May 14, 2009
Thursday

There have been several letters about "slumlords" in Ketchikan. Well I have the other side. Is my rent higher here than in Oregon? Of course. The cost of living is about 30% higher here overall than Portland.

My family and I rent a 2 bedroom, 1 bath apartment for $1100, plus tax and utilities. Because it has vaulted ceilings, the KPU bill reaches up to $390 in the winter. Could we find something cheaper? Of course.

But...we have: a storage unit, ample parking, a safe cul-de-sac for our son to play on, and a large deck with a decent view. Our landlord is up before we are on any snowy days, shoveling or salting the driveway so we can get to work on time. We live on a plowed road... something I did not fully appreciate until our first winter here.

Most importantly - WHENEVER anything needs addressing or we have any questions at all about the property, our landlord responds immediately. I'm sure our landlord makes a small profit on our apartment - but he surely earns it.

We are great renters. We don't smoke, we don't have rowdy parties, and we don't have pets. And we have no intention of buying. I've seen the prices, and the market. By choosing to rent - even at our current place - we are able to save more money for traveling than we could in a comparable condo or house. We don't have to worry about selling it if we should choose to move. And we don't have to worry about keeping a place maintained in a rainforest, or finding someone to watch it when we travel for 2 months each year.

There are some good landlords out there - and we have one.

Maria Neufeldt
Ketchikan, AK

About: "3-year resident of Ketchikan, renter"

Received May 12, 2008 - Published May 14, 2009

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