Rent Control and Curtains.

Ok, so you guys who follow me often know that I have the "wanna-buy-a-house" syndrome. It's the way some women look at babies, and you can see it all over their face that they've got the baby bug....I look at "Open House" signs, and swoon.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about this new longing, and about how suddenly hanging curtains seems like a significant and important step in my quest for permanence.

But then this happened:

"Dear Mr. Heffernan and Ms. Heffernan Brown,

We love your continued residency here at the [Insert Apartment Complex Name Here]. As you know, your lease terms are up at the end of May, and we are prepared to offer a re-negotiated rate for your next lease, if you'd decide to resign with us.

We know that a 'one-size-fits-all' approach isn't always accommodating to our residents, so we've broken our pricing based on the number of months you'd sign with us. Take a look at the prices below, and then feel free to stop by the leasing office to discuss your renewal.

1 Month - $4,815.00 --> (I wish this was a gross exaggeration to make you laugh. This is the real number on that paper. PEOPLE PAY THIS. REAL PEOPLE IN LIFE PAY THIS TO LIVE IN AN APARTMENT. My head is literally imploding).

2 Months - $ a little less
3 Months - $ a little less
4 Months - $ a little less
....all the way down a 12 month lease.

You get the idea.

The final number was still outrageous, and then there was a hand written note that said "Since you've been great tenants, we're willing to come down to $XX"

This new "lower price" is still 35% more than we were paying last year to live in the same exact place.

My head is still imploding.

So now we are faced with a new thought.

WE NEED RENT CONTROL.


For those of you who are not living in San Francisco, you are probably reading this and shaking your head. Let me explain a few things about renting here in the city:

- Since the tech boom has exploded again over the last several years, nerds from all over the world are flocking to the city to get a job at a start-up. Renting is out of control. Seriously. A few months ago someone wrote an article about how it's harder to get an apartment here than it is in MANHATTAN.

- The city is crazy about renting/tenant laws. I think you honestly need a JD just to understand whose rights are whoms, and what you can legally do about anything. For example, I think it is possible to will your lease to the next of kin. Like pass on your rental rate to your kids. (Don't quote me on that one. I heard that from my hairdresser, so whatever).

- Rent Control. Anything built after 1979 is not subject to rent control. So if you are in an old victorian that was built in 1878, the city tells landlords what percentage they are legally allowed to raise your rent each year. It's usually around 3- 5%. Our building was built in 1981, so that's just perfect.

- Competition. The apartment showings around here go like this: the listing says "Come on Wednesday night between 6  and 6:15. There will only be one showing. Come with references, credit reports, and pre-filled out renters application. Preference will be given to renters who can pay full term lease in cash in advance." So you show up, along with 10 other people who are dying for an apartment, and look at the place, and decide on the spot if you want it. You turn in your paperwork and sign a check for the deposit. First one to turn in their stuff gets the unit. OR, sometimes bidding wars happen with the deposit prices and rental prices. PEOPLE BID UP THEIR RENT to get spaces. I wanna barf as I am typing this.

So last year, our rent went up about $100. We were able to talk to them and they resurfaced our counter tops, and lowered our parking (oh, parking is usually a few hundred extra on top of your rent). So we felt pretty good about staying. It went up a little, but we got a few new perks.

We'd heard horror stories of friends - literally everyone on our floor that we knew this year moved out, because they couldn't afford the price hikes. And even then, when most of them got out into the rental market, they were shocked at how hard it was to find a good place for a reasonable price.

I want curtains. We're halfway through upgrading our living room. I just painted like 4 months ago. And not to mention, my new grad school is 3/4 of a mile away. We love our wall-to-wall city views. Our walk in closets. Our fireplace. Our open floor plan. We don't want to leave.

But then, I hop on Craig's List, and I see that other spaces have granit counter tops, and gas stoves, and hardwood floors. And I think about the exorbitant amount of money that we'd be spending in rent, and it makes me crazy that we aren't in a space that we LOVE for that price. That we aren't in a house, or have outdoor space.

So I feel caught. I feel responsible to do our due diligence and look around for more value. To not take the first offer that comes our way from our current place. To be willing to move somewhere slightly less convenient if it means that we can lower our rent by like $1,000 a month (I know right...that makes me sick).

But moving is so hard here. And finding something is practically a full time job.

Ok....there's nothing deep and meaningful about this. I'm just having a cow about how complicated this is, and lamenting the fact that we might have to leave our place, because I want curtains SO DAMN MUCH.

If you happen to have good moving ju-ju, please sprinkle some our way. Cause we're going to need to make a decision here in a few weeks, and we literally have no idea what to do.

Oh and ps, if you're thinking "Well this is what you get for living in the city! If you don't like it then leave." I get that. I know. I understand that in a way,  we are choosing to put up with this. But this is meh blog and I can whine if I want to ;p

Kisses,

J