Looking for a place to live in downtown Boise? These 5 locations have open apartments
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Affording Boise: Rental housing
Soaring rents. Skyrocketing home prices. The double-digit rates of increase in the costs of Boise-area housing create increasingly urgent problems for low-income, working-class and even moderate-income Idahoans who need places to live. Affording Boise is a series of Idaho Statesman special reports on housing. This collection focuses on rental homes, including apartments. A separate collection focuses on homeownership.
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The downtown Boise skyline has changed in front of our very eyes in recent years, particularly when it comes to apartment buildings and downtown living.
Apartment buildings that were once just concept drawings and barebone metal structures, such as The Vanguard and the Gibson Apartments, now tower several stories high and have added hundreds of living units downtown.
Rental prices have continued to rise across the Treasure Valley, worsening its affordable-housing problem, with the downtown Boise area seeing a 21% increase in rental prices from February 2021 to February 2022, according to RentHub.
The median rental price for zip code 83702, which includes downtown, was $1,695 in February. The average monthly rental price for the Valley as a whole, including both apartments and houses, was $1,900, according to RentHub.
Almost as fast as downtown apartment complexes are growing, they’re being rented out. There are 13 apartment buildingswith openings on Apartments.com when searching downtown Boise, but only five had openings this week for studio apartments and one- or two-bedroom apartments.
Read below for those five. All apartments listed are pet friendly. Several apartments are offering move-in incentives for certain units, such as the first month of rent for free.
The Vanguard
Located at 600 W. Front St., The Vanguard is right next to South Capitol Boulevard on the south side of downtown.
Four studios were listed Tuesday for $1,400 per month, ranging from 355 square feet to 471 square feet each. Each apartment includes one bathroom, a washer and dryer, a dishwasher, and a small patio and deck. Prices range depending on the view.
The Vanguard’s smaller one-bedroom apartments were listed for $1,570 a month, and a larger one-bedroom apartment was listed at $1,715. The Vanguard also had three two-bedroom apartments available, with prices ranging from $2,200 to $2,340.
The Vanguard is offering a limited-time deal, giving new residents the first full month of rent free with a $99 security deposit.
Hearth on Broad
Located in the Central Addition neighborhood at 406 S. 4th St., right across the street from Julia Davis Park, is Hearth on Broad.
Hearth on Broad had over 25 studio apartments available Tuesday. Studios with an upper and lower floor were priced from $2,149 to $2,208 per month. Smaller one-floor studios were listed from $1,317 to $1,695.
There were also over 50 one-bedroom apartments available, starting at $1,411, and over 40 two-bedroom apartments available with prices starting at $2,322.
Hearth on Broad is also offering the first month free on 12-to-15-month leases.
Jules on 3rd
Located just across the street from Hearth on Broad at 412 S. 3rd St., Jules on 3rd has a much tighter availability but comparable prices to its next-door neighbor.
Just one 518-square foot studio was available for $1,801 per month. The studio apartment includes a washer, dryer and dishwasher, and it is cable TV-ready.
Three one-bedroom apartments were available to move into in April starting at $1,711 per month. A one-bedroom was available starting May 7 for $1,896. The building also had several two-bedroom apartments available for rent in April, with prices starting at $2,266 per month and going up to $2,556.
The Lucy
The Lucy was built in 2020 and is situated handily next to a number of downtown bars and restaurants.
Located at 512 W. Grove St., The Lucy had eight studio apartments available on Tuesday with prices ranging from $1,424 to $1,589 per month. Studios include a washer and dryer, high-speed internet access, and a trash compactor.
The Lucy had no two-bedroom apartments available but have over 25 one-bedrooms starting from $1,495.
The Lucy is offering the first full month of rent for free for leases of over 13 months on the open one-bedroom floor plan. Signed leases under 13 months on open one-bedroom floor plans are eligible for half a month of free rent, and the $200 administrative fee will be waived if an application is submitted within 72 hours of an in-person or virtual tour.
Gibson Apartments
The Gibson Apartments are also tight on availability, with just one studio apartment and three one-bedroom apartments available for later in the year.
Located at 505 W. Idaho St., the Gibson Apartments sit right behind City Hall.
The 603-square foot studio apartment is $1,650 a month but isn’t available until May 2.
The three one-bedroom apartments are available to move into on April 8, April 28 and May 3. The cheapest one-bedroom apartment, available on April 28, is listed at $1,625, while the most expensive, $1,710, is available on April 8.
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This story was originally published March 31, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
