Apartment Specials in Nashville: What They Mean (and What They Don’t)
If you’re relocating to Nashville, you’ll probably notice something pretty quickly:
apartment specials here can be aggressive.
Two months free.
Sometimes three.
Occasionally more if you lease right away.
From the outside, it can feel like you’ve stumbled into a market-wide sale — especially if you’re coming from a city where incentives are rare, modest, or basically nonexistent. And to be fair, those specials can be real value. But they’re also easy to misunderstand if you haven’t seen how they’re structured before.
Specials Aren’t a Lower Rent — They’re an Incentive
Most apartment specials are not true rent reductions. They’re incentives layered on top of the base rent.
That base rent matters more than people realize:
- It’s what income qualification is based on
- It’s the number used at renewal
- And it’s the rent you’re agreeing to long-term
So while an advertised price might look appealing after the math is done, the underlying number hasn’t changed. The building isn’t suddenly cheaper — it’s just temporarily sweeter.
How Specials Are Usually Applied
This part causes a lot of confusion, especially for those new to the market.
In most cases:
- The special is not applied immediately at move-in
- It’s usually credited the first month or two after you’ve moved in
- And it’s rarely spread evenly across the lease
Instead of lowering every month’s rent, you’ll often pay full rent and then receive a large credit later. That can feel great when it hits, but it also means your actual monthly obligation is higher than the advertised “effective” rate suggests. The averaged number can make a splurge feel easier to justify — which is human — but day-to-day budgeting still lives at the full rent.
About Renewals (and Why No One Can Promise Anything)
You’ll often hear people ask, “What’s the rent going to be when I renew?”
The honest answer is: no one knows.
There’s no way to predict the market a year from now. That’s the whole point. Pricing shifts based on demand, inventory, and competition across the city. Communities don’t set renewal rates in advance, and they can’t guarantee future incentives.
What can be said is this: apartment communities still have to remain competitive. Renewals are influenced by the broader market, not just one building’s preferences. But any specific number you hear before you’ve even moved in is speculation — not a promise.
What Happens If Plans Change
This is the part many renters don’t discover until it’s too late.
If you break your lease early, most agreements require you to repay the special in full. That repayment is typically in addition to:
- Lease break fees
- A 60-day notice requirement
- And any overdue rent or move out charges
In a worst-case scenario, that can add up quickly. This doesn’t mean you should avoid specials — it just means they come with strings attached if your situation changes.
When Specials Actually Make Sense
There are times when a special is genuinely helpful.
If you know:
- You’re likely only staying a year
- Your plans are stable
- And the incentive lets you live somewhere you otherwise wouldn’t
That can be a great experience.
But if you’re thinking longer-term, or flexibility matters, it’s worth asking whether the apartment still works once the incentive is gone.
The Bottom Line
Apartment specials can be a nice bonus.
They can ease the cost of relocating.
But they shouldn’t be the foundation of the decision.
Start with:
- The base rent
- The neighborhood
- The apartment features
- The lifestyle fit
If the special still makes sense after that, great. If it doesn’t, you’ve probably just saved yourself a year of friction.
Ioan Ozarchevici
Leasing & Relocation Consultant, Nashville Apartment Locators
License #369903
If you’re apartment hunting in or around Nashville, I help you narrow options, avoid mistakes, and save time — at no cost.
C: 615.602.3000
O: 615.606.APTS
700 Craighead St., Suite 200
Nashville, TN 37204