People Of All Ages Share The Rent From Their First Apartment

"I"m in my mid-40s, and my first apartment was a two-bedroom, one-bath for $650. At the beach. In Southern California. In the late '90s. I had one roommate. We both worked mall retail. It was a different time."

BuzzFeed Contributor

Renting is wildly expensive these days, but some people still prefer it to homeownership.

Thanks, inflation!

—Anonymous

—Lincoln, Nebraska

—S_uffel

—Kaitlyn, NH

"My building was built in the '20s with cool architectural features and was very clean and well-maintained by a live-in super. I was within walking distance of tons of bars and restaurants but in a more residential section so it was quiet. I loved this place."

—Rebecca, NYC

—feejney

—Kayt, Northeast Tennessee

—Anonymous, Ohio

—catsarefriendshaped❤️

—megbas

"Utilities and parking are included. I have a view of Lake Superior and easy beach access. The only catch is that my town has fewer than 2,000 people, and I'm at least a 45-minute drive from anywhere!"

—ciwa00

—Jeffrey, Cincinnati

—Yolanda Robinson

—Elsie Snuffin

"We looked it up recently, and the same apartment is now $1,200. We had air conditioning but no washer/dryer. The complex has a small pool and hot tub and lots of trees providing shade which is very helpful in central Texas."

—MC

—Anna, Eau Claire (College Housing)

—julietivey

—Anonymous

—haikey gentry

—Berliner Currywurst

—StargazerLily1001

—Josie, Ontario

—RachWay

—Anonymous, Martha’s Vineyard

—Anonymous

—rnd13001

—Anonymous, Los Angeles

"I just looked the address up, and the 2 BR/1 BA portion my friends paid $600/month for is now $1,750/month plus a $50 monthly pet rental. My little $300 section of the house now rents for $1,350 plus a $50 monthly pet rental. WTF."

—Rex, NC

—Anonymous

—Brittmy819

"I knew plenty of college kids that rented large houses and paid less than I did, but I feel like $400–$500 wasn’t super uncommon. Now, you’re lucky to find any one-bedrooms in Columbus's popular neighborhoods for $1,000, and two-bedrooms are getting closer to $2,000 or more."

—Anonymous

—lilpeb

—Holly, Memphis/North MS

Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.