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Apartment Spotlight: The Cove in Havre de Grace, MD

October 17, 2026 · First Apartment Kit

Not sponsored. Prices and availability change; check with the property. Every fact about the community below comes from The Cove's official website, as listed on October 17, 2026. We did not tour the property, and this is not a review or a recommendation.

This is our first Apartment Spotlight. A couple of times a week, we will pick one real apartment community in the Harford County and Baltimore area, pull the basics from the property's own website, and pair them with the questions a first-time renter should ask on a tour. The same questions work for any building.

Today's spotlight is The Cove, a waterfront apartment community in Havre de Grace, Maryland.

The basics, from the property's website

• Name: The Cove (listed on its site as "Cove")
• Address: 1123 Chesapeake Drive, Havre de Grace, MD 21078
• Phone: (443) 782-4790
• Leasing office hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM; closed Sunday and Monday
• Official site: livethecovehdg.com

The site describes the community as being near the Chesapeake Bay and close to downtown Havre de Grace, with access to Route 40 and I-95. It also says it is minutes from Aberdeen Proving Ground and Upper Chesapeake Health. If you are commuting, drive the route at the time you would actually leave for work before you sign anything.

Floor plans and listed prices (as of October 17, 2026)

The floor plans page listed three plans:

• Tidewater — 1 bedroom, 1 bath, about 600 sq ft. Listed from $1,465 per month on a 12-month lease. The plan page gives a range of $1,465 to $2,000. One unit was shown as available November 20, 2026.
• Blueclaw — 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, about 840 sq ft. Listed from $1,640 per month on a 12-month lease, with a range up to $2,200. The site showed units available.
• Bayscape — 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, about 975 sq ft. No price was shown; the site offered a "Get Notified" option instead.

The listed deposit for the Tidewater and Blueclaw plans was $150. The site notes that advertised rent is based on a 12-month lease term and that prices may vary depending on the lease term and move-in date you select. It also says square footage is approximate. One Tidewater unit, for example, was listed at 550 sq ft, not 600. Ask about the specific unit, not just the plan.

Pet policy, from the property's website

According to the pet policy page:

• Dogs and cats are welcome, with a maximum of two pets per apartment.
• Pet rent is $25 per month, plus a $200 one-time up-front pet fee.
• Pets must be registered with management before move-in or adoption.
• Certain dog breeds and breed mixes are not permitted. The list includes Pit Bull-type breeds, Rottweiler, German Shepherd, Husky, and several others. Read the full list on the site if you have a dog.
• Exotic animals are not permitted, including reptiles, rabbits, birds, and ferrets. Aquariums up to 5 gallons are allowed in first-floor apartments with prior management approval.
• The site says these guidelines do not apply to approved service or assistance animals as defined by law.

Amenities listed on the site

The amenities page lists, among other things:

• No amenity fees
• In-unit washers and dryers in every unit
• Stainless steel appliances, stone countertops, ceiling fans, and vinyl plank flooring or carpet
• Large closets
• A 360-degree waterfront deck, kayak storage, raised community garden beds, and propane grilling stations
• A fenced dog park
• On-site maintenance listed as available 24/7
• Off-street parking available
• Online payments by eCheck or credit card, and cash payments via MoneyGram
• Townhomes in addition to one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments

What a first-time renter should check on a tour here

A website tells you what a property offers. A tour is where you find out how it works day to day. Here is how we would turn the listing above into tour questions. Bring a notes app or a printed list, and write the answers down while you are still in the leasing office.

1. The real monthly total, not just the rent

Start with the advertised rent, then add everything else. For a one-bedroom with one cat, that would be the rent plus $25 per month in pet rent, plus the $200 pet fee and $150 deposit up front. Then ask what is not in the listing:

• Are there application fees, admin fees, or move-in fees?
• Which utilities am I responsible for, and which companies provide them? Is water, sewer, or trash billed separately?
• Is there a fee for paying rent by credit card?
• Is renters insurance required, and is there a minimum coverage amount?

Our guide to utilities to set up before you move in covers what to line up once you know who provides what.

2. Lease length changes the price

The Cove's site says rent can vary by lease term and move-in date. Ask for written quotes on more than one lease length, such as 12 months and a shorter or longer term, and ask how renewal increases have usually been handled. Ask what happens if you need to break the lease early.

3. See the actual unit

Floor plans are drawings, and listed square footage is approximate. If you can, tour the unit you would actually rent, not a model. Check the things that are hard to fix later: water pressure in the shower, cell signal in each room, how the washer and dryer run, natural light, and noise from neighbors or the parking lot. Ask which floor it is on and whether it has the view the photos show. The site says only select homes have bay and cove views.

4. Maintenance and repairs

The site lists a 24/7 maintenance team. Ask how you submit a request (app, portal, phone), what counts as an emergency, and what a typical response time looks like for a non-emergency repair. Ask whether the unit will be re-cleaned or repaired before your move-in date, and get any promised fixes in writing.

5. Parking, packages, and pets in practice

• Is parking assigned or first-come? Is there guest parking?
• Where do packages go when you are not home?
• If you have a pet: is the pet fee refundable, and are there weight limits?
• If you want kayak storage or a garden bed: is there a waitlist or a separate fee?

6. Move-in day details

Ask whether there is a written move-in condition form and whether someone will walk the unit with you. Either way, take dated photos before you unpack. Our move-in photos guide walks through it room by room.

For the full list of pre-signing questions about money, repairs, rules, and move-out, see questions to ask a landlord before signing a lease. For general Maryland tenant information and official sources, see our Maryland renter rights page.

Quick tour checklist

Print this or copy it into your notes before any tour, at The Cove or anywhere else.

• ☐ Monthly total: rent + pet rent + utilities
• ☐ Up-front total: deposit + fees
• ☐ Application and admin fees
• ☐ Which utilities are mine, and which companies
• ☐ Price for more than one lease length
• ☐ Early lease-break terms
• ☐ Toured the actual unit, not a model
• ☐ Water pressure, cell signal, noise
• ☐ Washer and dryer tested
• ☐ How to submit repair requests
• ☐ Parking and guest parking
• ☐ Package delivery
• ☐ Pet rules for my pet
• ☐ Renters insurance required?
• ☐ Move-in condition form
• ☐ Promised fixes in writing

You are there to collect facts. Write them down, compare two or three places side by side, and decide at home.

Not sponsored. Prices and availability change; check with the property. Property details were taken from the community's official website on October 17, 2026, and may have changed since. First Apartment Kit has no relationship with this property. Not legal advice.