DC’s Sweetest Rent: A Three-Bedroom At $600 A Month

• January 4, 2011

by UrbanTurf Staff

Back in December, UrbanTurf was simultaneously marveling at how high rents had gotten in DC and feeling a little generous. Naturally, the combination of these two feelings led us to the decision that we should host a contest to determine who has the sweetest rent deal in DC and offer an equally sweet prize to the winner.

The rules for entry into the contest were fairly simple. Only those who rented a one, two or three-bedroom apartment or house and lived in DC proper were allowed to enter and each entrant was required to provide the following information:

• Name, age, occupation and the length of time that they have lived at the residence.
• A detailed description of the apartment or house including address, number of bedrooms and baths, square footage, parking, etc.
• A compelling explanation for having the sweetest rent in DC.
• Official proof of monthly rent such as a signed lease.
• 6-8 very good/excellent photos of the apartment or house.

UrbanTurf received a slew of good entries, a few that made us envious of the rent that some of our readers pay. However, when it came down to picking a winner, the choice was fairly obvious.

George Krebs on his couch.

Last fall, George Krebs was priced out of the two-bedroom apartment he was renting in Logan Circle. Having moved to DC from New York City, the 23 year-old FCC employee admitted he had a distorted sense of reasonable rent rates, but as he looked for a new place, he vowed to find much cheaper rent than the $1,300 a month he had been paying.

Krebs canvassed his friends (and friends of friends) for leads on new places, calling, emailing, and searching for standout deals. It was two months before a good friend recommended Krebs to a young woman whose family recently inherited an 1,800 square-foot three-bedroom apartment on the eleventh floor of a Cathedral Heights apartment building. The woman, who was headed to grad school in the area, was looking for someone to share the apartment with. Krebs emailed and asked how much the rent was and the woman replied saying $600/month. (“I read and reread the email to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me,” Krebs said. “Before she could realize her pricing miscue, or change her mind, I replied promptly that I was interested.”)

As if $600/month for the room was not already sweet enough, Krebs had no idea that the deal was about to get even better.

Shortly after her family outfitted the apartment with electronics and furniture and just days before her classes were set to begin, the young woman received a call that she had been accepted into a higher-ranked graduate school in New York City. As Krebs described it, she was on her way to Union Station within hours, and “just like that” he had a huge apartment to himself for just $600/month.

That was 13 months ago and Krebs is still paying about a fifth of what a comparably-sized apartment would cost in the neighborhood. While Cathedral Heights is not the first place that twenty-somethings look for an apartment in the city, the rent, combined with the fact that the building has a pool, a gym, tennis courts, a full staff of doormen, and a dedicated parking lot for residents, make it a truly unbelievable deal. Krebs admits that he was extremely fortunate to find the apartment and he says that he is being as “socially conscious” as possible by hosting regular parties for his friends.

Krebs may have a few more friends after this post is published. As the winner of UrbanTurf’s Sweetest Rent Contest, Krebs and a lucky friend will get dinner on UrbanTurf at Komi, a staple at the top of DC best restaurant lists over the past few years.

Thanks to all who entered the contest. And don’t worry, there will be more opportunities to win soon!

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/dcs_sweetest_rent_a_three-bedroom_at_600_a_month/2801