Urbandale, Iowa
An Urbandale address for $599.
36 apartments just off Hickman Road, renovated inside and out. Studios and one bedrooms, free parking, and a flat $35 a month that covers heat, air conditioning, electricity, water and trash.
- Rent from
- $599
- Utilities
- $35 flat
- Parking
- Free, on site
- Pets
- Welcome
The Building
Old building. New everything.
Urban Heights went up in 1966 and sat mostly untouched for fifty years. We bought it in 2023 and went at it from the roof down.
The roof is new. The exterior is new: black standing seam metal over the whole upper story, a repainted base, cedar framing at every entry, new light fixtures, new landscaping, a cedar fence, and security cameras on the property. Inside the common areas, new flooring, new paint, new stair rails and a rebuilt laundry room. Apartments get new flooring, a new kitchenette, fresh paint and trim, and new fixtures and hardware as they turn over, and half the building is done.
What did not change is how the building works. Two stories, interior hallways, and one boiler and chiller that heat and cool the whole thing, which is why there is no window unit hanging out of any apartment here and no gas account in your name.
The building is sixty years old. It does not look it.
Gallery
Have a look around.
Apartments
Three ways to live here.
36 apartments in one building: studios in two sizes and a small number of one bedrooms. Half have been renovated so far and the rest are being done as they turn over, so every photograph on this page is a renovated apartment. Ask which ones are open. The one bedrooms come up a few times a year, so if that is what you want, call and get on the list.
$599 to $735
One open room with the kitchen along the wall, a full bathroom with a tub, and a closet by the door. Studios come in two sizes here, and what you pay depends on which apartment is open.
About 300 to 400 square feet. Confirm sq ft
$895
A separate bedroom with a door, plus a living room and a full kitchen, fully renovated. There are three in the building, so they do not come up often.
Square footage needed
- 33
- StudiosTwo sizes, priced by the apartment.
- 3
- One bedrooms$895, fully renovated. Ask what is open.
In a renovated apartment
- New wood-look plank flooring
- New kitchenette with new cabinets and countertop
- Fresh paint and new trim
- New light fixtures and door hardware
- A full bathroom with a tub
- A closet by the door
On the property
- Free off-street parking, no permit and no assigned stall
- Rebuilt laundry room on site
- Large storage lockers, $25 a month
- Security cameras on the property
- Heated interior hallways, so you are never outside at your door
- Pay rent and submit maintenance requests online
Some apartments have more than that: new appliances, or a rebuilt bathroom with a new tub, vanity and toilet. It varies by apartment, so ask what is in the one you are looking at.
What is included
Every utility is on us. You pay a flat $35 a month on top of rent and that is the whole bill: no meter to read, no bill that doubles in January, no account to open before you move in.
Included in rent
- Electricity
- Heat and air conditioning
- Water and sewer
- Trash
You pay
- $35 a month, flat, on top of rent
- Your own internet service
Laundry and storage
- Laundry room on site, coin operated
- Large storage lockers, $25 a month
Pets
- Dogs, $50 a month
- Cats, $35 a month
- $250 non-refundable fee, per pet
- Two pets maximum
- No breed or weight restrictions
Assistance animals are not pets. Service animals and support animals are never charged pet rent or a pet fee, and are not counted against the pet limit.
What it costs to move in
Every dollar it takes to get keys, listed before you apply. No surprises at the counter.
- Application fee$25
- Security depositOne month's rent
- First month's rentfrom $599
- First month's utility charge$35
- Administrative feeNone
- Total to get keysfrom $1,258
That total is for a $599 studio. It is higher on the larger apartments, because the deposit matches your rent. After you move in, your monthly cost is rent plus the flat $35 utility charge and nothing else. Pet fees apply only if you have a pet, and assistance animals are never charged. If the deposit is the thing standing in your way, read the next section.
Will you qualify?
We publish what we look for, so you know where you stand before you spend anything on an application.
- Monthly income before taxesAbout $1,500 a month for a $599 studio2.5× the rent
- Credit score625 or above
- Rental history2 years
- Housing vouchersWelcome here
Not sure whether you clear these? Call and ask before you apply. We would rather tell you honestly than take your $25.
Short on the deposit, or under 625?
Neither one is automatically a no. There are two more routes to approval here, and we will walk you through both.
Instead of a deposit
Deposit coverage
Rather than putting down a full month's rent, you can pay a much smaller fee to a deposit coverage program and keep the difference in your pocket at move-in.
The fee is set from your own situation, so there is no sticker price to quote. Ask and we will get you the exact number before you commit to anything.
If credit or income falls short
Lease guaranty
A guaranty service can stand behind your lease, which often lets us approve an application that would not clear our criteria on its own. It works a lot like a co-signer, without needing to ask anyone you know.
Priced on your own circumstances rather than a flat rate. Ask before you apply and we will have it quoted for you.
We also accept Housing Choice vouchers. If you hold one, bring it and we will work through the paperwork with you.
Why it costs what it costs
The cheapest way to live in Urbandale.
Most of what rents in Urbandale starts several hundred dollars above this, and the utilities are on top of it. Urban Heights starts at $599 with the heat, the air conditioning, the electricity, the water and the trash all in, for a flat $35.
The reason is the building, not a catch. We bought a 1966 property at a 1966 price, put the money into the roof, the exterior and the apartments, and left the rent near where it was. It is a small building with interior hallways and no pool, no gym and no clubhouse, so there is nothing here you are paying for and not using.
There is no income limit here and no waiting list. If you meet our standard screening, you can move in.
Neighborhood
Just off the Hickman Road corridor.
Hickman is one of the metro's main east and west streets, and the property sits just north of it, set back from the street. Errands, restaurants and a convenience store are on the same road you live on. Interstate 35/80 is a short drive north, and downtown Des Moines is a straight shot east.
There is more parking here than the building has apartments. It is free, it is unassigned, and there is a space when you get home.
- Convenience storeRight up the road0.1 mi
- DART bus stopPublic transit0.9 mi
- Merle Hay RoadRetail, dining and services1.4 mi
- Interstate 35/80Highway access north and west2.9 mi
- Downtown Des MoinesEast on Hickman Road6.6 mi
Leasing
Come see one in person.
Tours are by appointment and take about fifteen minutes. Applications are submitted online and reviewed in one to two business days.