A $1,499 one-bedroom in Plymouth does not cost $1,499 a month. At our communities the real recurring number is $1,624 for a one-bedroom and $1,860 for a two-bedroom, because a $99 or $135 monthly utility fee and a $26 monthly administrative fee sit on top of rent. That utility fee covers gas, heat, water, sewer, and trash. Electric is the only utility you pay directly.
We would rather publish it here than have you find it at lease signing.
What is the real monthly cost?
| Line item | One-bedroom | Two-bedroom |
|---|---|---|
| Advertised starting rent | $1,499 | $1,699 |
| Monthly utility fee | $99 | $135 |
| Monthly administrative fee | $26 | $26 |
| Recurring monthly total | $1,624 | $1,860 |
| Electric | billed separately, paid by resident | billed separately, paid by resident |
| Renters insurance | required, paid to your insurer | required, paid to your insurer |
| Cat, if you have one | + $25/mo | + $25/mo |
With one cat, the monthly total becomes $1,649 for a one-bedroom and $1,885 for a two-bedroom, before electric.
Starting rents change. Use the availability page for the current figure, then add $125 for a one-bedroom or $161 for a two-bedroom to get your recurring cost.
Why does Apartments.com show a different rent than this site?
Because the two are publishing different things, and once you do the arithmetic they agree exactly.
Apartments.com has shown Z on Plymouth at $1,624 to $1,860. This site advertises $1,499 to $1,699. Those are the same pricing expressed two ways:
- One-bedroom: $1,499 rent + $99 utility fee + $26 administrative fee = $1,624
- Two-bedroom: $1,699 rent + $135 utility fee + $26 administrative fee = $1,860
Apartments.com publishes the all-in recurring monthly cost. This site publishes base rent. There is no discrepancy between them, and neither figure is wrong. If you see two numbers for the same apartment and they are $125 or $161 apart, that gap is the fees, not a pricing error.
Electric is still on top of both figures, because electric is metered to you and nobody can publish it in advance.
What does the rent itself cover?
The apartment and everything built into it. Both Z on Plymouth and Z on Coolidge run 850 to 1,000 square feet and include:
- A full-size, in-unit washer and dryer. Not a shared laundry room, not a stacked apartment-size unit. It is the single amenity that most changes daily life, and we wrote about why.
- White shaker cabinets, quartz countertops, and stainless steel appliances
- Luxury vinyl plank flooring, a euro-glass stand-up shower, and a private deck or balcony
- Air conditioning, though the type differs by property. Z on Plymouth has central air. Z on Coolidge has wall units. That is a real difference and we are not going to blur it.
- Parking, unassigned, one vehicle per tenant. No garages and no carports at either property, which is worth knowing before a Michigan February.
Z on Plymouth went through a $2.5 million renovation covering new kitchens, flooring, and bathrooms. It holds 80 units across two stories, 50 one-bedrooms and 30 two-bedrooms, about 3 miles from downtown. Z on Coolidge is 24 units across four buildings under a mile from downtown, recently renovated top to bottom in 2026, close enough to walk or bike to Kellogg Park.
What is the $99 utility fee and what does it cover?
This is the fee renters ask about most, so here is the straight answer.
The amount: $99 per month for a one-bedroom, $135 per month for a two-bedroom. It is a flat charge, not a metered pass-through, so it does not change with your usage.
What it covers: gas, heat, water, sewer, and trash. All five, at both Z on Plymouth and Z on Coolidge.
What it does not cover: electric. Electric is billed by the utility, in your name, and it is the only utility you pay directly. There is no second water bill, no separate sewer charge, no trash invoice, and no gas account to open.
| Utility | Who pays it |
|---|---|
| Gas | Covered by the monthly utility fee |
| Heat | Covered by the monthly utility fee |
| Water | Covered by the monthly utility fee |
| Sewer | Covered by the monthly utility fee |
| Trash | Covered by the monthly utility fee |
| Electric | You, billed separately by the utility |
That is worth knowing on move-in day, because it means one account to open instead of four.
A flat fee also means predictability. You know what that line is in January and in July. What it does not give you is a reward for conserving on the covered utilities, which is the honest tradeoff.
One piece of advice that applies everywhere, not just here: get the itemization in the lease. "Utilities included" means different things at different buildings, and a leasing agent's verbal answer is not the document you will be holding in February. Ask which specific utilities the fee covers, ask whether the fee can change mid-lease, and read the answer in writing before you sign.
What is the $26 administrative fee?
A flat $26 per month, charged at both communities, on top of rent and the utility fee. It is small, recurring, and belongs in your budget rather than in a footnote. Over a one-year lease it adds $312.
What do you pay for separately?
Electric. Billed by the utility, paid by you, in your name. It is the only utility you pay directly, because gas, heat, water, sewer, and trash are all inside the monthly utility fee. It is also the variable piece of your monthly cost and the one you control, which is why the air conditioning difference between our two properties matters in summer.
Renters insurance. Required at both communities. You choose the carrier, so the premium depends on your coverage limits and deductible. For scale, the average Michigan renters policy premium was $180 a year, data year 2022, per NAIC data reproduced by the Insurance Information Institute. That is the most recent authoritative figure available, not a current quote.
Your cat. $350 one-time, then $25 per month. Cats only, up to two per unit; we do not accept dogs.
Two one-time fees at move-in. A $350 cleaning fee and a $125 document preparation fee, both charged once and both due at move-in. Neither is recurring, so neither is inside the $1,624 and $1,860 monthly figures above. They belong to your move-in math instead, and we itemize the whole thing in what move-in actually costs.
What is genuinely not included?
- No garage or carport. Unassigned surface parking, one vehicle per tenant.
- No pool. Neither community has one.
- No dog. Cats are accepted; dogs are not.
- No smoking anywhere. Both communities are 100 percent smoke-free, outdoors and away from buildings only.
- No painting. Generally not permitted, with exceptions by request, so ask rather than assume.
Why do apartments charge fees instead of just raising rent?
The honest answer is that flat fees let a building advertise a lower headline number, and advertised numbers are what rent search sites index and rank. That is an industry-wide practice and we participate in it, which is why we are publishing the arithmetic here.
The defense is the same at every building you tour: ask for the all-in monthly figure, in writing, before you apply. Not the rent. The rent plus every recurring fee. Then compare buildings on that number. As a hypothetical, a community advertising $1,400 with $200 in monthly fees costs more than one advertising $1,499 with $125 in monthly fees, and you cannot see that from a listing page. Those figures are illustrative, not quoted pricing from any specific community.
It matters for qualifying too. Our income requirement is 2.5 to 3 times the monthly rent, and we walk through that math in what income you need to rent in Plymouth.
Frequently asked questions
What utilities are included in rent in Plymouth, MI apartments?
At Z on Plymouth and Z on Coolidge, a flat monthly utility fee of $99 for a one-bedroom or $135 for a two-bedroom covers gas, heat, water, sewer, and trash. Electric is billed separately and paid by the resident. Other Plymouth buildings bundle differently, so ask any landlord to itemize the fee in the lease.
Is electric included in the rent?
No. At both Z on Plymouth and Z on Coolidge, electric is billed separately and paid by the resident, and it is the only utility you pay directly. You will need to put the electric account in your name before move-in. It is also the one variable line in your monthly housing cost.
Why does Apartments.com show a higher rent than this site?
It is not a higher rent, it is a different number. Apartments.com has shown $1,624 to $1,860, which is the all-in monthly cost: $1,499 + $99 + $26 = $1,624, and $1,699 + $135 + $26 = $1,860. This site publishes base rent of $1,499 to $1,699. Both are correct.
What is a monthly administrative fee on an apartment?
It is a flat recurring charge added to rent. At our Plymouth communities it is $26 per month, which is $312 over a one-year lease. It is separate from the utility fee and from rent, so include it when you compare the true monthly cost between buildings.
Is laundry included in Plymouth, MI apartments?
At both of our communities, yes. Every unit has a full-size washer and dryer inside the apartment, not a shared laundry room. That is not standard across Plymouth, so confirm it building by building when you tour.
Do Plymouth apartments include air conditioning?
Both of ours do, but not the same kind. Z on Plymouth has central air conditioning. Z on Coolidge has wall units. If central air matters to you, say so when you book a tour so you see the right property.
Want the all-in monthly number for a specific floor plan? Schedule a tour.
Last verified: September 2026
Sources: Z on Plymouth · Z on Coolidge
.webp)