Kendall, FL 181 Apartments for Rent

Former Attorney General, Janet Reno, and O.J. Simpson are two of the most famous people who have resided in Kendall, Florida.

Kendall, a Miami suburb, is home to less than 80,000 people, a fraction of the total in the entire metropolitan area. With the Everglades on one side and Miami on the other, Kendall offers a unique blend of untouched wilderness and luxury city living, right off the Atlantic ocean. Beach bum fashions meet resort style, combining to create one of the most hopping night scenes in the country.

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Defining Kendall

Kendall is a neighborhood found on the southwest side of Miami. As an unincorporated region, it falls under the Greater Miami metropolitan area and Miami-Dade County government. Essentially, Kendall is only used on the US census to define a small - only 16.3 square miles.. Surrounding Kendall are several subdivisions and planned communities, each offering a morewhite glove style of service for residents.

Finding a Home

Since Kendall has many attached subdivisions, it can be difficult to choose the right area. Property values have a wide variation, depending on the zip code. In many of the subdivisions, the homes are predominantly owner occupied, offering limited rental opportunities. Rent to own might be an option, but not a common one in this area. In Kendall proper, there are plenty of rental options. Before moving here you should be aware of some rental laws specific to Florida.

In many states, there is a cap on how much a landlord can collect as a security deposit. Florida does not have one. That means the landlord can ask for as much or as little as he likes. Always check on the security deposit amount before making an appointment to check out an apartment. After all, falling in love with the perfect pad doesn't do you any good when the landlord has exorbitant demands. Most of the landlords are reasonable, but don't be too surprised if you run into a greedy piranha of a landlord. If you do, just take your business elsewhere. It's not your job to pad those landlord's pockets any more than they already are -- geez!

Speaking of landlord pockets, your landlord must inform you about how your security deposit is saved. You are entitled to any and all interest earned on the money during the course of your rental agreement. Don't let your landlord pocket that interest money; it's yours. Don't be too shy to hold out your hand at the end of the lease and ask for your security deposit back, with interest. Your landlord sure wasn't shy about holding his hand out for the rent, was he?

Don't forget that in Florida, the length of your lease determines the amount of notice you must provide before cancelling your lease at the end of a term. For example, if you need a short term rental, you might be able to end your lease with only a week's notice. If you have an annual lease, you might need to give 60 days notice.

Dividing the Land

Because Kendall is a large neighborhood, it has a totally unique feel. Its population density is higher than many cities, but it is only a small part of the larger county. The surrounding subdivisions also house tens of thousands of people, depending on the size of the community.

Kendall: This is where O.J. Simpson calls home. Not sure if that is such a good thing or not. It's a nice area, despite O.J. Kendall offers great shopping opportunities at the two local malls: The Falls and Dadeland Mall.

Kendale Lakes: This area is home to almost 57,000 people. It was once the home of many prestigious attorneys, but isn't so much anymore, so you don't have to worry about getting sued every moment of the day. The Kendale Lakes Mall has been around for quite some time and still causes nostalgia among long time residents, but the only remaining store is the K-Mart. At least they still have a store left to reminisce about, we suppose. When you're sick of hanging out at K-Mart, check out the local casual dining spots, Mike's Pizza and Marino's Pizza, and you will quickly get a feel for the neighborhood. The low vacancy rate, less than 5 percent, might make it a bit harder to find a rental at the last minute, so look ahead of time and sign a lease in advance.

Kendall West: Also known as Kendall Lakes West, this subdivision sits to the west of the Florida Turnpike. It is less than 4 square miles, with more than 38,000 people living there. It can feel crowded at times, but the affordable rental prices make up for the lack of free space.

The Crossings: If you like fishing, golfing and pristine landscaped grounds, The Crossings is the area for you. This place is seriously beautiful, and surprisingly affordable. Living here is like eating a steak, but only paying for a burger.

Living it Up on the Florida Coast

Though smaller than Miami, Kendall still has a few world class attractions to spark your interest. The Metro Zoo has almost 300 acres of designed habitats for its incredible collection of exotic animals. The aviary is top-notch, with some of the most rare bird species on the planet. The White Bengal Tigers are also well worth a visit or three. Directly outside the Kendall area, you have easy access to all of the activities in Miami, Coconut Grove, Homestead and Coral Gables. These activities include the Bass Museum of Art, Barnacle State Historic Park, Biscayne National Park, Coral Castle, Everglades Alligator Farm, FAirchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Lowe Art Museum, Miami Seapquarium, Parrot Jungle, Islan Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, and much, much more!

For all you sports lovers, catching a game is no trouble with pro baseball, football, basketball and hockey teams at home in Miami.

Getting back and forth to the greater Miami area is no trouble since there is plenty of public transportation. Traffic can be a nightmare sometimes, particularly on the Florida Turnpike, so taking the Metrobus or Metrorail can cut a lot of time off the commute. Two Metrorail stops, Dadeland North and Dadeland South, service the Kendall area. If at all possible, try to rely more heavily on the rail. It runs better and more frequently. You will probably also want to own a car. It makes day trips to the beach much more convenient.

Florida weather makes the beaches popular almost year round, so definitely go swimsuit shopping while you are looking for your next apartment in Kendall. Although, you should probably cover up when meeting landlords, unless you are Pamela Anderson!