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1/5/2011
The Apartment Search
When you are apartment hunting, prepare a rental search plan. Be sure to know in advance
what you want
in an apartment and what you can live
without. Decide in advance what areas
of the city you could consider
living in and make a list of apartment buildings within that
perimeter.
Be sure to
consider how far and how convenient it will be for you to travel to
your job
or your school or
your family and friends. Also, how far is
the apartment from stores,
banks, hospitals, Church (if you attend)
etc. If you have a car, make sure that there is
adequate and
convenient parking space 24/7. If you don't
drive make sure that
there is
close by public transportation.
Narrow your apartment locating to the type and size of rental unit you need.
Studio
apartment or one
bedroom apartment or 2 BR apartment or more.
Are you considering
a furnished apartment or do you
possible need a
short term rental. Would
an
apartment
share with a roommate be a possibility?
If you are renting an apartment with a cat, dog,
or other pet, you need to find out which
apartments
allow renting
with pets and which do not. And, if they do allow pets, is
there an
additional security
deposit required and if so, how much it is. Do
you need an
apartment complex with an exercise
room or tennis courts
or a pool or a recreation room,
etc. or do you simply need and
desire a nice
clean and
quiet pad.
Be realistic
about what you can afford. Most apartment renting guides suggest
that your
rent should not
be more than 25% to 30% of your income.
This can vary depending on
the income bracket, but be sure to be
"real world" when budgeting additional apartment
expenses such as
heating and air conditioning
and other utilities. If you fall short
of affording
the apartment of your choice, you might consider
sharing
an apartment with a roommate
or roommates. Keep in mind that
living with roommates can help you
afford an upscale
apartment or
even, in some cases, luxury apartments, but it also has extreme
restrictions to your privacy.
If you are
familiar with the area and its neighborhoods, that gives you a
distinct advantage
for your
apartment search. If, however, you are
relocating to a new city or are not
particularly knowledgeable
about
the city, you may want to contact an Apartment Locator
or an
Apartment Finder.
Once you narrow
your search for apartments down to apts which suit your needs and
desires you must
be well organized & well prepared for your visits
to the apartment complexes.
When inspecting the rental premises be
on the alert for unsafe conditions, excessive noise
from traffic or
playgrounds or neighbors.
Visit the apartment building at night as
well as the
daytime hours. This will give you a more comprehensive
understanding of the space you'll
be residing in.
When you find
the apartment complex that meets your renting needs and desires, you
must
be ready to
put your "best foot forward" when you meet the
apartment's rental agent. This
person may be the
apartment building
manager or a renting agent for the apts. You should
prepare for this
apartment renting interview in a professional and intelligent
manner. Be advised
that you are going to be asked to provide
proof
that you are a reliable prospective tenant.
You are most likely
going to need references from
previous landlords. You may also be
required by the apartments to show that you are gainfully employed
and can afford the rent.
Many landlords may require a credit report.
If you are a first time renter and/or
you have
limited credit
history you may be asked for references from family, friends,
employer,
professionals,
etc. Likewise if you are renting with bad
credit you will certainly want to
come to the interview with a
strong selection of references.
You are not
necessarily restricted from apartment renting with less than perfect
credit, but
you may be
required to put up an additional security
deposit and possibly have a credit worthy
person co-sign the
apartment lease with you. Be prepared for requests for any
of these things.
Be sure to fill out a 100%
truthful apartment
rental application and come to the interview with
references, proof
of employment,
credit information and any other renting resources at
the ready.
If you do have a credit history or renting
history that
might be detrimental, going through an
apartment locator or
apartment finder may be the best
solution. They will present your
history to the landlord for you, (make sure they are 100% truthful
about it)
and they can also be quite helpful and save you a lot of
time because they most likely
will know which
landlords and
apartments are more lenient in these circumstances. They
can also
advise you as to exactly
what kinds of references and documents you
might need to
prove that you can be a responsible tenant.
You Have Located Your “Dream Apartment”
Once you have
located your “dream apartment”, or as close to your perfect
apartment as possible, now it
is necessary to pay extremely close
attention to the particulars of the rental agreement. An Apartment
Lease
is a contract between you and the landlord. Once agreed upon
and signed by the tenant and the landlord,
the rental lease creates
obligations and restrictions for both parties. The most obvious
covenants of the
apartment lease are the length of the rental, (Six
month lease, one year lease, two year lease, etc.) The
amount of the
security deposit, when the rent is due, who is responsible for what
utilities. Also in that
apartment lease, however, are stipulations,
(sometimes in small print) that can cover a great variety of
landlord and tenant obligations and restrictions. They can include,
but are not limited to, the following:
• Maintenance of the apartment
• Care of the premises
• Cleanliness
• Insurance
• Governmental regulations
• Eminent Domain
• Nuisance and noise clauses
• Stipulations as to the circumstances whereby the landlord can
enter the premises
• Use of Common Areas
• Keys and locks
• Loss or damage
• Parking
• Pets
• Plumbing
• What the landlord may do if the rent is in arrears
• What the tenant can do to bring the rent current before any kind
of action might be started
• Non performance or breach of the contract by the renter
• Renter’s penalties in the event of early termination
• Circumstances which might cause the tenant or the landlord to
break the lease
prior to the end of the term
• Heat and other utilities
• Removal of goods
• Surrender or Non-Surrender of the premises
• Waivers of various obligations
• Prohibited reprisals
• Garbage disposal
• Recyclables
• And the list goes on and on and on.
Prospective tenants should read an
Apartment lease thoroughly. Prospective apartment renters
should
understand everything that is contained in that lease and make an
informed decision to be
100% accepting of all the provisions for
both the tenant and the landlord, that you are positive that
you can
live up to your end of the bargain and that you are comfortable with
the provisions on the
landlord’s end.
If you do not
understand every single clause of that apartment lease then do not
sign it until you do
understand it. If necessary and if possible,
request assistance in interpreting the lease from a trusted
source
such as a knowledgeable friend or family member or employer or
professional, or anyone
else who can understand it and explain it to
you. If necessary get legal advice. It can cost additional
funds if
you do not qualify for free legal assistance, but that additional
cost might save you a ton of
money and save you a ton of heartache
and aggravation down the road.
If you do not
agree with any of the provisions of that apartment lease and/or you
feel that you can’t
live up to the tenant’s obligations, or if you
are not in agreement with any of the landlord’s rights
under the
agreement, then do not sign the lease until/or unless it can be
changed to your satisfaction.
If the apartment rental agreement
cannot be amended to meet your needs and desires and comfort
level
then do not sign the lease and do not rent that apartment. The
Apartment Rental agreement
that you sign as a prospective tenant
will not change once you become the actual tenant of that
apartment.
Good luck in your apartment search and good luck in your new apartment.
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