Should You Rent "By the Bed?"

When looking for apartments in central Florida to rent with one or more people, you will come across two different leasing options. Some apartment complexes will offer rent “by the bed” and others will offer rent “by the apartment.” Like with every aspect of apartment searching, there are trade-offs that must be taken into consideration to decide which is the option that best suits you. How favorable each option is depends on the individual and his/her own personal preferences and limitations, everything from peace of mind to financial constraints will factor into your decision. CMC Apartments has an array of housing options across central Florida, offering both “by the bed” and “by the apartment” leases.

“By the Bed” Leasing

“By the bed” leases, also known as individual leases, are the most common lease types for three and four bedroom apartments. This type of lease allows you to share the same apartment with one or more people but has each person pay their own separate rent. This means that your signed agreement requires you to pay only for your bed or bedroom and a share of the common areas such as the kitchen and living room.

Advantages of Individual Leases

• With an individual lease, you pay only your share and are not responsible for any financial issues that your roommates may have. If a roommate is late on their rent, unable to pay it or moves out of the apartment, you will have no obligation to pay his/her rent. You also won’t need to worry about filling the room with a new roommate, that will be up to the property manager.
• In the event that one of your roommates damages his/her room, you will not be held accountable. With individual leases you are solely responsible for your room’s maintenance and no one else’s. However, all roommates can be held responsible for damages to the shared living areas.

Disadvantages of Individual Leases

• If one of your roommates decides to move out of the apartment, with an individual lease the property has the right to assign a new person into the room without your say.
• Individual leases tend to be slightly more expensive than leases shared between all roommates. This is because the landlord takes more financial risk if one person does not pay their rent, so a premium is added to yours.

“By the Apartment” Leasing

“By the apartment” leases are also known as joint leases. In this type of lease you are responsible for paying the entire cost of the apartment, not just a bedroom. If you live with roommates, the rent will be split amongst all of you, if you live alone you will be solely responsible for paying it in full, even if there are unoccupied rooms. This type of lease is most common for single room and two room apartments.

Advantages of Joint Leases

• When it comes to a joint lease, it is the least expensive way to rent an apartment. This is because there is less risk of financial loss for the property manager, unlike an individual lease, so no premium is added to the cost.
• With a Joint lease, you are also able to determine who you rent out a room to if one of your roommates ever moves out.

Disadvantages of Joint Leases

• With joint leases, everyone is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the whole apartment, including each other’s bedrooms, and can be held responsible.
• In a joint lease, you and your roommates are equally responsible for paying rent. If one of you is unable to pay rent, is late or moves out, then the remaining roommates will be responsible for covering the cost.

Gainesville Apartments for Rent

Renting an apartment is a big decision and even more so when there are roommates involved. “By the bed” and “by the apartment” leases each have their pros and cons, fortunately, CMC Apartments has a wide variety of student communities offering both options so that you can choose the right apartment complex with a lease that benefits you most. If you are searching for college apartments near campus, contact us today.