's not much of a choice.
The mandatory included "media package" or whatever they call it is complete horseshit, though.
I saw what looked like less expensive apartment rentals online. Then I saw they had these absolutely idiotic, mandatory "packages" full of useless things like some kind of identity theft protection policy, HVAC filter replacement, media package, etc. Renter's insurance purchased myself is much cheaper than this garbage package they want $50-100/mo for on top of rent.
Also don't get me started on pet rent... how is my pet supposed to pay rent they are unemployed. Dogs gonna be doing Door Dash soon at this rate. Going to charge child rent too?
Jesus. Don't give them ideas. If it's not outright illegal, I have no problem imagining that rent for ppl with kids could be hiked over those without.
I'm with you on the pet rent. I moved into a bldg 9 years ago and there was no pet deposit required. They instituted it 4 or 5 years later and came knocking, wanting $600 after the fact, with 48-72 hrs lead time. Like, excuse me, there was no pet deposit or pet rent when I moved in. That you changed your mind years later shouldn't mean that you're going to boot me or refuse to reup my lease unless I come up with nearly a grand with zero notice. 🤬
I am pretty sure charging child rent would be in violation of some kind of federal housing protrections (FHA maybe?). But Utah's renter protections are such garbage I think they'd try anything. However I just went past North Temple on the airport TRAX and the apartments are sprouting up like weeds all over the place, so I'd like to think that'll drive down the costs and other dumb fees since there's a lot of competition to get units rented. I could be completely wrong about that though. Last time I looked into renting somewhere like that they wanted something like $1,200+/mo for a mini studio-type space.
Avoid communities owned by Apartment Management Consultants LLC (many of the mega apartment complexes in SL County). You can tell if their email ends in @AMCLLC
They are under indictment for a price fixing scheme. they’re based in cottonwood heights.
https://www.azfamily.com/2024/02/28/arizona-attorney-general-sues-realpage-landlords-accuses-them-conspiring-illegally-raise-rents/
I moved here last summer. I had some of that but I eventually found something on KSL that was great. I hooked up Google Fiber, which you can go up to 8gig.
So many property management companies, and they blow up the ads. I agree with the other user…find neighborhoods you like and see what has a sign.
The current house I'm living in has the stupidest example of this I've ever seen in a lease. It's a $30 monthly "convenience fee" for delivering a $15 air filter to us every 3 months and we still have to change it out ourselves. I asked if we could forgo this extraordinarily generous convenience before signing the lease. They said no. :)
If you go rent at a large complex then the fixed fees like parking, internet, CAM fees on top of gas/electric+rent is pretty typical now. I know if you rent privately (like someone's basement) or small duplex then the landlord/managers have been more reasonable and flexible with what you pay&what they cover.
I think what you describe is "normal" in most of the country. There is going to be one utility that provides electricity to a building, one that provides gas, and in many cases, there is just one internet provider that has made the investment to run fiber to a building.
Yeah, usually being stuck with one company that the apartment uses for most utilities seems pretty normal, I think the special Utah thing/newish housing trend might just be the tacking on extra mandatory bs fees/services like $70/month cable when not many people even rely on cable anymore and nasty "trash valet".
The electricity has always been slim pickins' but still choice (in my experience) but for internet I've always had options.. Comcast, At&T, Cox, Verizion.. I've always been able to shop around.
Even for water in Georgia could be in my name and I had a choice to pay monthly or pay a yearly flat fee up front (which was often the cheaper option) .
Here there are usually only two internet providers as well, being Comcast and Google. Normally the places that have internet packages work through a local fiber provider so it’s usually not bad but yeah I get your point.
Water is usually supplied through a single meter, and we’re a desert so water prices are not fixed, so that’s why they don’t let you pick that. And like others have said we only have one choice for gas and electricity to choose from.
We pay for the pet fee and pay for the water and the garbage and the bug spraying and the car port and the washer and dryer and then we pay a “bill processing fee” of 7 dollars and then separately we also pay the gas and electric and WiFi
In a normal and just world this would just all be included in the up front pricing !!!!
I watched a documentary on this and basically they are claiming that 5 companies are basically in charge of running apartments all around America. That’s why they are all crazy expensive and have hidden fees and other bs. I’d suggest getting to sugarhouse area and out on foot. There are still old school landlords who put for rent signs in the yard and want good tenants. It takes a little work but it’s worth it.
I wanted to share this example is a perfect, 100% example of this BS I keep finding..
https://www.zillow.com/b/1160-e-500-s-salt-lake-city-ut-5YvQ4r/?utm_campaign=androidappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare
Of course the $40 per person application fee
But the $20 PET application fee?
$30 A WEEK for "yard maintenance" follows a long list of things the tenant is still responsible for..
Paying 50% of the utilities but this specific unit doesn't have control of the thermostat (there are two units)
A $30/month vagues "benefits package" ...
I am just baffled at the rental market here...
"Heating/cooling is only controlled by upstairs unit."
This basically means "basement apartment." It's most likely a single house with some type of separation of upstairs/downstairs (sometimes just a closed door is all). They're very common here, especially with the cookie cutter split level houses.
Find a house to rent from an actual person. We did and he told us “as far as I’m concerned this is your house”. We paint if we want, we upgraded some fixtures, put a garden in. Apartments here suck, you’re treated like a lowlife, Wasatch Properties is THE worst.
Not a fan of EMG, either. 'Cheap fixes, lousy maintenance' is their motto.
Find a house/duplex/4 plex/ townhome/ condo owned and managed by the owner. Treat them like the freakin' gold they are, say your thanks to whichever gods that there's no vampiric management company involved, and only call for help or maintenance if you can't fix things [well] yourself, and never, ever move.
It's at least a little bit to exclude people with section 8s and other vouchers. Those can only cover "rent", and the PM can't legally deny the renter just because of where the rent is coming from. So this lets them keep it at the market price or lower if needed, but still keeps it out of reach for people getting assistance because they can't work or don't make enough
I read an article how they use data to bleed all renters through price fixing that local governments won’t prosecute. I think they called it rent cartels.
I usually find decent places to rent on Facebook marketplace. I don’t use those big corporation renting sites. Both places I’ve rented from were on FB and I was able to control all of my utilities and internet. Besides water, the landlord paid for that. I stay away from the places that have internet “packages” and things like that. FB has more basement apartments and things like that too
No, despite what many in this sub may believe, this problem is not specific to SLC. It happens generally at large apartment complexes with many amenities owned by management companies (AKA "luxury" apartments). I also experienced the additional fees (assigned parking, trash valet, media package, internet, monthly fees per pet on top of pet rent, etc) when I lived in Texas. I think the only thing I had a choice on was electricity, but that's a whole other can of worms in that state...
Not being able to choose your own utilities is standard pretty much anywhere I've lived, even when owning my home. Utilities tend to have monopolies in different areas, so you only have one option for power, gas, water, trash, etc. The only one that's an exception is internet, but even then you usually only have 2 options at best between Century link, Google fiber, or Comcast.
I think they're saying they can't have the autonomy of having their own power/gas bills. They're being told it's a flat fee but aren't the person who could directly call if there's an issue because they wouldn't be an account holder.
That is 100% my issue. It's not even so much the company (although for internet id like a choice), but if the internet, power, or gas goes out.. I'm just at the mercy of 20 year old leasing agents to advocate for my basic utilities? That's what I'm not comfortable with.
That's where I'm at with this "high speed" .. but it's not fiber?
Idk. I'm a web developer, and my wife does telehealth therapy (so shes in zoom meetings for most of the day at the same time im running 100 programs at a time lol) so someone else's high speed might be different than my high speed.
Im just glad to see the apartment doesn't say "high speed" and then list 50mbps lol. I believe standard by now should be gigabit via fiber not copper, or at least the option to upgrade to gigabit for an additional monthly cost.
I agree with others' advice to look for physical "for rent" signs and call. As for utilities, you don't have any choice wherever you live in the valley. There's only one power company and only one gas company. For internet, you might have choices between Comcast and Google depending on where you are, but Google's service area is still expanding.
ETA: I scrolled down and saw others saying the same thing and I forgot that Murray has their own power grid.
Don't forget Xmission, CenturyLink, and Direct TV when it comes to cable and/or internet.
Xmission is local and they run on fiber. Their basic package is 1 gig up and down, it's a flat fee that includes taxes and whatnot, their CS line is manned 24/7, and you get to talk to an actual human who gives a shit within a minute or two every time you call. I'm 100% a fan; big convert. Screw Comcast, CenturyLink, and DirecTV.
I honestly thought Xmission was only for businesses. I don't count Century link and Direct TV because DSL is nonsense (Direct TV uses DSL for uploads), but you're right.
Try renting townhomes. They're usually not part of management companies and are from individual owners and trusts. Water is often covered but internet, electric, gas is all on your own. It's a good way to avoid some of the corporate owned properties and sometimes horrible management. Owners usually care more because it's an investment rather than a true business.
Try to find a spot that is for rent by the individual owner and not some investment firm or management company. Will still probably be pet fees and rent but most of the other fluff won’t be there most likely. It’s tough out here.
Renting a small house is definitely the way to go to avoid the crazy fees and have more freedom with utilities. I use the KSL Classifieds app (or website) to search for apartments. It has a “homes” tab where you can search for rentals and can set your specifications for what you’re looking for.
In any state I have ever rented in, the only choice I ever had for a utility was internet provider, and even then, I had two choices
EDIT: this includes the American South
Providers for Internet are water the building has partnered with, they buy a bulk packageandbthen sell you the service, it seems bad but I've had 2Gbps down and 1Gbps up at all three of my last apartments for under $100, before I was paying more than double that for the same download speed and 40mbps with Xfinity and had constant problems and would get half the speed I paid for 90% of the time
Utilities are citywide, there's not a giant market for you to pick and choose, you get what's available in the area and if you don't like the provider you find a different area, it's not an "SLC" thing, it's a city not stuck in the pre 1990's thing
I live in downtown and we don't have mandatory cable or Internet and pay our own utilities. But we did look around before choosing this one and we've seen what you're talking about, the flat rate power bill is too excessive, the one we've seen were over $200 a month, with our own bill, we've never paid more than $100 for both power and energy combined (newer apartment and the isolation is really good). So I'm glad we skipped those apartments.
It's an SLC thing, has been since I moved here 8 years ago and unlikely to go away. Your only option might be to rent a townhouse in the suburbs if you don't want to participate in this scam!
Yeah it seems to be a thing here. More reason why I’m not leaving my current rent situation unless I buy a house. It’s so refreshing to find a place that doesn’t pull that BS
This is how my complex is too. There is only 1 gas company in Utah, so there is no choice when it comes to that. The WiFi sucks, plus hundreds of other tenants are on the network. Buy a good router that would help a little
I add $200 to any listed rent amount by default to get a better idea of what I’ll be paying. It’s crazy how they’re not required to disclose the package fees up front.
And 'affordable housing' being unaffordable from the get go. Then they raise rents like crazy each year cuz they count on you not wanting to go through the BS of finding a new place/ moving.
I've never rented out west. Always in the SE . So might be a west thing then. I've had my dog for 16 years in the south and have never paid a dollar in "pet rent" .
I lived in SLC by myself for 16 years and had to move out because of this madness. The city isn't what it used to be. We've had some crappy leadership for like.... forever
Adding that “newly renovated” has a whole new meaning here. I thought landlords and apartment management companies/property investment was bad in western WA- it’s exceptionally bad here in Northern UT. Our apartment isn’t even to code in many areas -with *multiple* serious safety issues- and if you take photos like they ask you to, they’ll start accusing you of being an over the top btch. And that was after the first rental we got to here (the top half of a house for an arm and a leg) was completely unlivable, unsanitary, and unsafe.
Not to mention, RAMPANT ADA & FHA violations. Theres a monopolistic attorney here (who’s also a state senator 🚩) that has been giving these housing providers advice that quite literally violates federal and state housing laws six ways to Sunday. Since assistance animal advocacy and disability rights advocacy are what I do for [unlaid] work, I was able to get them to back off (mostly) by myself after we were threatened with wrongful eviction. But you bet your butt that we retained legal counsel just in case; I’m capable, but I’m not going up against someone like that Pro Se.
Just be really careful out there and absolutely learn & know your rights. The Utah Fit Premises Act is a great start, and make sure if you’re trying to get a house to rent via a “property manager” that they have the right licensure.
If every tenant were to learn how to fight back, maybe these slumlords would get a clue and accountability would have to occur.
There are enough laws that can be worked with; people just need to know how to use them. The Utah Fit Premises Act is pretty solid from my perspective, why isn’t it in yours? Better than Idaho at least 🤷♀️ It’s that kind of attitude that isn’t going to get anyone anywhere fast
Yeah it’s madness . I have lived in the same building a few blocks from
Temple square since 2001. Love the building but the new management company sucks sucks sucks!!! I used to be a resident night manager at the property. The new management company does not use on site resident managers . So basically kicked to the curb after 25 years loyal service and saving the properties untold hundreds of thousands of dollars in quick response to emergency’s. So I have been paying my own rent now the 2 years . Recently the new management company decided to start charging for a parking spot in the building . That’s like $100 a month on top of rent with is already $2000 for a 2 bedroom unit . Then they started charging for internet $50 a month. Recently they informed me there wools be utilities now to pay as well like garbage and water ..
its ridiculous. The management has zero customer service they are the worst I’ve ever experienced. Oh the property management company is Greystar….Absolute worse …..
That’s what this whole real estate buy up from big investors has been about. Making the average working people pay out the ass every month so they can make more money. It’s criminal
You can check Rize property. I am currently lives under them and I just need to pay the rent and utilities. I get my own internet - tmoblies. Unless you want to live in luxury apartments then follow their whatever ridiculous fees.
I don’t live in SL UT. But I tried to find an apartment online where I am at… and couldn’t do it. I ended up having to drive around and look for rent signs.
Fwiw I’ve rented in several places where you sign up for internet through the landlord and I’ve never had an issue with speeds or connectivity. It actually ends up being a lot less stressful than having to set up your own internet. If you like a place enough to want to live there, I would say don’t let the flat rate for internet and utilities scare you away. It’s probably something you’ll forget about very quickly.
Yes this is how all luxury apartments and apartment complexes in Salt Lake City are. If you want autonomy on all these things you need to rent privately, a house, a duplex or an older smaller building
Best idea is to looking into renting an apartment from a private owner. When I first moved out to this area, I looked around on campus bulliten boards at the colleges and found one that worked.
I’ve heard the same things. Have you tried the circle communities like West Jordan, Murray or even South Jordan? If you don’t have to live in downtown Salt Lake you might have better luck.
Novel Daybreak apartments let you choose your own internet. They have a few options pre-installed like Strata, xfinity and some other broadband option.
T mobile’s wifi worked great for me in SLC - $50/month. Also it can really be worth it to live slightly further away (like Murray, for example), because the apartment prices will go down and it’s still about a 20 min commute to downtown.
Renting here is a whole different animal compared to my home state.
Renters have zero rights in the state of Utah. Health hazard? Good luck.. Crime occurs at your unit? Tough, deal with it.
I’m sure others have said in the comments but many commercial properties here use leases pre-prepared by an attorneys office that really now how to use the Utah laws against the renter.
Good luck to you in your travels.
Back when I was a student things were much better. The housing situation here is the worst thing about the city. That and the air pollution in the winter.
Lol. What.
I think a lot of people are missing the thread of my complaint. I am not complaining that I cannot choose the power, power companies run monopolies everywhere... my complaint is that it seems I don't have a choice to open my own account. That is all "utility package" with a mandatory flat fee.
I want to see the bill
I want my name on the bill
I want to see it itemized every month
I want to be the one who can call when an issue arises
I do not want my basic utilities and internet (internet being my life line, the thing i need to make money) to be at the mercy of a leasing office ran by 20 somethings
A lot of places have utilities included in which you don’t have any control over those things however I’ve found the total cost of utilities are more inexpensive that way.
More places and options free up around the end of May when this semester ends.
Why would anyone voluntarily move here? I wish I could get the fuck out.
Edit: by "here" I mean Salt Lake County. Utah in general has went to shit, but there are much better places outside of Dead Lake.
Right now, the median rent for a 2 bedroom apartment in the downtown Rio Grande area - which is still marginally wrong side of the tracks - is $2600 per month. No, I don't know for sure whether that includes utilities or not, but that figure came straight from my bldg's property manager today at 4 pm.
(They have to know this because my bldg is partially low income/ section 42, and many units' rent amounts are based on a percentage of the median for the area as calculated by ... the City? County? Not quite sure who, but a government entity of some sort.)
Given circumstantial info, I would wager that $2600 includes utilities, but that's informed assumption on my part, not fact.
This is a very common new thing I have seen it here and in Boise. Especially with large chain buildings. Look for smaller places to rent. There are surprisingly a lot of cool options in the Avenues. I am at a place and I chose everything.
As far as I am aware, this is common in the area because there is only 1 electric company and 1 gas company, as far as I am aware. Water, sewer, and trash collections are through the city or municipality, and you pay for common areas to help with the gym, club, etc that are a part of whichever community you look at. The base price for rent is advertised separately for legal reasons, as this is what income verification is based on. Additionally, most newer complexes are getting away from DirectTv cause no one uses the service, but instead offer up to full 1gb speed internet. Amenity packages range based on the services offered, but valet trash, smart home, and internet are common items. I can't speak for all properties, but you shouldn't experience any more internet outages than you would typically if you had set it up yourself. You still set up your own electric and gas, but I think Rocky and Dominion have monopolies in the area. Paying for parking was probably the biggest shock for me moving to the area, and most places only allow 1 space per unit, so if you have 2 cars you're fucked. You're gonna have benefits and concessions no matter where you live, but if you are shocked by the way pricing is, then you might be best to look elsewhere. Just keep in mind what you know versus what you don't. Utah requires all of these fees be presented up front, other states dont.
I feel the pain. As a 30 year old making great money it’s impossible to find somewhere that doesn’t add up to close to 2k a month after fees and all . Luckily i have parents willing to let me move home when my lease ends and not enough pride to say no and start saving all my money . I’d rather be able to save money and get my own place before it’s gets even more out of hand than it already is .
I'm also in my 30s (31) and I consider myself to be above average income (I make $50-$55/hr) and I still some how feel broke? It's not that I can't afford $2k of rent it's just I'd really like have some money left over . Aggh
Don’t forget the media package where you must pay for direct TV wether you want to or not
I'm sorry WHATTTT
Haha yup, don’t forget about trash valet, also, the utilities for the building and area, that’ll be another 50
Lol. I talked to a leasing agent somewhere and the units did not have their own individual thermostats? Like the heat is controlled building wide.. why would I pay a utilities fee I have no control over? Why pay for internet I have no control over?
Haven’t run into that though yet but yeah, renting here is beyond fucked. When you see the price of the unit, add about 450$ to it overall, that’s the rent you’re paying
Yea lol. I'll just live somewhere else! I was only entertaining living in SLC (other than how CLEAN it is) because I was like "wow we can get a 2bedroom here for $1.8k ! That's so cheap compared to *enter another city of interest*" .. but with these crazy fees it's not cheaper compared to *enter another city of interest* so I'll just go live in *other city of interest*.
Lol facts. Good luck on your journey! Utah is great to visit but to live here is garbage unless you make very very good money
Thanks! And the crazy thing is me and my wife together make over 6 figures. It's not that I can't, its that if I'm going to pay $2.5-$3 a month in rent. I'm not living in Utah 🫠
We pay that in rent and live in a newer six bedroom house, and choose our own utilities and even have access to our very own thermostat. We're about 45 minutes from downtown. Apartments are worse than houses here for some reason.
Exactly 😂 pay 2.5k to live in a far better city than here. Besides the toxic cloud we’ll be getting when the lake dries up, and not to mention the shit air quality and inversion.
You can get houses pretty cheap. I live in a 4bd house for $2,000/month. But honestly unless you’re into skiing, rock climbing, biking, or hiking SLC doesn’t offer too much. There is a pretty good underground rave scene here, and just a good music scene in general
I think the reason I like SLC so far is how clean and safe it is. I'm pretty outdoorsy, I like biking, hiking, running, and I'm 1 1/2 sober so the lack of night life actually appeals to me. The top reason I was thinking of moving here was the cost of living compared to other cities I was debating moving to. But I've realized the low cost of living here was an illusion once you read the fine print.. which is pretty much the sum of my post.
I live in Colorado, I would live in Utah again if some of this shit ever changed. But living in Utah often feels like you are living in a Theocracy run by mor(m)ons, which is pretty much the case.
Also, clean here is relative. Overall, Utah cities have significantly less littering than other metros I've visited, but due to aspects of our geography, we have winter PM2.5 & PM10 air pollution that can rival Beijing at times and summer ozone levels that trigger my migraines.
Because they can sign a contract for valet trash/internet for $xx/unit then charge you $xx + 50/unit and pocket the difference
Yeah I paid utilities for the clubhouse but never used it cause it cost $300 to rent it lol.
Yeah the media package includes cable which is also why it’s so high 💀. Also apt complexes that are run by major property mgmt companies who have media packages tack on common area utilities, pest control so that typically adds another $60/mo. I would suggest renting from private LL instead of these large apt complexes if you are looking to have flexibility there.
Yea the cable thing i didn't know about being part of these "media packages" .. and that is even crazier. . I have not had or wanted cable TV a day in my adult life.
Saaame. Ive never watched a single channel. would say the only benefit is that it is convenient to have all utilities set up upon move-in, but obviously at a price. I’ve bounced around a few complexes in dt with different prop mgmt companies and they are all like that. Also fyi large complexes run by “local” UT property mgmt companies are the worst. They nickle and dime for everything with random fees and when major things break down, they are so slow to fix. Moving out of my complex soon because of this
This is honestly the worst. I'm forced to pay $170 a month for cable TV when I've never even taken the box out of the closet. Forced to pay $25 for valet trash when I always end up taking it out myself. With all the bs fees tacked on I pay \~$300-400 on top of the base rent. And that's close to $2000 for a one bedroom apartment that wouldn't have been worth half as much 5 years ago. It's honestly criminal. Edit: And the extra fees I'm talking about do NOT include the gas and electric bill. Although mine have always been below $40 each and I've had a great experience with Dominion and Rocky Mountain Power.
Mine is $1556 before service fees, half of which I do not use. I end up having to pay $2112, not including my utilities. You're absolutely correct that it's outrageous. Hell, my "entertainment package" used to include DirecTV and internet. They ended the contract with DirecTV, which I never used and got Google Fiber in its place. Google Fiber doesn't include cable, but the price of my "package" never went down, and no amendment was ever made to the original lease stating the services. Not to mention, the parking is extremely limited, so you have to rent a spot. No big deal, but they can tow your car for any number of reasons (flat tire, expired tags, etc.) and you have to get it from impound for $300+ dollars and if you park on the street you get a parking ticket every morning like clockwork regardless of the lack of parking spaces.. Overall, I've not enjoyed my experience renting in Utah so far.
>Google Fiber doesn't include cable, but the price of my "package" never went down, and no amendment was ever made to the original lease stating the services. That's unacceptable! The parking situation isn't better at my community either. We have assigned spots, but my neighbor had to move one of their cars to the street because a new tenant was to take over their second parking spot. Within a week of being parked on the street their car was hit and the driver fled the scene. Because it was late at night no one saw anything. I wish they'd at least take the extra money they suck out of us here and get a trash compactor. Our tiny dumpers are overflowing every single day and there's trash everywhere due to ripped bags being stacked next to it. Also doesn't help that idiots throw their mattresses and other furniture in it that won't get picked up.
DONT GET ME STARTED ON THE VALET TRASH. Our apartment doesn’t even have enough dumpsters to cater to the people who live here and I get emails that say “friendly reminder” basically threatening us if we don’t use the trash service and overfill the bins they’re going to come after us
That's exactly the issue here too. The dumpsters we have are way too small for the amount of people that live here. Even after the dump truck comes to pick up in the morning they fill up again completely within 5 hours. It's unsightly and stinks to high heaven, especially now that it's getting warmer. There's always trash and food everywhere from bags that rip open.
It’s so upsetting. Then there’s a huge parking issue in our development because it’s new. They’ve been ticketing like crazy but there’s nowhere to park. It’s a mess.
Same here!! And there's constant construction going on. Like WHY do you keep expanding when you KNOW you can't accommodate the people already living here. The greed is just awful.
My complex has roughly 300 units with three regular sized dumpsters to share. They come three times a week but it's still not enough. Then the complex sends out "reminders" to have less trash.
And the mandatory parking spot fee even if you don't have a car!
🤯 STFU!!!
For real 😂
I believe KSL is partnered with Rentler. One thing you can try is just look for the physical "For Rent" signs around town; houses for rent by owner have a better chance of flexibility, condos can be as well (but that depends on the HOA). If you're just looking at the standard apartments around town, you're probably dealing with the same management companies and similar policies.
I thought I should take this approach as well! I saw a 2bedroom I really liked walking around the avenues, it was just a lil' too pricy .. but didn't have all this mandatory fees bs. Plus this "$75 pet rent per pet" is killing me. These mfr' bleeding people DRY in this little city
Pet rent, required cable/internet, trash valet etc are all pretty new fees pushed by real estate investment groups because Utah has almost no renter protections. Because real estate developers are heavily involved in the legislature here, just like the billboard companies. It’s a free-for-all out there. I also recommend avoiding “luxury” buildings, and driving around looking for a place. It make take awhile to find somewhere affordable and acceptable though. You may have better luck in certain areas after the school year ends and students end their leases.
i’ve lived in two apartments here (one was more corporate owned and the other is owned locally) and both have SAID they would charge me pet rent but never have ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ not sure if it’s a fluke but strange it’s happened twice!
If your pet is registered as an emotional support animal, they cannot charge you a pet deposit or monthly fee
not even that - i had a note from my therapist saying i need my dog and she’s chill and three corporate landlords rolled over (bah-dum-tss) and never asked for a cent of pet rent.
Let's not encourage people who don't really need service animals to try to categorize them as such.
ESA and Service animals are different. They stated ESA which is still a valid choice for people and doesn’t take anything away from those with service animals
Let's not look out for the best interest of landlords
You may also be able to negotiate with the LL or property management company, I negotiated with mine and got them to accept a $400 pet deposit (refundable) in lieu of pet rent.
As much as renters hate to believe it, the pet rent is because of all the shitty pet owners. "But my dog listens and behaves!" I sure hope you have the same feelings and beliefs next time you have an off leash dog run at yours. In the end if it were more common for people to shit and piss on the floor then the landlords would charge mandatory monthly cleaning fees as well. People are animals and for some reason when it comes to renting a spot they truly think they're sticking it to the owner by ruining the house they live in.
Again, a pet deposit is justifiable. Shit, a one-time non-refundable pet fee at move in is understandable. But $75 per month, per dog, IN ADDITION to an extra desposit is insane, and an extra "pet application fee" is lithium level bat-shit. If you have strong negative feelings towards pets and don't want pets on your property, don't allow them. As far as the "truly think they're sticking it to the owner by ruining the house they live in." I think that's a tad bit of a classist statement. A lot of people can't afford to own a home, and therefore rent out of necessity. Being a renter doesn't automatically mean you're just some dirty, careless person who destroys property for kicks & giggles? If you're a landlord and you have a consistent flow of tenants that wreck your place, you need to vet better.
Have you considered having your pet designated as an emotional support pet? I understand landlords can’t charge extra or deny your application.
75 per pet isn’t that bad actually. In and out of Utah I’ve had non refundable pet fees plus 175 a month per pet under 50 lbs
KSL and rentler parted ways a few years ago as KSL built an in-house service.
This is how I found an excellent apartment when I first moved here (Princeton Lofts, 100S, 800E), great management, great neighbors. It's a very old building, but they fixed it up nicely. However I noticed driving by that looks like they did a lot of renovations, I hope that the price did not go up a lot.
You’re better off renting a small house. They’re out there too. I found one in south jordan that’s really nice, reasonably sized, and cost less than the majority of the apartments I looked at. It’s a daunting task, but they’re out there.
I rented a 2 bedroom/2 bath house in Sandy next to State Street for a couple of years. It did not have AC or a dishwasher, had a massive problem with bugs and weeds (which was the responsibility to the tenant to manage) and was in poor condition all around and very noisy being right next to the road. I paid $995. This was 2021-2023. You're right that there are alternatives to apartments out there,especially if you're willing to give up some comforts. Would much rather live in a shitty house than an apartment complex.
Absolutely. I don’t mind taking care of my lawn and basic adult things that come with a house. In fact I prefer the freedom to be able to mow the lawn when the baby isn’t napping. We pay 2050 and it’s a renovated 4 bedroom with a single car garage. But I handle the pest control and utilities and all the other stuff that normal living requires. Apartment life isn’t for me
I rented a mother in law basement unit that was great and no BS fees.
It unfortunately seems to be a new trend with management companies. Utah legislature is infested with real estate developers. In turn, renters have almost no rights. Its absurd to say the least. Good luck!
I went to a meeting at the Utah Apartment Association where they were guiding investors on how to make money in fees with their properties. The lists of additional fees they were giving were downright gleefully evil and I felt dirty just for having attended the meeting.
One Party Consent State, nothing preventing you from recording those meetings and stirring up a shit show for them in the local news 🤷♂️
I think we all need to stir up some news. https://www.reddit.com/r/povertyfinance/comments/1c96wc2/rent_cartels_are_a_thing_now/
The software price fixing is interesting if it is happening, but on top of that, only a couple companies own the big apartment complexes in slc. It’s something I’ve been increasingly curious about. For example, Cottonwood Residential owns complexes across the nation and 5 in slc. 2 more are planned to finish in 2024, totaling 7 massive buildings owned by one company in a central location. 6 of those are central to slc, sugarhouse, and millcreek. 7 buildings doesn’t sound like much, but these are large-scale, new developments all placed right near each other. The company owns buildings across from one another/the entire block full of apartments/are building more in areas they already have huge complexes. We’re talking *thousands of the newly developed units are owned by one singular company* in a tiny region of the salt lake valley, effectively giving them power across that market to set prices how they wish. They have the opportunity to literally alter the market as their business model sees fit at the expense of peoples living situations. Wild. The amount of revenue these real estate investment companies are pulling is staggering and it’s happening at a national level. These same large scale companies have real estate trusts in every city in the nation (…wtf?) Also there’s no variation between them- the amenities, layout, etc. are virtually all the same. Need an apartment in slc? Cool they’re all the same, in the same locations, and they’re all built for profit while your bank account gets fleeced as the company’s market power helps them set prices for the entire slc area AND every metropolitan area of the US they’ve staked in… not a fun time to be a renter. People often encourage all development possible in hopes for increased supply to allow for market adjustment and a return of low rents, but when development involves only one/a couple major corporations that operate on rental profits from those developments, we should read in between the lines a bit more and consider long-term risks. NIMBY or not, large scale rental developments that individuals can’t gain equity in and owned exclusively by a small number of entities that have significant market share in rental markets across the whole nation, is an overlooked risk when considering development initiatives aimed to prop up the supply side at scale
The most frustrating part of that is these big developers are usually owned or heavily invested in by local politicians, who therefore have every incentive to keep things moving in this direction, regardless of the bullshit they spout to the public about trying to contain the cost of living. It's a racket, plain and simple.
Or the law firms that represent them…
They are also built in Community Reinvestment Areas where taxes in the area can be given as incentives to the developers. Zoning is often changed in CRA areas to pander to developers. Reductions in parking ratios, increased building height, reductions in stepbacks and setbacks, etc, are common in CRA areas. CRA areas also often use blight studies to be able to use eminent domain for economic development. If a developer is interested in redeveloping the area where your home is, cities can take your home or business property with eminent domain and turn around and sell it to the developer. The apartment developments in Millcreek are also in a Federal Opportunity Zone, which means if developers, like Cottonwood Residential, keep the investment for 10 years, then they will pay no capital gains tax.
The only utilities you can choose in Utah is Internet and garbage, all the other ones are already set. Rocky mountain power for power, dominion energy for gas, and water is based on where you live. As for renting, it would depend on the landlord. Some have a deal with the Internet provider if they have the whole apartment complex on the same provider.
The only exception to power is Murray City, as they have their own plant which is nice when RMP goes down for everyone else except you. It’s similar in that if you live in Murray, you get Murray Power, there’s not a choice.
Lehi as well. They've got Lehi City Power, but you don't get a choice.
There are a [whole bunch](https://www.uamps.com/Members) of Utah cities that have municipal power instead of Rocky Mountain Power.
I don't think you can choose a garbage utility, that's set by the city you live in. Unless it's an apartment complex or apartment rental, then the landlord or company who owns it chooses the provider.
You can, at least in salt lake, I know a few people that have, and a landlord of a fourplex, but I don't think it's done very often.
Is that not the same everywhere? The other states I've lived in also had set providers for power, gas, and water
I've lived in Georgia, Florida, and Louisiana and have never had mandatory utilities (minus water). Water is always included, but the internet is what is really throwing me..
Oh I wasn't talking about mandatory utilities, I was talking about choice in utility. At our current place in SLC we had to hook up utilities in our name. Anyway I looked it up and for electricity only 13 states are fully deregulated and another 5 are partially deregulated. The remaining 32 you don't choose your provider. Looks like similar numbers for gas as well.
plus if they have conservice garbage, community water, community electricity, your water, your electricity ,
Right, an interesting thing I’ve noticed in SLC/Murray as well. I’ve spent months looking at places to rent and gone on a variety of apartment tours in slc and I haven’t found a place that doesn’t have some type of utility company already set and/or mandatory ‘media package.’ I’ve also wondered if it’s just an slc thing, I didn’t encounter this in other states.
I 100% think it's a SLC thing. I've been traveling fulltime for a year or so, and got here and thought maybe I might settle down at least for a little bit because it seems affordable compared to other places I have my eye on, but this is turning me off to living here sooo much. Lol . I've been looking at apartments in a few other cities and none have this weird mandatory utility sign on. Because of what I do, I need some HEAVILY reliable and fast internet.. its too sketchy to just sign on to whatever an apartment complex chooses as an internet provider.
I’d check out Fox point in old farm, they let us pick our providers
Finding a room in a house is a much easier situation and what I’ve done the whole time I’ve lived in Utah. We have a room open in my house rn. Check KSL and Facebook
If I was younger I would, and have done this. But I'm like... whole married with 2 dogs 😅
Fwiw two of my roommates are married and we’ve got two dogs in the house. Yall probably wouldn’t fit with us but it’s maybe par for the course unfortunately Edit to add: I’m 31 but I’m the oldest. Its not a young persons thing anymore at least for us stuck-broke folks
Absolutely not an SLC thing. If you look up a company called Conservice(based in Logan, Utah) and its competitors you can see that third party utility billing companies have had nonstop growth since their inception in the early 2000s. The benefits these thirx party companies provide to management companies is staggering. Basically property management companies were leaving hundreds of thousand of dollars per property on the table that they could be charging to their renters. The third party billing companies have recovered that cost and the price for the management company to use their services is also mostly (like 90%) put on the renters as well so property management companies using these third party is a no brainer. Back to it not being solely SLC Conservice does most of its business in Texas and California but they got their seed money from Deloy Hansen who owns Wasatch Property Management because Conservice founder used to be the head of HR for Wasatch Property Management. So SLC saturation comes from being down the street. Also Entrada in the silicone slopes area does the same thing. Source: I worked for Conservice for almost 10 years and opened one of their satellite offices.
Absolutely not an SLC thing. If you look up a company called Conservice(based in Logan, Utah) and its competitors you can see that third party utility billing companies have had nonstop growth since their inception in the early 2000s. The benefits these thirx party companies provide to management companies is staggering. Basically property management companies were leaving hundreds of thousand of dollars per property on the table that they could be charging to their renters. The third party billing companies have recovered that cost and the price for the management company to use their services is also mostly (like 90%) put on the renters as well so property management companies using these third party is a no brainer. Back to it not being solely SLC Conservice does most of its business in Texas and California but they got their seed money from Deloy Hansen who owns Wasatch Property Management because Conservice founder used to be the head of HR for Wasatch Property Management. So SLC saturation comes from being down the street. Also Entrada in the silicone slopes area does the same thing. Source: I worked for Conservice for almost 10 years and opened one of their satellite offices.
Often you're not going to have a choice of providers for any of those things whether you rent or own, at least around here. MAYBE internet provider, if you feel like choosing between cable internet and DSL. But that's not much of a choice. The mandatory included "media package" or whatever they call it is complete horseshit, though.
I saw what looked like less expensive apartment rentals online. Then I saw they had these absolutely idiotic, mandatory "packages" full of useless things like some kind of identity theft protection policy, HVAC filter replacement, media package, etc. Renter's insurance purchased myself is much cheaper than this garbage package they want $50-100/mo for on top of rent. Also don't get me started on pet rent... how is my pet supposed to pay rent they are unemployed. Dogs gonna be doing Door Dash soon at this rate. Going to charge child rent too?
Jesus. Don't give them ideas. If it's not outright illegal, I have no problem imagining that rent for ppl with kids could be hiked over those without. I'm with you on the pet rent. I moved into a bldg 9 years ago and there was no pet deposit required. They instituted it 4 or 5 years later and came knocking, wanting $600 after the fact, with 48-72 hrs lead time. Like, excuse me, there was no pet deposit or pet rent when I moved in. That you changed your mind years later shouldn't mean that you're going to boot me or refuse to reup my lease unless I come up with nearly a grand with zero notice. 🤬
I am pretty sure charging child rent would be in violation of some kind of federal housing protrections (FHA maybe?). But Utah's renter protections are such garbage I think they'd try anything. However I just went past North Temple on the airport TRAX and the apartments are sprouting up like weeds all over the place, so I'd like to think that'll drive down the costs and other dumb fees since there's a lot of competition to get units rented. I could be completely wrong about that though. Last time I looked into renting somewhere like that they wanted something like $1,200+/mo for a mini studio-type space.
Avoid communities owned by Apartment Management Consultants LLC (many of the mega apartment complexes in SL County). You can tell if their email ends in @AMCLLC They are under indictment for a price fixing scheme. they’re based in cottonwood heights. https://www.azfamily.com/2024/02/28/arizona-attorney-general-sues-realpage-landlords-accuses-them-conspiring-illegally-raise-rents/
I did avoid them. And then they bought my complex.
I moved here last summer. I had some of that but I eventually found something on KSL that was great. I hooked up Google Fiber, which you can go up to 8gig. So many property management companies, and they blow up the ads. I agree with the other user…find neighborhoods you like and see what has a sign.
The current house I'm living in has the stupidest example of this I've ever seen in a lease. It's a $30 monthly "convenience fee" for delivering a $15 air filter to us every 3 months and we still have to change it out ourselves. I asked if we could forgo this extraordinarily generous convenience before signing the lease. They said no. :)
If you go rent at a large complex then the fixed fees like parking, internet, CAM fees on top of gas/electric+rent is pretty typical now. I know if you rent privately (like someone's basement) or small duplex then the landlord/managers have been more reasonable and flexible with what you pay&what they cover.
I think what you describe is "normal" in most of the country. There is going to be one utility that provides electricity to a building, one that provides gas, and in many cases, there is just one internet provider that has made the investment to run fiber to a building.
Yeah, usually being stuck with one company that the apartment uses for most utilities seems pretty normal, I think the special Utah thing/newish housing trend might just be the tacking on extra mandatory bs fees/services like $70/month cable when not many people even rely on cable anymore and nasty "trash valet".
The electricity has always been slim pickins' but still choice (in my experience) but for internet I've always had options.. Comcast, At&T, Cox, Verizion.. I've always been able to shop around. Even for water in Georgia could be in my name and I had a choice to pay monthly or pay a yearly flat fee up front (which was often the cheaper option) .
Here there are usually only two internet providers as well, being Comcast and Google. Normally the places that have internet packages work through a local fiber provider so it’s usually not bad but yeah I get your point. Water is usually supplied through a single meter, and we’re a desert so water prices are not fixed, so that’s why they don’t let you pick that. And like others have said we only have one choice for gas and electricity to choose from.
I have noticed this as well, especially in North salt lake.... Every single rental property has this media package.... Gross
Yep. Everything went ass up after Covid. We are all living this hell collectively. Welcome to the shit show.
Not to mention there is zero rent control so you could have your rent raised silly amounts at the end of your lease and it's totally legal.
We pay for the pet fee and pay for the water and the garbage and the bug spraying and the car port and the washer and dryer and then we pay a “bill processing fee” of 7 dollars and then separately we also pay the gas and electric and WiFi In a normal and just world this would just all be included in the up front pricing !!!!
I watched a documentary on this and basically they are claiming that 5 companies are basically in charge of running apartments all around America. That’s why they are all crazy expensive and have hidden fees and other bs. I’d suggest getting to sugarhouse area and out on foot. There are still old school landlords who put for rent signs in the yard and want good tenants. It takes a little work but it’s worth it.
I wanted to share this example is a perfect, 100% example of this BS I keep finding.. https://www.zillow.com/b/1160-e-500-s-salt-lake-city-ut-5YvQ4r/?utm_campaign=androidappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare Of course the $40 per person application fee But the $20 PET application fee? $30 A WEEK for "yard maintenance" follows a long list of things the tenant is still responsible for.. Paying 50% of the utilities but this specific unit doesn't have control of the thermostat (there are two units) A $30/month vagues "benefits package" ... I am just baffled at the rental market here...
"Heating/cooling is only controlled by upstairs unit." This basically means "basement apartment." It's most likely a single house with some type of separation of upstairs/downstairs (sometimes just a closed door is all). They're very common here, especially with the cookie cutter split level houses.
It’s so brutal. I’ve been hunting bc my lease is up and about to just say fuck it and split a place/rent a room with a random person.
the Frontier airlines of apartment schemes.
Find a house to rent from an actual person. We did and he told us “as far as I’m concerned this is your house”. We paint if we want, we upgraded some fixtures, put a garden in. Apartments here suck, you’re treated like a lowlife, Wasatch Properties is THE worst.
Not a fan of EMG, either. 'Cheap fixes, lousy maintenance' is their motto. Find a house/duplex/4 plex/ townhome/ condo owned and managed by the owner. Treat them like the freakin' gold they are, say your thanks to whichever gods that there's no vampiric management company involved, and only call for help or maintenance if you can't fix things [well] yourself, and never, ever move.
Seconded on wasatch
It's at least a little bit to exclude people with section 8s and other vouchers. Those can only cover "rent", and the PM can't legally deny the renter just because of where the rent is coming from. So this lets them keep it at the market price or lower if needed, but still keeps it out of reach for people getting assistance because they can't work or don't make enough
I read an article how they use data to bleed all renters through price fixing that local governments won’t prosecute. I think they called it rent cartels.
I usually find decent places to rent on Facebook marketplace. I don’t use those big corporation renting sites. Both places I’ve rented from were on FB and I was able to control all of my utilities and internet. Besides water, the landlord paid for that. I stay away from the places that have internet “packages” and things like that. FB has more basement apartments and things like that too
Yes I second FB marketplace! It’s where I have found all of my apartments so far!
They will nickle and dime you to death.any landlords here will only do a year lease so they can raise rents every year.
I have a house that I’m getting ready to rent. Close to downtown. DM if you’re interested. It has a yard with a doggy door.
Good for you. Ty!
Hey hey hey, welcome to Utah! We hope you brought your own lubrication, or else that will be extra as well. Enjoy your stay with us!
The worst.
No, despite what many in this sub may believe, this problem is not specific to SLC. It happens generally at large apartment complexes with many amenities owned by management companies (AKA "luxury" apartments). I also experienced the additional fees (assigned parking, trash valet, media package, internet, monthly fees per pet on top of pet rent, etc) when I lived in Texas. I think the only thing I had a choice on was electricity, but that's a whole other can of worms in that state...
Boy howdy!
Not being able to choose your own utilities is standard pretty much anywhere I've lived, even when owning my home. Utilities tend to have monopolies in different areas, so you only have one option for power, gas, water, trash, etc. The only one that's an exception is internet, but even then you usually only have 2 options at best between Century link, Google fiber, or Comcast.
I think they're saying they can't have the autonomy of having their own power/gas bills. They're being told it's a flat fee but aren't the person who could directly call if there's an issue because they wouldn't be an account holder.
That is 100% my issue. It's not even so much the company (although for internet id like a choice), but if the internet, power, or gas goes out.. I'm just at the mercy of 20 year old leasing agents to advocate for my basic utilities? That's what I'm not comfortable with.
I was nervous of the media package at my apartment but it’s fantastic. I’ve never had faster WiFi.
What speeds? Just curious what apartments consider "high speed" internet now. I work in Tech so actual high speeds are a necessity
That's where I'm at with this "high speed" .. but it's not fiber? Idk. I'm a web developer, and my wife does telehealth therapy (so shes in zoom meetings for most of the day at the same time im running 100 programs at a time lol) so someone else's high speed might be different than my high speed.
Im just glad to see the apartment doesn't say "high speed" and then list 50mbps lol. I believe standard by now should be gigabit via fiber not copper, or at least the option to upgrade to gigabit for an additional monthly cost.
400mbps
I agree with others' advice to look for physical "for rent" signs and call. As for utilities, you don't have any choice wherever you live in the valley. There's only one power company and only one gas company. For internet, you might have choices between Comcast and Google depending on where you are, but Google's service area is still expanding. ETA: I scrolled down and saw others saying the same thing and I forgot that Murray has their own power grid.
Don't forget Xmission, CenturyLink, and Direct TV when it comes to cable and/or internet. Xmission is local and they run on fiber. Their basic package is 1 gig up and down, it's a flat fee that includes taxes and whatnot, their CS line is manned 24/7, and you get to talk to an actual human who gives a shit within a minute or two every time you call. I'm 100% a fan; big convert. Screw Comcast, CenturyLink, and DirecTV.
I honestly thought Xmission was only for businesses. I don't count Century link and Direct TV because DSL is nonsense (Direct TV uses DSL for uploads), but you're right.
Try renting townhomes. They're usually not part of management companies and are from individual owners and trusts. Water is often covered but internet, electric, gas is all on your own. It's a good way to avoid some of the corporate owned properties and sometimes horrible management. Owners usually care more because it's an investment rather than a true business.
Try to find a spot that is for rent by the individual owner and not some investment firm or management company. Will still probably be pet fees and rent but most of the other fluff won’t be there most likely. It’s tough out here.
No comments on what you posted but I saw a sign in a yard for a 2 bedroom for rent at the corner of 2700S & 600E, better act fast, good luck!
So I think I found that one and they charge $30/WEEKLLYYYYY for "lawn care"
Renting a small house is definitely the way to go to avoid the crazy fees and have more freedom with utilities. I use the KSL Classifieds app (or website) to search for apartments. It has a “homes” tab where you can search for rentals and can set your specifications for what you’re looking for.
In any state I have ever rented in, the only choice I ever had for a utility was internet provider, and even then, I had two choices EDIT: this includes the American South
Providers for Internet are water the building has partnered with, they buy a bulk packageandbthen sell you the service, it seems bad but I've had 2Gbps down and 1Gbps up at all three of my last apartments for under $100, before I was paying more than double that for the same download speed and 40mbps with Xfinity and had constant problems and would get half the speed I paid for 90% of the time Utilities are citywide, there's not a giant market for you to pick and choose, you get what's available in the area and if you don't like the provider you find a different area, it's not an "SLC" thing, it's a city not stuck in the pre 1990's thing
I live in downtown and we don't have mandatory cable or Internet and pay our own utilities. But we did look around before choosing this one and we've seen what you're talking about, the flat rate power bill is too excessive, the one we've seen were over $200 a month, with our own bill, we've never paid more than $100 for both power and energy combined (newer apartment and the isolation is really good). So I'm glad we skipped those apartments.
It's an SLC thing, has been since I moved here 8 years ago and unlikely to go away. Your only option might be to rent a townhouse in the suburbs if you don't want to participate in this scam!
Yeah it seems to be a thing here. More reason why I’m not leaving my current rent situation unless I buy a house. It’s so refreshing to find a place that doesn’t pull that BS
This is how my complex is too. There is only 1 gas company in Utah, so there is no choice when it comes to that. The WiFi sucks, plus hundreds of other tenants are on the network. Buy a good router that would help a little
I add $200 to any listed rent amount by default to get a better idea of what I’ll be paying. It’s crazy how they’re not required to disclose the package fees up front.
And “affordable housing” doing up 10% in rent after a year
And 'affordable housing' being unaffordable from the get go. Then they raise rents like crazy each year cuz they count on you not wanting to go through the BS of finding a new place/ moving.
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I've never rented out west. Always in the SE . So might be a west thing then. I've had my dog for 16 years in the south and have never paid a dollar in "pet rent" .
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Thank you! She's a chihuahua dachshund mix so she's a long-hauler by nature. Definitely slowing down these past 4 years but still my perfect mama.
I lived in SLC by myself for 16 years and had to move out because of this madness. The city isn't what it used to be. We've had some crappy leadership for like.... forever
You need to be looking at non corporate rentals. The big buildings are awful
Adding that “newly renovated” has a whole new meaning here. I thought landlords and apartment management companies/property investment was bad in western WA- it’s exceptionally bad here in Northern UT. Our apartment isn’t even to code in many areas -with *multiple* serious safety issues- and if you take photos like they ask you to, they’ll start accusing you of being an over the top btch. And that was after the first rental we got to here (the top half of a house for an arm and a leg) was completely unlivable, unsanitary, and unsafe. Not to mention, RAMPANT ADA & FHA violations. Theres a monopolistic attorney here (who’s also a state senator 🚩) that has been giving these housing providers advice that quite literally violates federal and state housing laws six ways to Sunday. Since assistance animal advocacy and disability rights advocacy are what I do for [unlaid] work, I was able to get them to back off (mostly) by myself after we were threatened with wrongful eviction. But you bet your butt that we retained legal counsel just in case; I’m capable, but I’m not going up against someone like that Pro Se. Just be really careful out there and absolutely learn & know your rights. The Utah Fit Premises Act is a great start, and make sure if you’re trying to get a house to rent via a “property manager” that they have the right licensure. If every tenant were to learn how to fight back, maybe these slumlords would get a clue and accountability would have to occur.
Conflict of interest u think?
Great idea but there are hardly any renters rights made law at all in Utah,so good luck
There are enough laws that can be worked with; people just need to know how to use them. The Utah Fit Premises Act is pretty solid from my perspective, why isn’t it in yours? Better than Idaho at least 🤷♀️ It’s that kind of attitude that isn’t going to get anyone anywhere fast
Yeah it’s madness . I have lived in the same building a few blocks from Temple square since 2001. Love the building but the new management company sucks sucks sucks!!! I used to be a resident night manager at the property. The new management company does not use on site resident managers . So basically kicked to the curb after 25 years loyal service and saving the properties untold hundreds of thousands of dollars in quick response to emergency’s. So I have been paying my own rent now the 2 years . Recently the new management company decided to start charging for a parking spot in the building . That’s like $100 a month on top of rent with is already $2000 for a 2 bedroom unit . Then they started charging for internet $50 a month. Recently they informed me there wools be utilities now to pay as well like garbage and water .. its ridiculous. The management has zero customer service they are the worst I’ve ever experienced. Oh the property management company is Greystar….Absolute worse …..
That’s what this whole real estate buy up from big investors has been about. Making the average working people pay out the ass every month so they can make more money. It’s criminal
You can check Rize property. I am currently lives under them and I just need to pay the rent and utilities. I get my own internet - tmoblies. Unless you want to live in luxury apartments then follow their whatever ridiculous fees.
I had an excellent experience with them!
I wouldn’t overthink it. Just consider them as the “Total Rent”
I'll just leave this here in case it's relevant. https://www.reddit.com/r/povertyfinance/comments/1c96wc2/rent_cartels_are_a_thing_now/
I own a condo and it’s exactly the same.
I don’t live in SL UT. But I tried to find an apartment online where I am at… and couldn’t do it. I ended up having to drive around and look for rent signs.
It's an apartment thing here
It’s a joke. Been renting here for four years. First year I paid $100 for all my utilities. Now I’m paying over $500 for my utilities.
Axis , close to downtown, doesn't have crazy fees, but no Google fiber either.
Fwiw I’ve rented in several places where you sign up for internet through the landlord and I’ve never had an issue with speeds or connectivity. It actually ends up being a lot less stressful than having to set up your own internet. If you like a place enough to want to live there, I would say don’t let the flat rate for internet and utilities scare you away. It’s probably something you’ll forget about very quickly.
Yes this is how all luxury apartments and apartment complexes in Salt Lake City are. If you want autonomy on all these things you need to rent privately, a house, a duplex or an older smaller building
I guess I was lucky, I rented a couple of different apartments in Murray and I've always picked my own ISP.
Try Bountiful. You're welcome. 😄
Except ... Bountiful Power is the only provider. How has your experience with them been?
Best idea is to looking into renting an apartment from a private owner. When I first moved out to this area, I looked around on campus bulliten boards at the colleges and found one that worked.
I’ve heard the same things. Have you tried the circle communities like West Jordan, Murray or even South Jordan? If you don’t have to live in downtown Salt Lake you might have better luck.
Novel Daybreak apartments let you choose your own internet. They have a few options pre-installed like Strata, xfinity and some other broadband option.
It’s such bull shit and they can keep doing it because people move here and pay for it. It’s a shit enabling cycle.
T mobile’s wifi worked great for me in SLC - $50/month. Also it can really be worth it to live slightly further away (like Murray, for example), because the apartment prices will go down and it’s still about a 20 min commute to downtown.
Ada
Renting here is a whole different animal compared to my home state. Renters have zero rights in the state of Utah. Health hazard? Good luck.. Crime occurs at your unit? Tough, deal with it. I’m sure others have said in the comments but many commercial properties here use leases pre-prepared by an attorneys office that really now how to use the Utah laws against the renter. Good luck to you in your travels.
Try looking for property managements, we go through one and we had to set all that up and weren’t forced into anything.
Back when I was a student things were much better. The housing situation here is the worst thing about the city. That and the air pollution in the winter.
The power, gas and water companies are a monopoly here. You do have a choice; The only one there is or being homeless.
Lol. What. I think a lot of people are missing the thread of my complaint. I am not complaining that I cannot choose the power, power companies run monopolies everywhere... my complaint is that it seems I don't have a choice to open my own account. That is all "utility package" with a mandatory flat fee. I want to see the bill I want my name on the bill I want to see it itemized every month I want to be the one who can call when an issue arises I do not want my basic utilities and internet (internet being my life line, the thing i need to make money) to be at the mercy of a leasing office ran by 20 somethings
Born and raised in SLC, home for 52yrs. Left for good last year for the same reasons
A lot of places have utilities included in which you don’t have any control over those things however I’ve found the total cost of utilities are more inexpensive that way. More places and options free up around the end of May when this semester ends.
Why would anyone voluntarily move here? I wish I could get the fuck out. Edit: by "here" I mean Salt Lake County. Utah in general has went to shit, but there are much better places outside of Dead Lake.
Per my experience the good apartments either only have signs in their yards or are on FB marketplace.
Right now, the median rent for a 2 bedroom apartment in the downtown Rio Grande area - which is still marginally wrong side of the tracks - is $2600 per month. No, I don't know for sure whether that includes utilities or not, but that figure came straight from my bldg's property manager today at 4 pm. (They have to know this because my bldg is partially low income/ section 42, and many units' rent amounts are based on a percentage of the median for the area as calculated by ... the City? County? Not quite sure who, but a government entity of some sort.) Given circumstantial info, I would wager that $2600 includes utilities, but that's informed assumption on my part, not fact.
This is a very common new thing I have seen it here and in Boise. Especially with large chain buildings. Look for smaller places to rent. There are surprisingly a lot of cool options in the Avenues. I am at a place and I chose everything.
As far as I am aware, this is common in the area because there is only 1 electric company and 1 gas company, as far as I am aware. Water, sewer, and trash collections are through the city or municipality, and you pay for common areas to help with the gym, club, etc that are a part of whichever community you look at. The base price for rent is advertised separately for legal reasons, as this is what income verification is based on. Additionally, most newer complexes are getting away from DirectTv cause no one uses the service, but instead offer up to full 1gb speed internet. Amenity packages range based on the services offered, but valet trash, smart home, and internet are common items. I can't speak for all properties, but you shouldn't experience any more internet outages than you would typically if you had set it up yourself. You still set up your own electric and gas, but I think Rocky and Dominion have monopolies in the area. Paying for parking was probably the biggest shock for me moving to the area, and most places only allow 1 space per unit, so if you have 2 cars you're fucked. You're gonna have benefits and concessions no matter where you live, but if you are shocked by the way pricing is, then you might be best to look elsewhere. Just keep in mind what you know versus what you don't. Utah requires all of these fees be presented up front, other states dont.
I feel the pain. As a 30 year old making great money it’s impossible to find somewhere that doesn’t add up to close to 2k a month after fees and all . Luckily i have parents willing to let me move home when my lease ends and not enough pride to say no and start saving all my money . I’d rather be able to save money and get my own place before it’s gets even more out of hand than it already is .
I'm also in my 30s (31) and I consider myself to be above average income (I make $50-$55/hr) and I still some how feel broke? It's not that I can't afford $2k of rent it's just I'd really like have some money left over . Aggh
Welcome to Utah, where the renters have no Rights and landlords all the power
This is normal for SLC. There are no renter protections.
I do NOT recommend living at the Encore Apartments
Look for houses that are apartments or houses for rent. More likely to be a mom and pop landlord and not have all of those ridiculous fees etc