By Jonathan Hanes | Phoenix New Times
As Arizona State University students return for the start of fall classes on Thursday, they arrive in Tempe to what seems like a new inevitability: intractable surges in rent.
While Tempe remains cheaper than other suburban enclaves such as Gilbert and Chandler, the city is becoming less affordable for many residents, especially students. Monthly rent for one-bedroom apartments start at $1,527 — well over the average in nearby Phoenix — and the upswing is likely to continue.
“We do have a certain time of the year when we will raise the rent,” said Parker Stewart, manager at District on Apache, a six-story apartment complex with a modernist facade. “We are just off campus; 99 percent of our tenants are ASU students.”
