Celina Apartment Locator: Light Farms Rentals, New Apartments on Preston Road
As your Celina apartment locator, we checked 10 places this week, with prices from $888 a month after free rent. Celina is still filling in, and what you rent here is most often a new house in Light Farms and the other planned communities. Apartment buildings are opening along Preston Road and the Tollway's planned path north, one at a time. Parts of town are on co-op power, and the commute south starts on Preston Road.
- Typical 1 bedroom
- $1,220/mo
- Places with homes available
- 10
- With a special
- 80%
- Our help costs you
- $0
After free rent, before fees. Checked . See this week's deals
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Costs you nothing
Your list and our help are free
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No credit pull
We never touch your screening report
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We reply during our hours
Mon to Fri, 9:00am to 6:00pm. Your budget and move date are all we need.
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TREC #562021
Spirit Real Estate Group
Celina apartments by size this week
We checked 10 places in Celina on November 6, 2026. Prices count any firm free rent, spread over the lease, and are before fees. Pick your size to see the best deals.
This week in Celina
Price by building age, after free rent
On a 1 bedroom here, middle age buildings run about $223 a month less than newer ones. If price matters most, start with them.
For a 2 bedroom here, newer buildings cost only about $53 a month more than middle age ones. That's not much extra for a newer home.
For a 3 bedroom here, newer buildings cost only about $34 a month more than middle age ones. That's not much extra for a newer home.
80%
of places here have a move-in special
Firm free rent offers here give about 10 weeks.
2
brand new or still opening
2 have a special now. New buildings often run the biggest deals as they fill up.
Renting a house or an apartment in Celina?
A 3 bedroom house here runs about $216 a month more than a 3 bedroom apartment after free rent.
With a house you usually get a yard, more room and no shared walls. You often pay water, trash and yard care yourself, and deposits can run higher.
With an apartment you pay community fees each month for things like parking, trash and amenities. Free rent usually needs a lease of 12 months or more, and the staff on site handles repairs.
House rents: Rentometer, Oct 2026, houses rented in Celina, TX in the past 12 months. Apartment prices: our check of 10 communities this week, after free rent and before fees.
Our picks in Celina
Places we like right now, in each kind of building. Tell us your budget, and we'll send the names and floor plans.
Newer buildings
Built or redone since 2015
1 / 81 Bedroom from $1,077/mo10 weeks free on select 1 and 2bedsOur takeQuiet, well kept and brand new, with maintenance that gets work orders done quickly.Get the name →
1 / 81 Bedroom from $1,296/moOur takeWide sidewalks and pet stations make dog walks easy, and the homes are roomy with garage options.Get the name →
1 / 81 Bedroom from $1,295/moUp to 2 months free + $1,000 offOur takeRent a full house with a garage and backyard here, plus a pool and gym, and tour on your own schedule.Get the name →
Middle age buildings
Mostly built 1995 to 2014
1 / 61 Bedroom from $1,062/moUp to $5,000 offOur takeA newer build in a fast growing town, kept clean. The leasing team answers every question with no pushy sales talk.Get the name →
1 / 61 Bedroom from $888/mo net effective10 weeks freeOur takeClosets here are huge, and the work rooms and gym make it a smart pick if you work from home.Get the name →
Find your best deal in Celina
Pick what you want. We compare each deal with buildings like it here: same size, about the same age.
Circles show the general area, not the building. Numbers match the deals below.
- 1 / 6
Top deal on this list
★ Our pick$348 below similar 1 bedrooms here
10 weeks free on a 12‑month lease
$888
/mo net effective
1 bed · 715 sq ft · $1,099 listed · You save about $2,530
Class B · Built 2024 · 4+ stars on Google
34 homes available this week
Get the name and floor plan - 1 / 8★ Our pick
$102 below similar 2 bedrooms here
2 bed · 962 sq ft · $1.57 per sq ft
Class A · Built 2025 · 4.5+ stars on Google
Down $25 since November 1 · 18 homes available this week
10 weeks free on select 1 and 2beds
$1,510/moGet the name - 1 / 8★ Our pick
$292 below similar 3 bedrooms here
3 bed · 1,225 sq ft · $1.55 per sq ft
Class A · Built 2023 · 4+ stars on Google
12 homes available this week
Up to 2 months free + $1,000 off on some homes
$1,895/moGet the name
Prices are rent only. Monthly fees and the deposit are extra. Ask for your list, and we'll send the names and floor plans.
Nothing here matches all of that this week. Tell us what you want and we'll look for buildings that fit.
Why our prices are lower than what the community quotes
When a community gives free rent, we spread it over the whole lease and show what you pay a month on average. The community quotes the full rent, and many take the free rent off your first months. You pay the same total either way. Our way lets you compare one deal with another. Fees and the deposit are extra.
Why our prices are lower than what the community quotes
When a community gives free rent, we spread it over the whole lease and show what you pay a month on average. The community quotes the full rent, and many take the free rent off your first months. You pay the same total either way. Our way lets you compare one deal with another. Fees and the deposit are extra.
See all the numbers: prices by size, newer vs. older, week by week
Prices by size
"Middle half" is the range half the places here start in. A price under it beats about 3 in 4 places.
| Size | Typical | Cheapest | Middle half | Per sq ft | Since November 1 | Places open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | n/a | $974 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 2 |
| 1 bed | $1,220 | $888 | $1,112 to $1,278 | $1.79 | no change | 10 |
| 2 bed | $1,612 | $1,443 | $1,543 to $1,721 | $1.57 | no change | 10 |
| 3 bed | $2,184 | $1,673 | $2,049 to $2,299 | $1.53 | no change | 9 |
Newer vs. older buildings
Newer means built or redone since 2015. Middle means mostly 1995 to 2014. Older means built before 1995. Prices are for a 1 bedroom. How we sort them
| Buildings | Typical 1 bed | With a special | Usual weeks free | Per sq ft | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newer (Class A) | $1,285 | 80% | n/a | $1.81 | 5 |
| Middle (Class B) | $1,062 | 100% | 10 weeks | $1.37 | 3 |
Prices week by week
The typical price from each weekly check since Oct 28. A line heading down means prices here are easing.
Each place's price is its lowest listed available apartment of that size, after any firm free rent and before fees. We leave out income restricted, tax credit, 55+ and student housing. Prices can change any day, so get the final price in writing from the building before you apply.
Areas we cover in and around Celina
Light FarmsLight Farms is the large planned community on Celina's south side, with its own trails, pools and lakes.
Most leases are houses, and Preston Road or the tollway gets you south toward Prosper and Frisco.
Downtown CelinaCelina's old square sits on Ohio and Walnut streets, with restored storefronts where the town holds its events.
Rentals near it are older houses, and new apartment buildings are going up on the blocks around it.
Preston Road CorridorPreston Road (SH-289) runs north and south through Celina, and much of the new retail and apartment construction lines up along it.
Expect heavy traffic at rush hour as it carries commuters south to Prosper and Frisco.
Tollway Extension CorridorThe Dallas North Tollway is being extended north from US-380 toward FM 428, with a target of about 2027.
New subdivisions and planned apartments are filling in along its path, so construction noise and detours are part of life there for now.
Old Celina ParkOld Celina Park is one of the city's big parks, with ballfields, trails and a pond.
The streets nearby are a mix of newer subdivisions and open land, and most rentals here are houses.
US-380 CorridorCelina's southern edge reaches toward US-380, the highway running east and west between McKinney and Denton.
Living near it puts you closer to Prosper's retail and the tollway, with highway traffic as the tradeoff.
Photos: Light Farms: Michael.Rihani, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Downtown Celina: Erod1997, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Celina Apartments Open One Building at a Time
- We call for this month's openings, since new Celina buildings open and fill fast
- Light Farms rules on pets, parking and minimum lease terms: read them before you commit
- Electric cooperative or Oncor power: check by address, so you know whether there's a plan to shop
Preston Road, the coming Tollway and no transit
Preston Road, SH 289, is the main way south through Prosper and Frisco toward Legacy West, and it slows to a crawl at rush hour. The Dallas North Tollway ends in Prosper for now. NTTA is building it north from US-380 toward FM 428 in Celina, with an opening aimed at late 2027. US-380, south of town, is the east and west road toward McKinney.
Celina has no DART service of any kind, so a car comes with every lease. Time the drive to Frisco or Legacy from the exact address at your start hour; the map makes it look shorter than it is.
New houses, a few apartments and the power question
Celina doesn't have many rentals yet, and more are on the way. The newer apartment communities along Preston Road and the Tollway path have written rules and standard leases. But the list is short next to Frisco or McKinney, and what's open changes month to month.
Most rentals are houses in Light Farms and the other planned neighborhoods (some on streets built entirely for renters, with community pools). Their HOA covers parking, pets, yards and lease terms for tenants too, whatever the owner says. Get the documents before signing. The companies that build homes to rent often say yes with conditions where a private owner might say no.
Power depends on the street. A co-op serves some of Celina, and those homes have no plan to shop. Oncor reaches some new construction, where you can pick a plan.
How life in Celina works
Celina's day to day centers on its old downtown square, where most of the restaurants and the big town events sit within a block or two. Everything else, from groceries to the commute, means a drive south.
- Old Celina Park and the square's lawn
- Dinner on the square
- Cajun Fest, Friday markets and holidays on the square
- What we tell renters looking at Celina
Old Celina Park and the square's lawn
Old Celina Park, about a mile from the square, is the big city park, with a pond, walking trails and ball fields. Celina Town Square itself works as the town's front lawn, a small green ringed by restored storefronts where people sit out on event nights.
Old Celina Park
Loop the pond on foot on a cool evening, or catch a league game on the ball fields.
- Evening walks
- League games
Dinner on the square
Nearly all of Celina's best known places to eat sit on or a block off the square, so dinner and a walk go together. Barbecue, Tex-Mex, an Italian market, a cocktail bar and brunch spots share the old storefronts. A coffee shop and a pho house sit a short walk away.
Downtown Celina
Park once and walk between dinner, a drink and dessert on the blocks around the square.
- Dinner on foot
- Date nights
Tender Smokehouse
Get there at lunch on a weekend for brisket by the pound, then take a lap around the square after.
- Weekend barbecue
- Lunch on the square
Cajun Fest, Friday markets and holidays on the square
The square hosts the town's big events. Celina Cajun Fest takes over the square each May. The Friday Night Market runs 6pm to 9pm on select Fridays, with local vendors and live music. Fall brings Oktoberfest and a Halloween night called Beware! of the Square, and December brings Christmas on the Square.
Celina Town Square
Check the city calendar for Friday Night Market dates, and come early to find parking close by.
- Friday markets
- Holiday events
What we tell renters looking at Celina
Every commute here is a drive: our 8am times run about 33 minutes to Legacy West, 57 to DFW Airport and 68 to Downtown Dallas. Preston Road carries much of the traffic south, so try the drive at your work hour before you sign. On big event days the square fills up, so plan a move for another weekend.
Celina questions
Are there apartments in Celina yet?
A small and growing number, along Preston Road and the Tollway path, and they fill quickly. Most rentals are new houses in Light Farms and other planned communities. For more apartments to choose from, Frisco and McKinney are the next stop. Where a unit is open, expect roughly $1,220 for a one bedroom with specials counted, going by our latest check.
Does Celina have co-op electric or Oncor?
Both. A co-op home buys power from the co-op, so there's no plan to shop. Some new construction is on Oncor, where you can pick a plan. Get the provider's name for the exact unit first.
How long does it take to commute from Celina to Legacy West or Frisco?
Longer than the miles suggest, since Preston Road and the Tollway both back up at rush hour. Drive it from the address at your start time before you sign.
What are the HOA rules in Light Farms and other planned communities?
Light Farms and its neighbors each set rules for parking, pets, yards and lease terms that follow the house. A work truck or a six month lease can be off limits, so read them first.
Is my Celina address in Celina ISD?
Celina ISD covers much of the city, and Prosper ISD covers the south side, including Light Farms. Look up the exact address.
Do Celina's rental home companies accept credit problems?
Often. The rental home companies have written rules, and many will say yes with conditions, more often than private owners. Income still has to qualify.
Is there an apartment locator near Celina?
Yes. Celina's market changes month to month. We call the new Preston Road buildings and the Light Farms rental streets for what's open now, rather than relying on last month's list.
Near Celina
Prosper is just south on Preston Road, Frisco a little farther down, and McKinney is the US-380 drive east.
Looking in Celina?
Give us your timing and say if a house is fine, and we'll see what Celina has open that week.
new construction rentals · specials at new buildings · the full monthly cost
Free to renters · No credit pull · Brokered by Spirit Real Estate Group, TREC #562021