15 Tips for Renting an Apartment

15 Tips for Renting an Apartment

The day will come for most people when the need for an apartment will arise. For many, recommended psychics this will be the first residence after high school or college. For others, it will be a place to live in retirement. Regardless of what point in life that you consider renting an apartment, you will need to look at a few areas to make sure that the experience will be positive.

How many bedrooms do you need? For a couple, a two bedroom apartment may fit their needs. However, if children are present, more bedrooms will often give everyone more space and private sleeping place. If a home office is needed, additional bedrooms are usually converted to serve this purpose. What do you want or need in your bathrooms? Bathrooms can range from large and extravagant to small and functional. Some have bathtubs or showers, and some have both. Depending on your personal taste, the type of bathroom that the apartment has may be important to your happiness while living there. Many people cannot live without at least one bathroom per person living in the apartment. How will you get to work from the apartment? This question takes into account the convenience of the apartment to your work place. If you have a personal car that you will use to commute, make sure that the apartment has adequate parking for it. For people who must either car pool or use public transportation, access to these modes of transportation is important. The apartment must be within a reasonable distance of the type of transportation needed. The cost of the daily commute needs to be added to the cost of the apartment. Will you be doing much entertaining? How you will use the apartment is a critical consideration when looking for a rental unit. For people who like to do a lot of entertaining, noise tolerance is a factor in apartment choice. You will also need to decide if the apartment has enough room inside and outside to handle the number of guests that you plan to have regularly. How much is the apartment furnished? You will want to ask about the furniture and appliances that come furnished with the apartment. This is an important consideration when renting an apartment. You may have furniture or appliances and want to know about using your own instead of theirs. On the other hand, you may need certain items. If they are furnished, it will save you a lot of dollars at moving in time. Are any of the utility costs included? Most but not all apartments include at least some of the utilities. Water, sewer, and trash pick up are common utilities included in the rental amount. Some apartments include all utilities. Depending on what is furnished, you may find a higher rent with more utilities furnished is a better deal. Is the apartment at ground level or up several floors? The preference can go either way on this issue. Some like upper floors because they believe that they are safer. Other people have trouble with stairs or fear elevators. This is a consideration that each renter needs to work out before signing the lease. How secure and safe is the apartment and the area around it? Safety and security are a big deal for most renters. People want to feel safe when they are at home. They also want to believe that their things are safe when they are away. Parents want a safe neighborhood for their children. No one wants to be mugged near their own home. How can you escape the lease, and how long does it last? Iron clad leases are the bane of renters. Many leases make no provision for breaking the lease and do not allow subletting. In more desirable areas, landlords may require multiple year leases. Watch for the fine print before signing a lease. Are pets allowed? If you intend to bring an animal into the apartment, make sure that it will not cost you a fortune to do so. Some apartment complexes are pet-free zones. The fines for bringing a pet into your apartment can run into the hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars. The other side of this problem is that if all pets are allowed, is it creating a smelly and unsafe living environment. Is smoking allowed? Like pets, the arguments can be multi-sided. Many people resent the smell where people are allowed to smoke freely. For smokers, a non-smoking environment seems punitive. Decide what you need and find it before choosing to rent an apartment. How are quiet hours enforced? Once again, this problem can be seen from both sides. If you want to entertain, make sure the rules against noise do not keep you from doing what you enjoy. If you are early to bed and early to rise, having your apartment quiet after 9 o'clock may be critical for you. How is maintenance handled? No one wants to live with a leaky faucet or roof. Knowing how these problems are supposed to be handled is vital before moving into the apartment. You need an understanding about how quickly issues should be resolved as well. Get this in writing in the lease before you sign it. Is the apartment currently in good condition? Make the manager or landlord walk through the apartment with you and note any problems. Make the manager sign the sheet and keep a copy in your records. Many apartments try to avoid refunding your security deposit on the grounds of excessive damage or a dirty apartment. Having the problems documented can only help you at this time. How are the views from the windows or balcony? Unless you intend to only come into the apartment to sleep, you will want to be able to look out of the windows. It is nice if you can see something besides a brick wall a few feet away. Try to find an apartment that has a little bit of an interesting view. It will make it much more pleasant when you have to be at home and want to look outside. Written by [/people/ATeal ATeal] [l]