Anyone who has ever watched a “Day In The Life” mini vlog has seen luxury apartments become popular among millennial and Gen-Z renters. These residences boast amenities like keyless entry, concierge services, rooftop decks, saunas, hot tubs, tennis courts, dog parks, rock climbing walls, recording studios, and even movie theaters.
I’d been dreaming of granite countertops myself, so I was ecstatic when I was approved for my first big girl apartment.
Like many renters, I was so mesmerized by thoughts of an aesthetically pleasing backsplash, lighted mirrors, and a washer-dryer setup that I was willing to forgo square footage to rent somewhere that promised a hassle-free lifestyle.
But shortly after I moved in, I realized there were some things I wish I had known before signing that lease. Here are seven things I wished I had known before I moved into the luxury apartment of my dreams.
There Are Curfews In Common Spaces
As a freelance writer who has dropped a fair amount of change on coffee shops and coworking spaces throughout my career, I was thrilled to live somewhere with designated areas to work from home.
Unfortunately, I was unaware that these spaces are often subject to a curfew. This was a major disappointment because if I came home late from getting a scoop on something, I would have to write the story up in my apartment instead of sitting in the fancy study I saw myself working in.
There Are a Lot of Other Rules to Follow
Not only does the fun end when management pulls the plug, but they also get to govern who and what you bring in and out of the amenities. The number of friends you can bring over, the places you can bring your dog, and even the types of cups you can drink from in specific locations might be regulated.
I pictured myself sipping margaritas from a cute plastic tumbler in the pool at my luxury rental, but I had no idea you were not allowed to bring cups to the pool. Getting told off by a teenage lifeguard was not part of the fantasy I bought into.
Throwing Parties Is Still Pricey
If you think you’ll save on your next birthday party by renting out that clubroom, think again. There is a separate charge to throw parties that can balloon depending on the length of time you need the room and what types of activities you’ll be engaging in.
Not All Units Are Created Equal
The location of your unit matters just as much as the location of your building. If you’re near a popular amenity like a children’s playroom or the gym, you can expect your peace to be disturbed constantly.
Facing the trash room? Prepare to smell how your neighbors spent their weekends as you head out of the door on Monday morning. Consider where the unit is on the floor and what that could mean for your daily routine before you commit.
The Communities Can Grow to a Massive Size
Luxury communities are often built in phases. New residents flood the area with each new phase meaning the peace and quiet you enjoyed with only stage one open could be gone by the time phase three or four opens.
Everything is impacted by this. The flow of traffic, the wait time at the local coffee shop, and the number of free loungers at the pool, they’re all potential issues. Find out how large the community is precisely and decide how many neighbors you can deal with before committing to a lease.
You Can Still Have Dicey Neighbors
It’s tempting to believe that everyone who moves into a fancy building will know how to act, but sadly that is not the case. Some of the behavior you see will make you question everything you gave up to stack that security deposit. People behave just as badly in luxury buildings as the regular ones. They leave garbage in the hall. Their kids throw tantrums on the elevator. They don’t pick up after their dogs. Management will do what it can to address the drama, but ultimately ratchet has no address.
Be prepared for a little mess to find its way into your luxury lifestyle.
Packages Can Be a Pain
If you move into a reasonably new building, it will likely have a vanity address that didn’t exist until the last hammer was swung. That means your packages might be held while your local postal workers and other delivery workers figure out where they should go.
In certain buildings, packages that residents do not retrieve can lead to pricey upcharges from management. Check the fine print of both your lease and amenity terms before returning from baecation in the hole.