By JOHN COURTRIGHT
Manager
Courtright Apts. & J&L Self Storage
Apartments or first housing in LA has always cycled with what Administration is in office. As a retired long time landlord, Courtright Apartments or for some old former tenants, Co-Zi Manor apartments, I can state equitably I’ve seen the evolution of the available rentals in LA.
In 1965, the Atomic Energy Commission officially got out of the housing business in LA.
When the town became private, my parents weren’t the only people in town to dive into the real estate game.
Courtright Apts. was one of only a handful of Landlords to manage a sizable inventory of 1-4 bedroom units. Hands down the best part of our many years of providing rentals was becoming friends with a great many people who came to live in LA.
Summer housing for the various guests or interns coming to Los Alamos National Lab was just another challenge on maintaining a rental business. We rental owners could never absolutely state LANL was here to stay. Therefore long term tenants are desirable. We did our best over many summers to make accommodations for summer students. Our wanting to succeed in the rental business led to signing a contract to do business for LANL by servicing a contract for renting apts. directly to LANL with their idea to always have housing for students & temporary research fellows. Though LANL had a great vision, these housing contracts rarely worked out as intended. Even with Contracts with other Landlords, we all inevitably rented several units each summer when LANL over promised & couldn’t deliver on short term rentals.
The difference with Landlords from back then compared with today is all Landlords with available housing were honest. If I couldn’t help perspective tenants directly, I gave them my competitor’s information. I kept abreast of private room availability, too. All us Landlords tried to accommodate. If a new tenant came to town with a promise for an apt., the tenant got a place to live. That was our business.
Today LA has more housing construction taking place since before the early days of the Manhattan project. Even with all the construction going on for housing, there will always be a rental shortage in LA.
There’s not a viable solution to the inevitable summer housing shortage.
Today, the new hires who are coming after graduation and planning their new job, are finding disappointments from less than honest folk who know there’s a housing shortage.
The unscrupulous don’t even live in LA and are taking advantage of perspective tenants. This scam is similar to the vacation hot spots with “glorious accommodations & quick walks to paradise”! The supposed availability of summer housing in Los Alamos, NM are only ads that are too good to be true, just as the vacation spot. Don’t send the twits any deposits to hold an apt. till you arrive. Don’t believe you were able to rent “our last unit we have available!”.
In the last week of April I know of two people with a trailer in tow, who got scammed for the same apartment!
Folks, the “Truth is Out There”. There’s a way to verify prospective rentals. After 60 years in the business, I can say these scams weren’t the norm f long ago for Rentals in LA. At least nobody admitted to being duped.
All you apt. searchers, please, put this warning out to everyone & post “renter beware” on social media. History is a good teacher & I know history repeats itself. Especially for those who don’t even know New Mexico is a United State!
