TN teacher NJ apartment hunting

Submitted by gmoor90 t3_126tpld in newjersey

Hello! First, a little background: I’m a teacher in Memphis, TN. I just accepted a position teaching in Plainfield, NJ and will be moving to the area in August.

I’ve been looking at surrounding towns such as Rahway, Piscataway, Roselle, South Plainfield, Cranford, Linden, etc. I absolutely love the area.

However, my biggest challenge right now is actually finding somewhere I qualify to rent! Some of the requirements are pretty strict. For instance, the last place I spoke to said even if my credit score isn’t bad, they will likely decline anyone who has student loans— even if they are in good standing.

I also have a couple of things working against me:

  1. I have no established renting history. I’ve been living with my dad while I taught in Memphis for the last 7 years. I paid him rent, but there wasn’t any sort of contract or documentation.

  2. The contract with my current school ends July 15th. And the contract with the school in Plainfield doesn’t start until September 1st. So, I’ll technically be unemployed while I’m moving.

I think I’d have a better chance if I could find a landlord that isn’t renting corporate apartments. It seems like there may be a little more wiggle room there when it comes to qualifying.

But if anyone has any advice or can recommend any areas or apartments, I’d be very grateful.

Thanks!

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Unusual-Okra9251 t1_jeat2l2 wrote

Local facebook groups for the towns you're interested in can be a good resource for independent apartments. Also Zillow.

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BYNX0 t1_jeayllg wrote

What is your montly budget?
I'd also check out apartment buildings in plainfield. How long are you willing to commute? Keep in mind travel times at 7-8am are VASTLY longer than travel times lunchtime, late at night, etc. Linden could be 40 minutes away from Plainfield (high school).

I'd recommend looking into apartment buildings in Plainfield too, there's a good amount there, and you'd obviously be close.

Other than living in Plainfield, more good town choices would be North & South Plainfield, Northern Edison, Piscataway, and Colonia (in woodbridge)..

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Notimportanthuman t1_jeayrdu wrote

Piscataway or Plainfield is your best bet for renting, cheapest in the area. Piscataway itself probably has 10+ complexes. My particular complex has a relatively easy application, less requirements than other places. 3x rent w/ paystubs, credit check, etc. although that was almost 3 years ago so it could have changed.

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E0H1PPU5 t1_jeb1ut1 wrote

Would your dad be willing to co-sign for you? That can help if he has good credit.

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Linenoise77 t1_jeb8jlg wrote

You are correct in you will best be set with a local landlord who will understand your situation. You will get bonus points for being a teacher, they are generally awesome tenants.

You MAY be able to find larger places in Rahway, Cranford, etc, who take bonding agreements. Basically you pay a 3rd party a fee (usually about a month's rent), who has an agreement with the property that they will cover your rent if something goes south. (note it doesn't get you off the hook for rent, the bonding company will now be the ones who chase you down), but it can help someone without a history, perfect credit, or with an unusual job situation at the time they need to sign a lease.

The student loan stuff is BS, nobody cares as long as your income is in line with the 30 or 40x gross annual income to rent rule and your debt to income ratio is healthy.

One thing you may want to do is reach out to your new school district, and see if they know places that have been cool with renting to teachers in the past. I wouldn't frame it as, "I'm having a hard time" i'd frame it more as "I'm looking at a few different places, do you guys have any recomendations about good spots for teachers to start out from?"

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gmoor90 OP t1_jebb8zn wrote

Replying to lasermike026 (#2,496,821)

Thank you! I can’t tell you how excited I am. It has been my dream to leave the south since I was 17, and I am finally making it happen! I have visited New Jersey a few times and absolutely love it.

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Tullamore1108 t1_jebcyil wrote

Replying to gmoor90 (#2,497,325)

You may have better luck in Piscataway as Rutgers University is a huge presence there. Tons of students - undergraduate and graduate - rent there. Which means complexes may be more flexible on the student loan thing. Good luck and welcome to NJ!!!

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Dfndr612 t1_jebdpwt wrote

Replying to gmoor90 (#2,493,252)

Check realtor.com. Look under rentals in the towns that interest you and look for one off condos or multi-family homes, rather than large corporate owned apartments.

Having steady employment, good credit, and no eviction history will make you a desirable candidate.

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poolkakke t1_jebgovi wrote

My brother teaches in Plainfield and commutes from Ocean County every day. The traffic is bad up there regardless of where you're coming from.

North Jersey has a faster pace, but you have tons of options for food and culture. Any of the surrounding towns will have rent you can afford. Iselin is right near a major railroad hub, Clark is right next to the parkway. Monmouth County may also be an option for you depending on your car situation.

Welcome to our awesomely cultural, diverse and inclusive state!

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PracticableSolution t1_jebhuj8 wrote

Plainfield is on the Raritan valley train line. If your school is within walk distance of the station, consider looking at train stop towns further west out the line.

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grilled_cheese1865 t1_jebin0t wrote

Piscataway has a lot of rental options and is close to Plainfield. Rahway especially but cranford does too as well plus both have train stations and a good downtown for to things in. Rahway is more down to earth than cranford, I think that's your best bet

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CaesarZeppeli_ t1_jebkii0 wrote

Fellow former Memphian who moved up here. Much better, I also saw a Shelby county plate up here once and had to do a double take 😂.

There is seriously way much more to do up here and safer than Memphis. Also if you’re not looking to spend high rent prices you can always go a bit further south than Princeton, the commute isn’t much further and gives you more options.

I wouldn’t listen to people who say South Jersey is bad, full of crazy republicans, etc. these people have never left the state more than likely.

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CaesarZeppeli_ t1_jebly3p wrote

Replying to gmoor90 (#2,499,948)

Around 6-7 years now, love it. There’s more to do than just go to the wolf chase mall, Shelby farms and Beale st. I think the thing that was difficult for me to get used to was traffic and the way roads work around here as well as the driving etiquette. If you need any advice hmu

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anotherjerseygirl t1_jebmm68 wrote

Definitely try to rent a condo rather than an apartment owned by a giant company. Individual landlords are people and they want to rent to a good human who will take care of the place. I got my place in this ultra competitive market because I wrote a letter with my application telling a little about myself and basically promising to take care of the place. My landlord loved that. I sent him cookies for Christmas and he didn’t raise my rent despite inflation! It’s the little things.

You’ll love jersey. I grew up here, left, and then decided to come back. Generally, the farther south you go the cheaper housing gets, but remember that has a serious impact on commuter traffic. The GSP northbound has tons of traffic in the morning and southbound is bad in the evenings because everyone has the same commute. If you can afford to live north of your workplace and go opposite of the trend, I encourage you to do that!

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wynnejs t1_jebn6nn wrote

Replying to E0H1PPU5 (#2,497,669)

Not necessarily. About 10 years ago, I was all set to rent an apartment in Jersey City, they asked for my guarantor information, and refused because my guarantor lived in New York.

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Fast_Data8821 t1_jebnoou wrote

So glad your coming to NJ, sorry no apt hunting advice. Just welcome. 😀

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gmoor90 OP t1_jebodg0 wrote

Replying to Fast_Data8821 (#2,500,517)

Thank you! I’m honestly so glad to be going. I teach in Tennessee but live across the border in Mississippi. And I’ve never felt proud of calling myself a Mississippian. But you better bet I will proudly declare I’m a New Jerseyan!

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CaesarZeppeli_ t1_jebota8 wrote

Replying to gmoor90 (#2,500,316)

Definitely less patient and fast, not uncommon to see people going 90+ on the turnpike sometimes.

Weird ass intersections, jughandles(not that bad), way more roundabouts, on-ramps and off ramps can be crazy as hell depending on time and place, some people say yield signs don’t mean shit around here. Bunch of small things in random places you’ll come to find.

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Fast_Data8821 t1_jebpjo4 wrote

Replying to gmoor90 (#2,500,684)

You’ll love it! I had a feeling we would be seeing an influx of of teachers from the south. It’s a shame for all the students who will miss out in your old state but we are thrilled to have you join our school system. I can only speak for my northern NJ district but I love it and my kids love their public school.

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dsutari t1_jebq4rd wrote

Is North Plainfield an option?

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prezzyplainjane27 t1_jebtjit wrote

I’d take a look in Sayerville and the Brunswick area lots of independent landlords and some decent prices!

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anotherjerseygirl t1_jebvg7u wrote

Replying to gmoor90 (#2,500,625)

I started with Zillow and a listing there caused me to reach out to a realtor. The place on Zillow went off the market fast, but I stayed in touch with that realtor and she recommended me for the apartment I got. Surprisingly, I didn’t have to pay her because the landlord paid her fees. Sometimes the renter has to pay the realtor, so don’t stay away from realtors, just be sure to ask the right questions before you get involved with one.

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No_Cook_6210 t1_jebvwn0 wrote

Join Facebook rental sites for the area, look up roommates.com, etc. Find someone who is wanting a roommate. Living by yourself is near impossible financially.

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caitlynredd t1_jebxcuh wrote

Try Highland Park too! Great little town and it’s where I rented my first apartment 12 years ago.

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brightsideofmars t1_jebytcc wrote

Hey, I'm happy to see you accepted a teaching position since we last spoke! Echoing what others said below to try to find someone who owns an individual property as opposed to a complex. New Brunswick and Piscataway are good bets since they're college towns. Look for Middlesex County groups on Facebook as people will often post there. Even if you do end up in a larger complex, mentioning that you're a teacher usually has some type of perk. My husband was able to get our security deposit down to $250 since we were renting in the town that he works in.

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theflyingscroll t1_jebznq6 wrote

Good luck Teach. Don’t let those kids give you any lip!

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Ill-Classroom-1916 t1_jec4pyi wrote

I just got turned down for a one bedroom garden apartment (not fancy) in Cranford, and I make 80,000 a year with great credit, the same job for 12 years and have never once in my life missed a rent payment. They said I need to make three times the rent NET which is ridiculous. The rent is 2095.00

Just glad I don’t need to move anytime soon.

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Ill-Classroom-1916 t1_jec5i6c wrote

Replying to gmoor90 (#2,504,601)

I just edited it to include more info. I’m sure you and I will find something. Apartments will really start becoming available in the next couple of months. It’s still early as people don’t move in cold weather.

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Electronic_Sea_8550 t1_jec6x4f wrote

Lifelong Jersey resident. I’d recommend Metuchen, Highland Park, Cranford and the nicer parts of Piscataway for towns close to Plainfield, but would advise you to avoid the other towns mentioned.

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missalaneous t1_jec7ns5 wrote

Have you looked in Garwood? It’s a small town right next to Cranford and there should be rental options beyond expensive luxury apartments. Welcome to NJ fellow educator!

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zebrasezmoo t1_jecbpv4 wrote

Congratulations on landing your teaching job!!

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Tomorrowsworry1 t1_jeckja8 wrote

Check New Brunswick close to Rutgers and Highland Park, both have plenty of college apartments.

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kiLLxander t1_jecmi3q wrote

Hayes House in the Elmora section of Elizabeth (the nicest section) has apartments that are $1800/month every utility included. Nice apartments too. Parking is $10/month.

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bros402 t1_jecny02 wrote

Welcome to NJ! Make sure to have a pork roll, egg, and cheese on an everything bagel!

You can choose if you want saltpeppahketchup, though.

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Goldfish2022 t1_jecpsin wrote

Cranford is really nice. I used to live in an apartment downtown and loved it. Movie theater, nice restaurants, and shopping.

I think Rahway is on its way up, but haven't been there in years.

Welcome to Jersey!

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slpquestion55 t1_jeda3wb wrote

You’re going to love NJ, welcome!!! I’m more north in Essex county, but what worked for me was directly calling companies that owned multiple properties in the area and seeing if they had any available units. I ended up touring a garden apartment with the resident manager, applying that night, and got accepted in the next couple days. It’s such a nice place and location, too, so I’m very happy with how it turned out! I definitely think the fact the resident manager met me and could see I was a responsible/respectful person helped. Good luck!!

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Whalers7997 t1_jedyq97 wrote

Teaching in Plainfield is a little rough. Try Clark or Springfield for places to live. Welcome to the best state for teaching and getting paid as a teacher.

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Ecstatic-Passage-113 t1_jeeafan wrote

I advertise restrictive and strict policies when I'm renting out my properties. I'm not actually restrictive and strict. I just want to keep as many doors open so that I can refuse people that I don't like. Not discriminatory or anything like that. Sometimes I don't get a positive vibe from someone. So I'll point to one of my restrictive policies so I don't get sued.

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moobycow t1_jeek59r wrote

Replying to gmoor90 (#2,497,333)

Make sure to take a good look around, the areas nearby go anywhere from 'strip mall central' to 'cul-de-sacs' to walkable little downtown and with your budget you should be able to pick which type you want pretty easily.

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Aromatic_Constant865 t1_jef1s98 wrote

You should change your mind and stay out of NJ where you will get taxed to death.

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Low-Pollution2414 t1_jegw6b9 wrote

Congrats! We live in Somerville and it’s an awesome area! We bought a house, but there’s a ton of apartments around here too. It’s totally walkable and not far from Plainfield

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