Frequently Asked Questions

Sweetwater is located at 1225 W University Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32601.

The leasing office is open:

All leases at Sweetwater are 12-month installments beginning on August 17, 2024 and ending on July 31, 2025. We do not currently offer shorter lease terms.

Your contract is based on a total amount that is divided into 12 equal installments for convenience. Your first installment will be due August 1 and the last on July 1 unless you choose to renew and stay at Sweetwater for another year. Because of this, August rent is not prorated. For more information about what an installment is, read our monthly installments vs. rent payments article.

Installments are due by the first of each month and are considered late on the fourth. You can pay this through your resident portal with a debit/credit card or e-check. Alternatively, you can bring in or mail a physical check or money order to the leasing office.

All leases are 12-month installments beginning on August 17 and ending on July 31. If you need to get out of your lease early, you can relet your unit by finding somebody to take over the remainder of your lease.

If you may need to relet your space, check out our article on 7 Tips for Subletting (or Reletting) your Apartment Near UF. Please contact the Sweetwater team to discuss in detail.

Yes, you can switch floor plans as long as we have the space available. Your rate is subject to change depending on the floor plan you choose. You will be required to sign a new lease to secure the new floor plan. If you have a guarantor, they will not need to sign the new lease, but they will be notified of the changes.

Example: If you and your roommates are in a 3×3 and want to add one more roommate, we can move everyone to a 4×4 if the space is available and all roommates currently in the 3×3 confirm the change.

Your installment includes:

• Premium Wi-Fi internet
• Fully furnished units (see what’s included)
• Full-size washer & dryer
• Wall-mounted Smart television

Plus, access to Sweetwater`s on-site amenities and attentive, on-call staff.

The following items are not included in your installment:

• Rental insurance – Rental insurance is required for all residents at Sweetwater. Residents may provide their own third-party insurance to be contracted directly, or you may opt-in to Sweetwater’s landlord provided rental insurance, LRIP. LRIP is $12.95/month. You will automatically charged for LRIP unless you provide proof of third-party insurance that meets our requirements as described in your lease. Visit our Resource Center to learn more about renter’s insurance.
• Utilities (electricity and water) – Electricity and water are sub-metered and will be billed monthly via Conservice.
• Trash fee – $5/month

Optional add-ons

• Parking – Sweetwater offers access to our on-site parking garage at an additional monthly cost. Our parking spaces are currently sold out. Check out our Ultimate Guide to Parking Near UF to explore other parking options.
• Pet rent

Sweetwater’s apartments come fully furnished. Each resident will have a full-size bed and pillow-top mattress, two-under bed/stackable dresser drawers, and a study desk and desk chair.

Our standard floor plans come with common area furniture, including an entertainment stand, wall-mounted Smart TV, coffee table, side table, sofa, accent chair and barstools. Larger units include multiple accent chairs and side tables.

For more information about furniture at Sweetwater, read our everything you need to know about planning your furniture for Sweetwater article.

All living rooms have a Smart TVs. Cable connections are available in the living room and each bedroom should residents wish to bring their own television.

Sweetwater offers residents up to 1 Gigabit speeds per user. Residents will have a home-like experience with Personal Area Network (PAN), allowing Wi-Fi-connected devices to interact (i.e., Sonos speakers, and Apple AirPlay, wireless printing, etc.).

One-time fees

• Application fee (non-refundable) – $50 – This fee covers the cost of the background checks we run in order to approve your application, including the screening of one guarantor. This fee is due upon submission of your electronic application.
• Admin fee (non-refundable) – $200 – Residents will be charged a one-time service fee for administration, billing, bill auditing, overhead and similar expenses and charges to be incurred by the Landlord for the Term of this Lease.
• Security Deposit (refundable) – $100 – This fee is due upon move-in and refundable at the end of your lease term.
• Utility setup fee (non-refundable) – $66 – This is an annual registration fee billed by Conservice to set up your utilities, and is not due until you move in.
• Pet fee – $35/month for pets. There is a non-refundable pet deposit of $250.

Monthly Fees

• Trash fee – $5/month

The application fee is due when your application is submitted. All other fees are not due until move-in. For more information about fees at Sweetwater, read our what fees should I expect to pay when I sign a lease at Sweetwater article.

An individual lease is a per-bed lease. You sign a lease for a bed space in the apartment and share common areas with roommates. This means you are only responsible for your own installments. This allows you to live with roommates without having to worry about whether they’re going to pay on time.

Visit our blog to learn more about the benefits of signing an individual lease as a student.

A guarantor is a co-signer for your lease agreement. Because students often don’t have an income, having a guarantor allows us to qualify you for a lease based on your guarantor’s income.

You will list the name and email of your guarantor during the application process, and your guarantor will receive an email to fill out their portion of the application. Check out our blog for more information on what a guarantor is and learn more about if you will need one.

We require all residents at Sweetwater to have a guarantor or to prepay two installments to qualify. Prepaid installments are applied to the last two months of your lease term.

For applicants who do not have a credit history in the US and/or a guarantor, Sweetwater will accept a prepayment of two installments in lieu of credit/guarantor requirements. Prepaid installments are applied to the last two months of your lease term.

Additionally, applicants who are citizens of another country must provide at least two of the following: 1) a passport; 2) the INS document that entitles the applicant to be in the United States; 3) proof of employment in the United States; 4) an I-20 verifying student status; and/or 5) proof of enrollment.

Check out our blog for more information on what a guarantor is and learn more about if you will need one.

We need your Social Security number in order to run standard credit and criminal background checks.

Sweetwater is using software from Entrata to keep your personal information secure. All of your data, including your name, email, birth date, and Social Security number, are secured using encryption techniques that banks use to keep your financial information private. Data is transferred via an SSL/TLS connection using 2048-bit encryption between your computer and Entrata’s servers.

You can easily complete the entire leasing process online. We are also available in the leasing office if you wish to visit us to apply in person.

Step 1: Fill out an application

Start by filling out our application form. You will need the following information:

• Floor plan and unit you want to lease
• Name, phone number, email address, birth date, and Social Security number of the applicant as well as the name and email address of your guarantor (if you’re using one)
• Photo or scan of an identification document such as a passport, driver’s license, state ID, or active military
• Address of applicant’s current residence, as well as current rent payments and contact information for your landlord, who we may contact as a reference
• Bedroom preference and roommate information

Step 2: Sign your lease

After your application is approved, you will automatically be emailed a link to sign your lease. Once our leasing associates countersign your lease, you will be notified via email and receive a digital copy of your completed lease.

Step 3: Get email updates

Once your lease is completed, you will get email notifications with more information on topics such as construction updates, events, move-in, etc.

Check out our blog to learn more about how to sign a lease at a student apartment near UF.

You will be automatically enrolled in Sweetwater’s liability waiver program and charged a fee of $12.95/month, which only protects Sweetwater’s property. To protect your personal property, you can opt out by providing proof of third-party renter’s insurance with a minimum of $100,000 of liability coverage. For more information, read our article on the difference between renter’s insurance vs. liability waver programs.

Yes, you need to list Sweetwater as additional insured on your renter’s insurance policy. You also need to list your address (including your unit number) as your property address on your policy.

At Sweetwater, utilities are projected to range from around $15 to $40 per person, per month on average. This will vary depending on floorplan type, usage and other factors. This range is an estimate – costs may fall outside of this range. For more information, read our how much do utilities cost at a Gainesville apartment article.

Students often ask us: what happens on a tour? Tours are held in the Sweetwater leasing office, conveniently located on the first floor. You’ll be greeted by one of our LMAs who will take you through the office, on the tour and answer your questions! To learn more about what happens on a tour, read our article, What Happens on a Tour?

Sweetwater offers access to our on-site parking garage at an additional monthly cost. Contact us for current pricing.

In order to secure your desired bed space in your chosen floor plan and ensure the best living experience for our residents, we do not currently offer roommate matching.

Check out our blog to learn more about How To Find Roommates at UF and download our Roommate Questionnaire.

To provide peace of mind for students and parents, Sweetwater takes the following security measures:

Surveillance cameras

Sweetwater features an extensive security camera network throughout the entire building and parking garage. Cameras will be placed in the following locations:

All exterior entrances

• Lobby, leasing office, and coffee shop
• Amenity spaces, including the fitness center, yoga and spin studios, study mezzanine, and pool deck
• Parking garage
• Elevator cabs and elevator lobbies

Controlled access

Sweetwater provides residents fob access to all exterior doors, amenity doors, and elevators. Additionally, each unit has electronic key access to all front doors and traditional key access to individual bedroom doors.

After-hours courtesy officers

Sweetwater also provides professional, on-call security after hours, who will be dressed in uniform.

Sweetwater welcomes pets, but with a few restrictions. (Believe it or not, we’ve actually been asked about pet skunks. We said no. You’re welcome.)

Restricted animals include (but are not limited to) aggressive dog breeds, such as Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Huskies, Malamutes, Dobermans, Chow Chows, and Great Danes. If you’re curious about another type of animal, feel free to contact the Sweetwater team.

The level will depend on your floor plan type and apartment number. To view the various levels within the building, check out our site plan.

Each level has a variety of floorplans available. If you and your friends want to lease multiple units on the same floor, our leasing team will do their best to accommodate! Take a look at our site plan to see how each floor is laid out. You can also check out our floorplan options to see what unit type is the best fit for you.

Conservice will send a registration email about 30 days before move-in. Nothing needs to be done before then. For information on utilities, see our fees section.

Please fill out a Maintenance Request on your Resident Portal.

Please note: we are unable to respond to or manage maintenance requests via text or DM. All maintenance requests must be submitted using the methods described above.

Your digital key fob is offered through the platform Salto KS. Contact the leasing office to connect your preferred email address to your account. Once it is added, you can download the Salto KS app and create a password for the account of the email address you provided.

For emergency maintenance requests, please call the main line at (352) 604-5695 and select the emergency maintenance request option.

Please be sure to include your first and last name on all mail and packages. Your mailing address at Sweetwater is as follows:

FIRST NAME, LAST NAME

1225 W. University Ave.

APT #

Gainesville, FL 32601

We will send out a form link where you will provide your receipts and total costs for review by our team. Once approved, costs will be reimbursed as a rent credit during the month of October.

Trash should be placed in the trash chutes available on each floor. Please do not put cardboard down the chute or it will clog and back up trash for the whole property. Instead, please break your boxes down and leave in the trash room. Do not leave your empty packaging in the mail room, this makes it difficult for other residents to find their packages!

Rental installments and monthly fees are due by the first of each month and are considered late on the 4th. Payments can be made through your resident portal. Log in at sweetwaterapt.residentportal.com and go to the “Payments” tab to see any balances owed. We accept checks, money order, cashier’s check, and credit/e-check online. We are unable to accept cash.

Daydreamer is open Mon-Fri from 8am – 5pm and Sat-Sun from 9am – 3pm.