Cheap Apartments in Wichita: How to Find a Good Place Under $800 a Month

Finding an affordable apartment in Wichita is less about luck than about knowing your number, knowing what to check, and asking the right questions before you commit.

Start with a number you can live with

A common guideline is to keep rent at or below about 30% of your gross monthly income. If your income is $2,400 a month, that is $720. At $2,800, it is $840. Many landlords also look for monthly income of roughly three times the rent, so the same guideline tells you where you are likely to qualify.

Work out the extras before you shop: electricity, water, internet, renter's insurance, laundry and transport. An apartment that costs $50 less but adds 20 minutes to your commute is not always the cheaper apartment.

What $700 to $800 a month gets you in Wichita

Rents vary by property and by neighbourhood, so it helps to have a concrete example. At Eagle Trace Apartments, a one-bedroom apartment is about 600 square feet at $700 per month. A two-bedroom apartment runs 900 to 1,000 square feet at $800 per month. That is roughly 300 to 400 extra square feet for about $100 more each month.

The two-bedroom is often the cheapest way for two people to rent. Split $800 two ways and each person pays $400 for a room of their own, which is hard to beat anywhere in the city. Our floor plans page shows how both layouts are arranged.

If you want the full picture of the area, start with our guide to affordable apartments in south Wichita.

Where to look in Wichita

South Wichita, around the 67217 ZIP code and the 29th Street corridor, is a sensible place to begin a search. The address at 925 W 29th St S is close to shopping, restaurants and easy routes across the city, which matters if you drive to work every day.

Test each address against your actual week: where you work, where you shop, and how you get around. A short commute saves money every week, and it is the cost renters most often forget to include.

What to check before you commit

Listing photos can be generous, and listings can be vague. Go and see the apartment, and check the things that are expensive to fix later:

• Water pressure in the kitchen and the bathroom
• Storage: closets, cabinets, and anywhere a bike or seasonal items would go
• Windows, doors and locks, and how the heating and cooling works
• Where you would park, and whether parking is included
• How the grounds and shared spaces look in person

Ask the office to confirm what is included in the rent, what the deposit is, and which fees apply. Those details differ from one property to the next, so it is worth a phone call rather than an assumption. At Eagle Trace, one-bedrooms are $700 and two-bedrooms are $800 a month, and the office can confirm current availability along with the rest of the details when you call.

Questions worth asking on a tour

• What is included in the rent, and what will I pay separately?
• How do I pay rent, and what day is it due?
• How do I report a maintenance issue, and who handles it?
• How long is the lease, and what happens when it ends?
• Is there anything I should know about parking or the grounds?

Write the answers down as you go. Comparing two apartments is far easier when you have facts in front of you instead of impressions.

Ways to keep the monthly cost down

• Take the smaller apartment if you genuinely will not use a second room.
• Share a two-bedroom rather than renting two one-bedrooms.
• Rent somewhere that keeps your driving short.
• Ask what is included before you budget for it separately.
• Find out what your rent does not cover, so nothing arrives as a surprise.

See it in person

The quickest way to judge a place is to stand in it. Get in touch with the office and we will show you the layouts, the grounds and the parking. When you are ready, you can apply online.

Call 316-524-3296 to check current availability. The office is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.