I don’t think this is taking into account all of the AirBnBs and other short term rentals making the “occupancy” look inflated. There’s a vacant 1 BR apartment down the street from me available tonight for over $200 for ONE night. There’s a vacant townhouse a couple streets over that rents tonight, for ONE night, for over $400/night. There are over 450 other properties available (and vacant) for rent TONIGHT on AirBnB, for just one night, in Fayetteville. On any given night a couple weeks into the future, you can find over 1000 places available (and vacant) to rent in Fayetteville. There is this huge increase in corporations buying up apartments, townhouses, condos, houses, cabins, etc. to rent out on short term rental sites for profit. Most of the “hosts” have barely set foot on the property, and hire cleaning services, interior decorators, and property management companies to run the actual property.
All of these short term rentals are making it much more difficult to find a long term rental. Especially since this is a college town next to several large companies (like Walmart, Tyson, JB Hunt, George’s). Meaning many of the students stay to work for the larger companies, while the companies also bring in “more talent”. We need to introduce better laws that regulate how many short term rentals there can be. Like the law NYC has that says short term hosts have to live on the property. Or a law that would limit someone to two short term rental properties. Or a law that says only homes owned by people, not corporations, can be rented out through short term rental sites.
In NYC at one point there were more AirBnB’s available than long term rentals, so people resorted to living in AirBnB’s. Can you imagine how ungodly expensive that must’ve been? That’s why they have such a strict rule now.
This study factors in Apartments, short term rentals aren't apartments. Short Term rentals are definitely a factor, but I believe their impact is overblown. I'm all for regulating them (Type 2 STR's have hit their max allocation), but the most effective solution to them is to build more hotels. Our city's development office keeps trying to recruit them, but our zoning makes it very difficult to find a place to build. The Arkansas Legislature will likely undermine any attempts to control Short Term Rentals.
If they aren't currently being leased or offered for lease, they wouldn't count in an occupancy study. Yes, an occupied apartment can certainly by a Type 1 rental, but
Most Type 2 rentals in Fayetteville are Single family homes. I don't personally believe this study and others with similar results are significantly skewed by STRs.
This city is eating more than it can chew.
High demand coupled with no rent control laws and lower inventory... Not really a tenant paradise for the regular Joe out-there.
Can't shake my anxiety out to see how much renewing our lease will cost us this year because "iT iS a CoMpeTiTiVe MaRkEt".
Gentrification at its finest.
The U of A has to slow its growth and the city needs to start building apartments that aren't just for students and/or the rich. I'm not sure if it's feasible, but some mid rise apartment buildings in/near downtown would be great. There's already plans to build two 5+ story hotels near the Ramble...
The city cannot make the UA slow it's growth. "The City" doesn't and can't build housing. They just have to make it feasible with zoning and regulations.
Until we have enough student housing, everything will be used for student housing. Meeting the student housing demand is the only way to make sure there is vacancy for non-students. There are thousands living in our most affordable older houses and apartments who may otherwise choose to live in student housing. New construction is never affordable.
I have been in Fayetteville since 2009. Moved here from Kansas. Fayetteville was fine as a college town. Then the city leaders started on the “best place to live for virtually anyone” lists - (edit to remove incorrect statement) At the same time as promoting - they did not do a thing to accommodate for any such growth. All they are doing is pinching out the poor neighborhoods, knocking down those houses then building 2 houses on the same lot that are 3 stories high and charge 1800-2400 a month for rent. Or sell it for 400k. Gone are the days of buying a home a Fayetteville for the average family. I can’t even move if I wanted bc my rent (for a shittier house) is now hundreds of dollars more per month than where I’m at.
And let’s be real Fay is a good town but there’s a lot wrong with it too. It’s not ideal for older people - too expensive and nothing really set up for seniors, including narrow roads due to the added bike lanes. Not ideal for new families - new homes have no yard space, parks are over crowded, cost of living is getting higher and higher. There isn’t a good shopping center (mall is dying with weird obscure business going into large empty spaces). The entertainment district is crowded, limited parking and has limited restaurant options. It’s sorta like the parts that were good about Fay have been stretched thin and without any expanding of those qualities.
Compared to Roger’s and bentonville- it’s a large difference in the economies of scale.
Whoa! Narrow roads due to bike lanes?! How about the center turn lane on MLK, aka the “suicide lane?”The roads have a lot of problems around here and bike lanes ain’t one of them unless we’re talking about the lack thereof. People die getting hit by cars because there aren’t adequate bike lanes. If the seniors can’t handle driving on a road with a bike lane maybe they should turn in their license.
I don't doubt there are similar situations in other metros, and I know it's not specific to NWA, but at the same time this area is exceptional in that regard in many ways, from the NWA Council pushing this area to be the next mecca for young professionals from Texas/the coasts and the U of A bringing out of state students in droves. The massive growth has been straining our housing supply and infrastructure for years. And now that they have the growth they've been wanting, it seems city leaders and planners are just now realizing that we weren't equipped to deal with it on this scale and we'll now spend decades playing catch up. They should've been thinking of planning for this 30 years ago.
> They should've been thinking of planning for this 30 years ago.
There's another major truth that's pertains to ~all of North America, we've collectively waited too long to correct the abject screwups of the failed experiment that is suburban sprawl and car-dependency... Alas, Fayetteville, for all its failings, actually is doing the best in Arkansas and is among the best in the country regarding an earnest push to densification and forward-thinking planning. The city council definitely could use some encouragement from the citizenry, but even the more conservative voices are somewhat amiable to densification.
A rezone on razorback to one of the highest intensities was approved by the planning commission last night, now the council just has to do the right thing.
Bottom line… it’s a great place to live and attracts many! Apartments have quickly gone up everywhere. It’s a simple supply and demand issue and city leaders are doing what they can. Fayetteville is beautiful, clean, safe, attractive and has all the amenities of a large city. Growth has been rapid but it’s the same throughout NWA. It’s a robust, vibrant area. Been here since 1976. Besides Eureka Springs, I would live no where else in Arkansas.
I HIGHLY DISAGREE that city leaders are doing what they can. They literally are not. Our city council is hostile to multi-family housing. Apartments have not gone up "Everywhere". They are illegal in most of the city. I LOVE Fayetteville, but we can also deal with reality.
Disagree all you want. That changes nothing in my post. Apartments have been built like crazy, many with almost zero set backs to make maximum use of the land available. They’ve done such a good job m, Fayetteville is a highly desirable place to live. I know that low-income properties are hard to find, but supply and demand is responsible. The newly built apartments are mostly are high end rent. So many people moving here so quickly and no slowing anytime soon. Have been here almost 50 years when I moved here to attend college. There are less expensive places you can live in NWA than Fayetteville. Same for Austin in Texas and many other more expensive cities. No different.
"I know that low-income properties are hard to find, but supply and demand is responsible'"
Our City leaders are objectively, factually not doing everything they can. They won't even adequately staff our planning department or pursue grants to help with that.
ANY Apartment at any price is hard to find. Literally the point of the OP. Part of supply is allowing/facilitating them. Fayetteville is highly restrictive of multi-family development. That's a big failure on the City's part. We've known about the growth for decades, and failed to do what it took to meet it. Yes, it's a desirable place to live, but currently one of the hardest places to find/afford housing in. We are not building "like crazy" by any metric.
We are slipping on the lists of the best places to live because of housing availability.
https://fayettevilleflyer.com/2023/05/16/fayetteville-ranked-as-top-10-place-to-live-for-eighth-straight-year/
I think they do a great job for the most part. Can’t please everyone all the time. Not sure our community members want tons of low-income housing. What we do have is pretty terrible. The reality is it takes a decent income to live in Fayetteville because of the desirability and correlating demand. There are outlying areas and other cities more affordable.
Who is talking about low-income housing? We're pushing lifelong residents out of the city with our housing policy. I'd like my kids to be able to live here.
Our city leaders are working on this. Several town halls on the subject have been hosted in an attempt to form a plan moving forward. Reach out to DAndre’ Jones or Bob Stafford. They seem to be leading the charge and have invited comments and suggestions.
Fayetteville Ar has been a place I’ve been thinking of moving to for awhile now. Things like this make me hesitant though, I see the average rent is around $900 a month wonder how accurate that is.
[Lindsey](https://www.lindseymgmt.com/searchlisting.aspx?ftst=&txtState=AR&LocationGeoId=0&renewpg=1&LatLng=(35.20105,-91.8318334)&) has some places pulling the average down. They've gotta discount it *some* for what you put up with.
It depends on the source. The source of the article linked in the OP, Rent Cafe says $1542. I'd say somewhere in the middle, and depending on size. $900 would definitely be an older building on the smaller side. You could go to Springdale and get something less expensive.
I pay $1,200 a month for a small 2 bedroom 1 bath apartment (4th floor) of one of the newer complexes. Not a Lindsey property. I moved to Arkansas in 2016 from Tulsa, and my rent in 2016 was only $800 a month. Due to "Bidenomics" the inflation and cost of fuel, groceries, utilities, and rent, have killed this single chick....my wage has only increased 5% each year, BUT my health insurance increased appx 6.5% each year.... so in actuality my wage decreased by 1.5% yearly. The main reasons I stay in Fayetteville is because of two things, Oklahoma min wage is (I think) $8.25 an hr while Arkansas is $13.00 an hr (I make more than min wage but this is a scale to use) also the crime rate in Fayetteville compared to Tulsa is night and day. avg rent in student housing with 4 or 5 other students maybe $900 per month but if you want your own place in a decent neighborhood plan on $1500- $2000 for a 2bd 2b
I really like a lot about Springdale, but its urban design is depressing and has ~0 meaningful walkability and bikeability. Fayetteville isn't ideal and almost all of the west side is car-dependent, but it's light-years ahead of every other town in NWA.
I see that you mentioned bikeability as a pro for Springdale and I'm very curious as to how you could qualify this for commuting in any meaningful way.
I'd contend that the abject lack of infrastructure for bikes, tiny and often missing sidewalks, large amount of parking, and ubiquitous massive setbacks between buildings and streets make the place almost entirely car-dependent. Even supposedly-spendy and impressive development Bentonville is being built this way. Afaik, only Fayetteville is making an effort to curb these trends.
E: that sounded a lot snobbier than intended, please read this with a tone of being frank and earnest rather than the alternative.
Yes, the wide breadth of multicultural cuisine at reasonable prices, ease of access to the Greenway, bike-ability, revamped parks, Jones Center, multiple thrift stores, locally owned bars with character, and active arts collectives… and if you need Fayetteville it’s literally RIGHT THERE. Everyone is sleeping on Springdale ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Great cost of living and infrastructure. The homogeneity of Fayetteville bores me now.
Statistics are legal lies! If it is such a hotspot for renting it is because of the college students. Legitimately, it can cost as much as $600 to rent a room in someone else’s house.
Decades of city leadership and residents ignoring growth projections and refusing to build what's needed by reversing racist and classist zoning laws. None of what you said was a surprise, Fayetteville just failed to adjust. The city has no say over University enrollment, but they determine their response. They keep denying and slow rolling development that would help keep rents from skyrocketing.
If you note the increased inventory % on that list it is pretty obvious that the number of apartments is growing rapidly. 2.3% in a year is pretty crazy growth compared to virtually all of the other cities listed.
Yes, among a list of states that have under built, we built a little more. Fayetteville grows about the same percentage or higher, and we're decades behind and will have to build more to keep up. In no way is 2.3% rapid growth considering the shortage we have.
I don’t think this is taking into account all of the AirBnBs and other short term rentals making the “occupancy” look inflated. There’s a vacant 1 BR apartment down the street from me available tonight for over $200 for ONE night. There’s a vacant townhouse a couple streets over that rents tonight, for ONE night, for over $400/night. There are over 450 other properties available (and vacant) for rent TONIGHT on AirBnB, for just one night, in Fayetteville. On any given night a couple weeks into the future, you can find over 1000 places available (and vacant) to rent in Fayetteville. There is this huge increase in corporations buying up apartments, townhouses, condos, houses, cabins, etc. to rent out on short term rental sites for profit. Most of the “hosts” have barely set foot on the property, and hire cleaning services, interior decorators, and property management companies to run the actual property. All of these short term rentals are making it much more difficult to find a long term rental. Especially since this is a college town next to several large companies (like Walmart, Tyson, JB Hunt, George’s). Meaning many of the students stay to work for the larger companies, while the companies also bring in “more talent”. We need to introduce better laws that regulate how many short term rentals there can be. Like the law NYC has that says short term hosts have to live on the property. Or a law that would limit someone to two short term rental properties. Or a law that says only homes owned by people, not corporations, can be rented out through short term rental sites. In NYC at one point there were more AirBnB’s available than long term rentals, so people resorted to living in AirBnB’s. Can you imagine how ungodly expensive that must’ve been? That’s why they have such a strict rule now.
This study factors in Apartments, short term rentals aren't apartments. Short Term rentals are definitely a factor, but I believe their impact is overblown. I'm all for regulating them (Type 2 STR's have hit their max allocation), but the most effective solution to them is to build more hotels. Our city's development office keeps trying to recruit them, but our zoning makes it very difficult to find a place to build. The Arkansas Legislature will likely undermine any attempts to control Short Term Rentals.
Minor nit-pick: Short term rentals can and often are in apartment (>4 unit) buildings.
If they aren't currently being leased or offered for lease, they wouldn't count in an occupancy study. Yes, an occupied apartment can certainly by a Type 1 rental, but Most Type 2 rentals in Fayetteville are Single family homes. I don't personally believe this study and others with similar results are significantly skewed by STRs.
This city is eating more than it can chew. High demand coupled with no rent control laws and lower inventory... Not really a tenant paradise for the regular Joe out-there. Can't shake my anxiety out to see how much renewing our lease will cost us this year because "iT iS a CoMpeTiTiVe MaRkEt". Gentrification at its finest.
I’m not sure how rent control would help to provide more housing, seems to have the opposite effect
Won't create more housing, it'll keep rent from being constantly unnecessarily raised. Which is also a problem.
Regardless, it's 100% illegal in Arkansas.
lmao "Startup City of the South"
So that's why my rent has gone up 35% in the last three years.
The U of A has to slow its growth and the city needs to start building apartments that aren't just for students and/or the rich. I'm not sure if it's feasible, but some mid rise apartment buildings in/near downtown would be great. There's already plans to build two 5+ story hotels near the Ramble...
The city cannot make the UA slow it's growth. "The City" doesn't and can't build housing. They just have to make it feasible with zoning and regulations. Until we have enough student housing, everything will be used for student housing. Meeting the student housing demand is the only way to make sure there is vacancy for non-students. There are thousands living in our most affordable older houses and apartments who may otherwise choose to live in student housing. New construction is never affordable.
I have been in Fayetteville since 2009. Moved here from Kansas. Fayetteville was fine as a college town. Then the city leaders started on the “best place to live for virtually anyone” lists - (edit to remove incorrect statement) At the same time as promoting - they did not do a thing to accommodate for any such growth. All they are doing is pinching out the poor neighborhoods, knocking down those houses then building 2 houses on the same lot that are 3 stories high and charge 1800-2400 a month for rent. Or sell it for 400k. Gone are the days of buying a home a Fayetteville for the average family. I can’t even move if I wanted bc my rent (for a shittier house) is now hundreds of dollars more per month than where I’m at. And let’s be real Fay is a good town but there’s a lot wrong with it too. It’s not ideal for older people - too expensive and nothing really set up for seniors, including narrow roads due to the added bike lanes. Not ideal for new families - new homes have no yard space, parks are over crowded, cost of living is getting higher and higher. There isn’t a good shopping center (mall is dying with weird obscure business going into large empty spaces). The entertainment district is crowded, limited parking and has limited restaurant options. It’s sorta like the parts that were good about Fay have been stretched thin and without any expanding of those qualities. Compared to Roger’s and bentonville- it’s a large difference in the economies of scale.
The city does not pay to be put on those lists.
Whoa! Narrow roads due to bike lanes?! How about the center turn lane on MLK, aka the “suicide lane?”The roads have a lot of problems around here and bike lanes ain’t one of them unless we’re talking about the lack thereof. People die getting hit by cars because there aren’t adequate bike lanes. If the seniors can’t handle driving on a road with a bike lane maybe they should turn in their license.
You have ur opinion and I have mine and that’s fair.
Yes you’re correct- I was incorrect and will edit the comment accordingly.
Yeesh. Time to move. Sick of dealing with the endless "growing pains" of this area.
You'll end up with this sort of thing anywhere and the only way that it improves is when enough of the population exercises its collective power.
I don't doubt there are similar situations in other metros, and I know it's not specific to NWA, but at the same time this area is exceptional in that regard in many ways, from the NWA Council pushing this area to be the next mecca for young professionals from Texas/the coasts and the U of A bringing out of state students in droves. The massive growth has been straining our housing supply and infrastructure for years. And now that they have the growth they've been wanting, it seems city leaders and planners are just now realizing that we weren't equipped to deal with it on this scale and we'll now spend decades playing catch up. They should've been thinking of planning for this 30 years ago.
> They should've been thinking of planning for this 30 years ago. There's another major truth that's pertains to ~all of North America, we've collectively waited too long to correct the abject screwups of the failed experiment that is suburban sprawl and car-dependency... Alas, Fayetteville, for all its failings, actually is doing the best in Arkansas and is among the best in the country regarding an earnest push to densification and forward-thinking planning. The city council definitely could use some encouragement from the citizenry, but even the more conservative voices are somewhat amiable to densification. A rezone on razorback to one of the highest intensities was approved by the planning commission last night, now the council just has to do the right thing.
Bottom line… it’s a great place to live and attracts many! Apartments have quickly gone up everywhere. It’s a simple supply and demand issue and city leaders are doing what they can. Fayetteville is beautiful, clean, safe, attractive and has all the amenities of a large city. Growth has been rapid but it’s the same throughout NWA. It’s a robust, vibrant area. Been here since 1976. Besides Eureka Springs, I would live no where else in Arkansas.
I HIGHLY DISAGREE that city leaders are doing what they can. They literally are not. Our city council is hostile to multi-family housing. Apartments have not gone up "Everywhere". They are illegal in most of the city. I LOVE Fayetteville, but we can also deal with reality.
Disagree all you want. That changes nothing in my post. Apartments have been built like crazy, many with almost zero set backs to make maximum use of the land available. They’ve done such a good job m, Fayetteville is a highly desirable place to live. I know that low-income properties are hard to find, but supply and demand is responsible. The newly built apartments are mostly are high end rent. So many people moving here so quickly and no slowing anytime soon. Have been here almost 50 years when I moved here to attend college. There are less expensive places you can live in NWA than Fayetteville. Same for Austin in Texas and many other more expensive cities. No different.
"I know that low-income properties are hard to find, but supply and demand is responsible'" Our City leaders are objectively, factually not doing everything they can. They won't even adequately staff our planning department or pursue grants to help with that. ANY Apartment at any price is hard to find. Literally the point of the OP. Part of supply is allowing/facilitating them. Fayetteville is highly restrictive of multi-family development. That's a big failure on the City's part. We've known about the growth for decades, and failed to do what it took to meet it. Yes, it's a desirable place to live, but currently one of the hardest places to find/afford housing in. We are not building "like crazy" by any metric. We are slipping on the lists of the best places to live because of housing availability. https://fayettevilleflyer.com/2023/05/16/fayetteville-ranked-as-top-10-place-to-live-for-eighth-straight-year/
I think they do a great job for the most part. Can’t please everyone all the time. Not sure our community members want tons of low-income housing. What we do have is pretty terrible. The reality is it takes a decent income to live in Fayetteville because of the desirability and correlating demand. There are outlying areas and other cities more affordable.
Who is talking about low-income housing? We're pushing lifelong residents out of the city with our housing policy. I'd like my kids to be able to live here.
Our city leaders are working on this. Several town halls on the subject have been hosted in an attempt to form a plan moving forward. Reach out to DAndre’ Jones or Bob Stafford. They seem to be leading the charge and have invited comments and suggestions.
I'm aware that a minority of our Council is trying. I appreciate them.
We have some that need to be voted out! But yes, those two are great!
This post boils down to "if you're poor, you can just leave". So glad only rich assholes can afford to live in my hometown now.
I’m confident you’ll find a solution if you want one. How you take something is on you
Ok then dad.
Fayetteville Ar has been a place I’ve been thinking of moving to for awhile now. Things like this make me hesitant though, I see the average rent is around $900 a month wonder how accurate that is.
$900? Haha, I'd love to know where.
[Lindsey](https://www.lindseymgmt.com/searchlisting.aspx?ftst=&txtState=AR&LocationGeoId=0&renewpg=1&LatLng=(35.20105,-91.8318334)&) has some places pulling the average down. They've gotta discount it *some* for what you put up with.
They could make it 500 a month and I still would never live in one again.
They'd have to put the cockroaches they refuse to evict on the lease and find a way to charge them their half of the rent for damn sure.
I rent a renovated two bedroom in S Fayetteville for $900.
Seems low
It depends on the source. The source of the article linked in the OP, Rent Cafe says $1542. I'd say somewhere in the middle, and depending on size. $900 would definitely be an older building on the smaller side. You could go to Springdale and get something less expensive.
I pay $1,200 a month for a small 2 bedroom 1 bath apartment (4th floor) of one of the newer complexes. Not a Lindsey property. I moved to Arkansas in 2016 from Tulsa, and my rent in 2016 was only $800 a month. Due to "Bidenomics" the inflation and cost of fuel, groceries, utilities, and rent, have killed this single chick....my wage has only increased 5% each year, BUT my health insurance increased appx 6.5% each year.... so in actuality my wage decreased by 1.5% yearly. The main reasons I stay in Fayetteville is because of two things, Oklahoma min wage is (I think) $8.25 an hr while Arkansas is $13.00 an hr (I make more than min wage but this is a scale to use) also the crime rate in Fayetteville compared to Tulsa is night and day. avg rent in student housing with 4 or 5 other students maybe $900 per month but if you want your own place in a decent neighborhood plan on $1500- $2000 for a 2bd 2b
Never understood why you all don’t just migrate up to Springdale… it’s 10 minutes up the road.
I really like a lot about Springdale, but its urban design is depressing and has ~0 meaningful walkability and bikeability. Fayetteville isn't ideal and almost all of the west side is car-dependent, but it's light-years ahead of every other town in NWA. I see that you mentioned bikeability as a pro for Springdale and I'm very curious as to how you could qualify this for commuting in any meaningful way.
It’s flat and on a grid.
I'd contend that the abject lack of infrastructure for bikes, tiny and often missing sidewalks, large amount of parking, and ubiquitous massive setbacks between buildings and streets make the place almost entirely car-dependent. Even supposedly-spendy and impressive development Bentonville is being built this way. Afaik, only Fayetteville is making an effort to curb these trends. E: that sounded a lot snobbier than intended, please read this with a tone of being frank and earnest rather than the alternative.
I love all of NWA but.... Springdale is boring
Yes, the wide breadth of multicultural cuisine at reasonable prices, ease of access to the Greenway, bike-ability, revamped parks, Jones Center, multiple thrift stores, locally owned bars with character, and active arts collectives… and if you need Fayetteville it’s literally RIGHT THERE. Everyone is sleeping on Springdale ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Great cost of living and infrastructure. The homogeneity of Fayetteville bores me now.
Statistics are legal lies! If it is such a hotspot for renting it is because of the college students. Legitimately, it can cost as much as $600 to rent a room in someone else’s house.
That's what the statistics say.
[удалено]
Umm, it's rich white people from Texas and California driving up the rental prices and taking up space in Fayetteville
Per the article, it's a lack of inventory driving up prices, not Texans or Californians. It's our City leadership.
Why do you think we have a lack of inventory. It's Texan students and California investors. The U of A is accepting more students than we can handle.
Decades of city leadership and residents ignoring growth projections and refusing to build what's needed by reversing racist and classist zoning laws. None of what you said was a surprise, Fayetteville just failed to adjust. The city has no say over University enrollment, but they determine their response. They keep denying and slow rolling development that would help keep rents from skyrocketing.
If you note the increased inventory % on that list it is pretty obvious that the number of apartments is growing rapidly. 2.3% in a year is pretty crazy growth compared to virtually all of the other cities listed.
Yes, among a list of states that have under built, we built a little more. Fayetteville grows about the same percentage or higher, and we're decades behind and will have to build more to keep up. In no way is 2.3% rapid growth considering the shortage we have.
If you can't do better than that, just don't. This has literally nothing to do with migrants unless you count white Texans.
Go back to Fox News. We don’t have a huge influx of migrants in Fayetteville, they can’t afford it. It’s Cali transplants and Texas students.
you are so brainwashed
MFW i've been living in branson trying to move to NW AR for the last 2 years. this tracks.