Bloomington-Normal has many apartments owned or managed by several property management companies. It is becoming increasingly more popular to rent versus buy a home which is why renting is becoming more common for all locals of all ages. While there are 4 universities in Bloomington-Normal- ISU (Illinois State University), Illinois Wesleyan University, Lincoln College and Heartland Community College, not all apartments, townhomes and homes for rent are close to campus. Residential properties for rent are located all over and outside of the Bloomington-Normal area.
Having a lot of options to choose from, Bloomington-Normal provides to its habitants one of the best resources to find the apartment you are looking for. Craigslist provides a complete local classifieds and forums for housing. http://bn.craigslist.org/apa/
Rental Agencies/Property Management Companies
SAMI
SAMI was started in February 1989 with 150 apartments under management, but by the end of our first year we were managing close to 250 apartments. Our focus has been on managing quality properties. Over the years we have developed several hundred apartments, and we have purchased and renovated hundreds more.
Responding to the changing needs of students... This has been our slogan for several years. We pride ourselves on being the leader in offering our customers the new services and amenities that they require. From broadband internet, fitness rooms and swimming pools, to monthly lease payments and online rent payment options, SAMI has always been responding to what the students need. We were the first in the area to use the web as a means of marketing our apartments and as a communications tool with our customers. We were also the first to introduce the all inclusive "one check plan" where students can make one payment to SAMI and not worry about utilities, cable or internet.
SAMI currently owns and manages approximately 1000 apartments around the ISU and Heartland campuses. We have a full service maintenance company (Maintenance Contractors Inc) that supports our management efforts, as well as a parts supply store (Parts Depot) and network management company (ConnectivityU) that handles all of our broadband networks.
One of SAMI's apartment complexes is Vernon Stables, located on Vernon Ave. in Normal, Illinois. Vernon Stables is a perfect location for any student attending Illinois State University, and so nice that students attending Heartland Community College or even Illinois Wesleyan University students should consider living here. Being no more than 3 miles off of the ISU campus, you can easily walk to all of your classes, the football and basketball games housed at Hancock Stadium and Redbird Arena, or whatever else may be happening on campus or the quad. With apartments ranging from 1 bedrooms to 4 bedrooms Vernon Stables can suit the housing needs of almost any student. Not to mention the apartments come fully furnished with utilities included in the monthly rent. Also, apartments with more than one bedroom include a washer/dryer set. Throw in the fact that there is a pool area accompanied with a workout room, and you find yourself living in the perfect college apartment complex. Snag yourself a SAMI Vernon Stables apartment for as low as $300 per month during one of their specials and you find yourself signing the lease "deal of a lifetime."
In my personal opinion, I think that SAMI should be the leasing company to every student on campus. They have great apartments for reasonable prices and the rooms are exceptionally big. They are so helpful with helping you find the apartment that is just right for you and possibly roommates as well! I am currently not living under SAMI leasing but will be in the semester of 2015-2016 and I couldn't be happier that I chose them! They helped my roommates and I find an apartment that was perfect for us and for an amazing price. SAMI typically includes all utilities and cables that you would possibly need. If I were any student from Illinois State or Heartland, I would for sure lease with SAMI without a doubt!
Core 3
Core 3 is a full service third party property management company that has three divisions: property management, landscaping & maintenance and construction services. Core 3 manages properties for over 150 owners in Central Illinois and currently manages over 2000 units (apartments, houses, etc). One, two, three and four bedroom apartments, houses, condos, townhomes and duplexes for rent. They offer pet friendly options and have a diversity of properties because of the diversity in owners. These units will not be furnished as most non-student apartments are not furnished.
Redbird Property Management
Apartment Mart
Class Act Realty
RJV Property
Brady Property Management
Dowd Property Management
First Site
Apartment Complexes
Whellington Suites
The Point
The Point is one of the many apartment complexes where mainly college students live. It houses many Heartland Community College students because it is within walking distance to the campus. They are also just remodeled apartments. The Point is made up of mostly Heartland Community College and I.S.U. students. It is a great place for a college student to live. The apartments are very nice, for the most part, and come completely furnished. The bedrooms come with a bed, mattress, dresser, and some include a vanity sink. The living rooms come with a couch, two chairs and a table. The kitchen comes with a few bar stools to sit on as well, so the apartments over all have a lot of much needed seating space, especially if you like to have multiple or groups of people over. They also include a dishwasher/ fridge. Other things living at the Point include outside of the apartment itself are free laundry room services, a work out room, a pool area, and a basketball court. With all of these nice "other" things included, it makes the Point a very enjoyable place to live. Weekends at the Point can be a little hectic but that is to be expected from any apartment complex made up of mainly college students. If planning to stay overnight on a weekend, you should get there relatively early. Visitor parking seems to fill up fast on weekends and if you're not parked in visitor's parking, there is a good chance your car will get towed. It has happened to multiple people. Towing companies like to lurk at the front entrance on Friday and Saturday nights, so be careful. Something a few of you may not know is that you are allowed to park at the front entrance, as long as you are parked between the yellow lines marked on the curb. test
If you are interested in the Point apartments let me tell you some pros and cons. For starters the apartments are furnished and they are really nice. If you moved into them it is pretty easy because all you have to bring is silverware, all of your personal belongings, and whatever else you think you will need. I might suggest bringing a fan for your room because air conditioning gets expensive if you like to be cold while you sleep. The apartments are really nice and they feel very homely. The Point office is always helpful and just a jump away, I've always gotten really quick service from them, even if it is for something stupid like accidentally locking your keys in your room. Rent is kind of high but that is because they are furnished, and cable and water are included. I believe the rent is reasonable though, because everything else that is included in living at the Point. There is even a DVR that comes with the TV! A couple cons that I have come across from living here, was that if you don’t have a roommate that you want to live with, they randomly assign you to one or a couple and that can get pretty ugly. I was assigned to this random roommate and things didn’t work out, the situation turned very ugly, very fast, and I ended up having to move out. So if you do get a random roommate make sure you set some ground rules right off the bat, and if you don’t feel safe or comfortable tell that office as soon as possible because after you file a complaint you have to legally wait three days for anything to happen. Also when and if you want to use the laundry room, always be checking up on your clothes. I have lost multiple clothing items while doing laundry or I've seen my stuff thrown out of a dryer so someone else could use it while I was gone. Just keep an eye out. I do recommend these apartments, especially if you are going to attend Heartland Community College, because a majority of those students live there and it is very close to school. I walk almost every day and it only takes me about seven minutes. And the Point may seem a little far from the ISU campus, the mall, uptown normal, or college hills shopping malls but they do have bus services that are always running to the point AND there is always the sweetness of food delivery.
The Village
Within walking distance of Heartland Community College. It has a nice workout facility with a pool area. They also have brand new apartments just built and all apartments come fully furnished. There are many Heartland and ISU students who live in the village.
The Village is a nice place to live. If you are looking for somewhere within walking distance of Heartland Community College then this is the place. Heartland village is a great place to live at for students the reason why I because the fee for rent is reasonable with the fact that the whole apartment comes furnished. The apartment includes living room tables, couches and love seats. All the kitchen appliances are included as well as washers and dryers. The bedrooms come with large closets a bed and a dresser. The apartments are two bedrooms and have two bathrooms. One of the bedrooms comes with the bathroom inside of it. The price of rent is $540 for an downstairs apartment and $590 for an upstairs
College Station
College Stationis one of the major apartments for college students. They are full luxury apartments. They have a pool, workout room, computer room, and FREE tanning. Students from ISU, Heartland Community College, and Illinois Wesleyan University all accompany the apartments.
The managers at College Station are very helpful with any of your needs. Having talked to the manager I received a lot of information this apartment complex. There are two different apartment buildings. One is the four-bedroom complex, and the other is a two/one bedroom complex. There are three floors on each building and some bottom level apartments are handicap accessible. They all come fully furnished, and include a dishwasher, your own washer/dryer, and a private bathroom. The cost is somewhat expensive, but it includes all your utilities, so in the long run, it is worth the extra dollar you put in. It is patrolled by the police at all times, so it is a safe area for you to live.
Location
College Station is located off Raab Road, behind Steak & Shake and the Mobil Gas Station. The address is 9 Traders Circle. It is located by many stores that come to your needs; such as Schnucks, Walgreens, Shell, Dollar General, and more.
Meadows of Bloomington Mobile Home Park
The Meadows of Bloomington is an all age mobile home community located on the South side of Bloomington just off of Hwy 51 heading toward Decatur. We offer home rentals, rent-to-own programs, no money down programs, no interest loan programs, and regular home loan programs. Credit issues are no issue for us! We do perform a criminal background check and credit check, but qualifying for residency is a breeze! We offer planned community events, country living near city amenities, and an active Neighborhood Watch. Come check us out! 309-829-3130. Ask for Angela.
College Park
Junction Place
The Oaks
Young America
Young America(YA) is a realty company that does residential and student leasing. The office building for YA realty is located on 311 S Main St, Normal, IL 61761. The apartments are affordable and have a wide range of options on and off campus. Rent can vary from 200 dollars to over 1,000 dollars for a studio apartment. They offer separate leases for each roommate or you can all sign the same lease. They don’t do credit checks but have a parent guarantee to provide proof that you will pay rent. There is a one hundred fifty dollar safety deposit for the apartment that you can get back at the end of your lease if there is no new damage done to the apartment. You will be required to pay this at the time you sign the lease. If you are new with Young America there will be a non-refundable service fee of seventy dollars at the time of signing as well. If you’ve rented with YA Realty before the seventy dollars will be waved. When it comes to roommates you can choose apartments that offer three other roommates down to apartments for just yourself. You have the opportunity to choose your own roommates or YA Realty will be able to find people to room with you. Not only that, Young America’s service is outstanding. I personally, have only rented through Young America because I’ve heard so many bad stories about the other campus reality places. If you submit a work order for something as small as a lightbulb, they will be out to your apartment within a day to change it for you. My couch, when I moved in, was unsupportive and sagging but it wasn’t that bad at all. I put in a work order for it though and Young America gave me a new couch as well as a matching love seat they didn’t need to replace. There was an ant problem and they had a pesticide company come out and spray the apartment. If you ask about something in your apartment that you are unsatisfied by then YA realty will work with you to get that fixed. It’s hard going into the area for college and not knowing what apartment realty company to go with. I lived in town before I moved into my apartment for college and even then I had a hard time deciding. I do not regret my decision and I know if you choose Young America Realty, you won’t either.
The Lodge on Willow (Young America)
Welcome to the Lodge on Willow, 214 W. Willow in Normal. Student’s first full-service apartment community right next to campus. These are luxury apartment’s price ranging from $725.00 - 889.00. Come explore the clubhouse, pool, and feature packed units. The Lodge on Willow is conveniently located right next to campus, and right in the middle of a campus student neighborhood. See for yourself how close to campus you could be living. Typically an apartment community offers a pool or clubhouse as a trade off to being located far from campus. The Lodge is the only community that offers a pool and an extensive clubhouse right next to campus. With its independent living and the nearby campus amenities. The unique arrangement of this community provides for many apartments with a pool view and several with balconies or patios overlooking the pool. The community has a layout that encourages residents to get to know their neighbors. The Lodge is as good as it gets; 79 fully furnished luxury units with up to 2,700 square feet, laundry in each apartment, flat screen TV's, granite countertops, and tile/wood floors, stainless appliances, and queen size beds. Ten apartments offer 3 bed/3.5 baths; 69 apartments offer 4 bed/4.5 baths. Select units offer balconies, pool views, hot tubs, steam showers, bistro kitchens (in addition to primary kitchen). It seems one of the larger problems for students in their apartments is dealing repairs, not having them fix when needed or having them fixed at all. So if that’s the case no worries we have been voted #1 in Apartment Customer Service 4 Years Running. Here are some testimonies from past tenants, “Awesome service, very knowledgeable and helpful. They answered all my questions in detail. They were nice, polite and overall offered great service.” -Bryan B. “Great maintenance and I love my apartment and the roommates you placed me with.” -Katie M. “The maintenance department has a quick response time and are always efficient. They provide quick and great service.” - Ashley R. “Megan was very nice and very helpful and willing to answer any and all questions. This was a great experience. I will definitely use Young America again.” -Teresa G. “Great place to live and any problem is handled quickly by the Young America staff.” -Chris R. So don’t make a choice you will regret for your next apartment the Lodge on Willow is the only place to be; Home away from Home.
The Edge
Needing a perfect location to live during college? The Edge is a great place to sign a lease at. Our apartments are offered to students who are attending college at either Illinois Wesleyan, Illinois State University, or Heartland Community College. Our leases run from the fall semester of that year, to the following spring semester. We have several different apartments' to offer varying in price. The luxury apartment prices are going to vary anywhere from $630-800. The two bedroom apartment is going to be the more expensive, while getting a four bedroom apartment is actually cheaper. Inside each bedroom in the apartments we offer: complimentary internet and cable, private bedrooms, keyed bedroom access, full sized beds, stackable dressers, desk with study chairs, walk in closets, phone with cable hookups, carpeting, and high ceilings with fans. In the kitchen we come fully furnished with: sleek black appliances, dark wood cabinets, dining room table and chairs, refrigerator with icemaker, stove, dishwasher, garbage disposable, and a pantry. You thought that was it? We also provide each apartment with a sofa and a couch, coffee and an end table, television, and a sunroom or balcony. At this amazing apartment complex we offer our residents parking passes to our parking garage. The parking passes are already include inside each rent payment. Not to mention, in our community here at the Edge we have a 24- hour fitness center, a lounge room that makes a perfect spot for when family or friends come, outdoor grilling area, conference area, clubhouse, computer lab, pool table, and a plasma TV in lounge room. At the Edge you don't have to worry about paying extra each month for utilities. The best news is that we already cover it! While living in an apartment during college years, most students pick a place due to the location. At the Edge we have one of the best convenient locations. Across the street from us we have fast food restaurants like, McDonalds, Buffalo Wild Wings, Subway, Pizza Hut, Orange Leaf, Jimmy Johns, Chipotle, Noodles and Company, and much others. From our location too, we are also walking distance to ISU. If you come sign with us today, will even offer you $200 off your rent, that's an amazing deal that you can't get anywhere else! Come join our family here at the Edge, and will make your college apartment a place to call "home" and keep the memories with you forever.
