Photo courtesy: Frankland
While Tallahassee is dedicated to student housing complexes and homes for families to buy,
some run into the issue of finding a home they simply would like to rent at a decent price.
When the pandemic-driven Our-Florida program ended in May, quite a few people were left in
limbo trying to figure out how to pay their rent. Some landlords have already sent out notices
about rent increasing if the resident plans to renew their lease, leaving some people no choice
but to search for a new home to rent – one that’s affordable.
According to Our-Florida, it helped 228,000 families to the tune of more than $1.3 billion.
Tami Frankland, 51, was once a teacher before starting her career in real estate 15 years ago.
“Rent has increased in 2022,” Frankland said. “Low inventory is creating more demand on
properties.” Depending on a person’s situation and where they’re coming from, its kind of hard
to say if rent in Tallahassee is over-priced, she noted. “A person from New York would be
surprised by our market,” she added.
People rent instead of buying homes for many different reasons, such as not wanting the full
responsibility of what comes with owning a home or just not being able to get a mortgage
approved based of what’s on their credit report. Renting also is a great help for people who
don’t plan on living in Tallahassee long term.
Geyanna Grey, 26, employed at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare as a medical assistant, says
she is renting a 2-bedroom 2-bath house for $1,250 a month. She said she wishes that the
appliances and home’s condition were up to date.
“In Tallahassee its hard to find a place that has the nice appliances in a home for a good price,”
Grey said. “I feel as if I’m paying a high amount just to have these outdated appliances. If rent
continues to increase they should think about at least renovating these places.”
Kyle Footman, a 25-year-old graduate of Florida A&M University and a successful licensed
realtor, says that renting in Tallahassee is affordable compared to other cities.
“I don’t rent homes, I sell them. But depending on where you’re from statistically homes for
rent in Tallahassee are not overpriced,” Footman said. “Then again everyone has a different
situation so I can’t just say yes, it’s affordable. It depends on the person.”
If you need home rental assistance, visit the Capital Area Community Action Agency in
Tallahassee.