By Allyson Ingram
Over the past couple of years, the price of rent for San Marcos apartment complexes has steadily increased. San Marcos rent goes up 2-3% more every year according to The University Star.
The continual rent increase can be attributed to many factors, one being the general increase of the world market. Emily Henderson, Leasing and Marketing Manager at Treehouse Apartments, said that the cost of managing apartment complexes has gone up. This naturally leads to an increase in rent to make up for the loss.
“You just have to take into account the cost of things when making the apartment good for the new person,” Henderson said. “So if the cost of living here, or to get the apartment made right to live here, has increased, then therefore everything else has.”
Rent increases tend to affect students the most. Since upperclassmen at Texas State University have to live off campus, housing options can be limited. Students don’t have many options in the way of off campus housing, not to mention how much it already costs without rent increase.
“I think it’s kind of messed up because we don’t really have any other choice,” Texas State senior and Treehouse resident Zachary Nelson said. “This is kind of our only choice to live here, and I think that they are taking advantage of us in a way, but also it might just be because we live in a…capitalist society.”
James Clark, a junior at Texas State University and resident of The Lodge, said that he experienced a smaller increase in the base rent of his complex. Though the increase is smaller than others, its effects are still detrimental.
“They make budgets tighter and harder to manage,” Clark said. “That $35 doesn’t sound like a lot, but that’s $35 I don’t have towards gas or food on a very limited income.”
Higher rent and the negative effects of it could be a deal breaker for some students. Though options are limited, some may be forced to break their leases and move out, despite the cost of that option itself and the problem of finding another complex close enough to the school.
“I can’t really do much about it, I may try to move cities, maybe to Austin or New Braunfels or Kyle,” Nelson said. “But unfortunately, I think that this is a countrywide thing that is going on right now.”
Clark had a similar sentiment, opting to consider subletting his lease instead.
“I’m locked into a lease, but if it does increase through fees or something I’ll probably look at finding a new place when my lease is up,” Clark said. “Or if it gets too bad, moving out and subletting my lease.”
Residents that are unhappy with the increases in rent have made their discomfort known. Either through failing to renew their lease or personally talking to their complex’s front office, residents have a bone to pick.
“We can kind of get some feedback about ‘why is it going up,’” Henderson said. “You know, because they’ve been a resident here for some time, or you know, ‘is there anything that we can do?’”
Though they may receive most of the complaints, leasing managers like Henderson can’t do much about the situation, nor do they make the choice to increase rent.
“We want to do anything that we can, but we must treat everyone fairly,” Henderson said. “At the end of the day, I can only say so much. I’m not the owner. I’m not in charge… So I just do the best that I absolutely can and try to give them reassurance.”
An increase in pricing can have a positive outlook according to Henderson. The increase of rent often goes into funding resident events and improving the community that students are living in. Putting more into the community via rent is meant to give back to the residents.
“Sometimes it’s hard to look at an apartment as an investment, because a house is definitely an investment,” Henderson said. “But an apartment, if you kind of have a positive outlook on it, can kind of be an investment because you are still getting something in return for the increase in pricing.”
