Senior Apartments

The American dream may be one of home ownership, but for many older adults, senior apartments are an attractive alternative to the expense and labor of home maintenance.

Apartments are attractive housing options for seniors.

Benefits of Senior Apartments

Many seniors opt to move to age-restricted apartments because of their many benefits, including:

• Lower maintenance costs and time commitments
• Greater security in an apartment complex
• Rent costs are often lower than mortgage payments
• Apartments offer greater freedom for traveling because there is no landscaping maintenance
• Moving to an apartment frees up equity from a home sale
• Senior communities, including apartments, offer camaraderie and a like-minded social environment
• Apartment complexes are typically closer to health and city services
• Amenities may be available at the apartment that would be too expensive for a home

Amenities

Pools are a common apartment amenity.

In addition to the overall benefits of apartment living, most complexes include various amenities for residents and their guests. While the precise features vary for each individual complex, typical amenities include:

• Clubhouse facilities for group meetings
• Pools or whirlpools (usually open seasonally)
• Fitness centers with different exercise machines
• Tennis, volleyball, or basketball courts
• On-site laundry facilities
• Planned activities for residents, such as seasonal parties, book clubs, and scheduled outings

Before choosing a specific apartment complex, potential residents should investigate these amenities to see if they meet their personal preferences and social habits. The more amenities a complex offers, the more expensive its rent typically is, and it does not make sense for a resident to pay for features they do not intend to use.

Detriments to Apartment Living

While senior apartments may seem like the ideal living arrangement for aging adults, there are detriments to choosing this type of housing. Most apartments, even luxury rentals, are far smaller than houses, and it will be necessary to cull the possessions and mementos of a lifetime down to a suitable stash for an apartment. Furthermore, it may be sentimentally difficult to leave a home for an apartment, particularly if the house is filled with years of memories and happy occasions that make an apartment initially seem sterile and uninviting.

Seniors with health concerns also need to be aware that apartment complexes offer few, if any, in-home health services. They are not assisted living facilities, but rather community facilities that can enhance a social life. If in-home health visits are necessary, the residents must arrange for them separately.

Qualifying for Residency

Seniors interested in choosing apartments should be aware that different complexes have different requirements for residency. The most common requirement is an age restriction: most require that residents are at least 50 years old, though the minimum may be as high as 55 or 62 in some areas where there is a greater demand for such apartments. Furthermore, most apartments have restrictions on the size, number, and types of pets, and some may also restrict the age of all residents in a unit, meaning that grandparents may not be able to provide long term care for their grandchildren if necessary. Contact individual apartment complexes for specific residency requirements.

Finding Senior Apartments

It can be a challenge to find senior-oriented apartments that emphasize independence and activity, but a good place to start is by asking at retirement homes and senior care centers for positive recommendations. Most apartment complexes are in larger cities, though as the population ages, there are more complexes appearing in smaller cities as well.

When investigating an apartment complex, consider the following:

• Is there ample parking available convenient to each housing unit? Is the parking handicap-accessible?
• What security features does each apartment and the complex as a whole offer?
• Is there ample closet space and other storage facilities?
• How accessible are individual housing units with regards to stairs, door widths, and bathroom facilities?
• Are there public transportation access points nearby?
• What city services (health centers, senior center, library, museums, etc.) are nearby?
• What controls are there on rent increases?
• Are the lease conditions acceptable?
• What maintenance will and will not be taken care of by the management?
• Are the buildings and grounds attractive and well maintained?

Always investigate an apartment complex thoroughly, including speaking with residents if possible, before signing a contract and committing to a lease.

Alternative Senior Housing

If an apartment is not quite the best housing option, seniors should be prepared to consider other alternatives, including remaining in their homes with a reverse mortgage, opting for retirement homes or retirement communities, or seeking more intensive care housing if necessary.

Senior apartments are attractive housing options for seniors who want to keep their independence but wish to be part of a like-minded community without the hassle of maintenance and other household concerns. Today, approximately 25 percent of adults over the age of 65 are renters, and those numbers seem destined to climb as the population continues to age.

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