Finding rental homes in the Greenwood area can be a challenge, but Realtors say those who consult the right resources should be able to find what they need.
Tish Goodman of Bowie Realty said some newcomers look in the phone book under "Apartments" and become discouraged driving all over town and not finding what they want. "You've just got to ask the right people," she said.
Goodman recommended checking with a Realtor or picking up a list of rental options from the Greenwood-Leflore County Chamber of Commerce. Those listings are narrower in scope and give a truer picture of what is available, she said. Also, newcomers learn about available properties through word of mouth.
At most rental properties, new tenants can expect to fill out an application and provide references, and they might also have to submit credit reports, Goodman said. For example, she requires proof of a person's residence for the last three years, whether it is one place or several.
Prospective tenants also will have to provide a copy of the lease to have utilities turned on.
As for the lease, she said, "it's normally a one-year lease, and pretty much everyone holds you to it."
New tenants also should be prepared to pay a nonrefundable security deposit to cover the cost of cleaning after they move out.
Goodman said people wanting to bring such pets as dogs or birds might have trouble finding a place. However, for a fee, some landlords do allow indoor cats.
Pets are among the very few factors that can be used to discriminate among prospective tenants. The rules of the Real Estate Commission are consistent with the federal Fair Housing Act, decreeing that landlords can't turn down applicants on the basis of marital status, children, race or a number of other considerations.
The monthly rent for Bowie properties ranges from $225 for a one-bedroom duplex to $1,000.
Two-bedroom, one-bath rental homes will cost $500 a month, and those with three bedrooms and two baths will cost $600 and up.
McLeod Meek of Downtown Rental owns several apartment buildings as well as 20 single-family dwellings in North Greenwood and 50 rental houses in South Greenwood. These properties cover a broad range of rents.
Meek said he doesn't necessarily check applicants' credit but does check with their previous landlords. Generally, the applicant will be required to have a job, and those with good character should be able to find something, he said.
"Pretty much if you have a job, we're going to have something for you," he said, adding that retirees and the disabled also have a good chance.
The options in this area may be limited, but if he has a month to find something, "it's rare that I have to turn somebody away," he said.
Any limitations about the number of children are dictated by insurance costs because of the risk of lawsuits, Meek said.
The typical Greenwood house has two bedrooms, and the availability of three-bedroom homes is limited, Meek said.
Downtown Rental has only 10 three-bedroom ones, but because the demand for them is high, he is considering building more. "I could rent 50 of them a month if I had them," he said.
Rents for Downtown Rental properties range from $150 a month to $650.
The rents generally are around $400 for one-bedroom apartments and $450 to $500 for those with two bedrooms. The rates are about the same for high-end single-family dwellings, he said.
Generally, the vacancy rate is about 5 percent, he said. "It's sometimes slow in the summer but not recently," he said.
Meek said the community needs more middle-class apartment dwellings. He is renovating some apartments on River Road that will cost about $650 a month.
Meek said the high taxes in Greenwood can make it difficult for someone in his business. Tax increases don't affect just high-income individual taxpayers; they affect property owners, because they often have to pass the increases on to their tenants, he said.
"Property taxes have gotten so high that it's hard to make money unless you're paying cash for the property," he said.
