In a county with a reported shortage of 8,704 rental units, Haley Smith found a surprising abundance of vacancies and deals when she went shopping for a new apartment last fall.
Complexes from Candler to the River Arts District offered months of free or reduced rent to lure tenants to open units, said Smith, 35, who ended up signing a lease in October for a one bedroom-apartment at The Ashe luxury apartments on Brevard Road.
The development is close to her job in software customer support for a jet fuel company at the Asheville Regional Airport and provides a wide array of upscale amenities, she said. Her monthly rent of about $1,600 for a one-bedroom unit seemed reasonable, she said, and the offer of three months of free rent was unbeatable…