Apartment hunting should be just as strategic is deer hunting. When you are trying to find the perfect apartment, you cannot simply settle for the first place you look at. You may end up coming back to the first place, but you don’t want to select it for sure until you have something else to compare it to. Try to look at as many apartments as you can before you make a final decision. While you’re looking, be sure to take notice of the landlord, the quality of the apartment, the neighbors, and the area. Here are some tips for apartment hunting:
Get the newspaper and circle your possibilities. You should be looking for rental units that have the number of bedrooms you’re looking for, are in the area you would like to live in, and that are in your price range. There’s no reason to waste your time looking at places that don’t suit your needs. You can also expand your possibilities by adding the Internet and penny saver to your search. There are several web sites that provide virtual tours of apartments along with detailed information and prices. Just remember – never make a decision based on something you read or see on the Internet or in the newspaper. You have to see the apartment for yourself and thoroughly examine it before you make any final choices. Set up appointments to visit the apartments that match your search criteria. If you’re going to be living with other people, make sure that everyone is available to go check out the places that you want to see. Even if you are going to live alone, you should bring a friend or family member along – it’s great to have a second opinion.
A good rule of thumb: if it doesn’t feel right, then it is wrong. Do not settle for an apartment that you do not feel comfortable in. Also, if you do not like the landlord, then you should not rent the apartment – no matter how great it is. A bad landlord can make your life a living you-know-what. You want a landlord who you feel is trustworthy and reliable, not rude and aloof. If you have no heat in the middle of a cold winter, you’re going to want a landlord who you can count on. Plus, getting your security deposit back from a bad landlord when you move out of this apartment will not be easy – even if you’ve kept the place in great shape. Try to strike up a conversation with a landlord while you are looking at the apartment just to get a feel for what type of person he or she is. If you’re looking at apartment complex, then try talking to some current tenants to get a feel for how other renters feel about the complex and the landlord. Ask your landlord what the average length of stay is for renters at the complex – if many have been there for many years, then the landlord must be doing something right!
Always check the water pressure at the apartments you look at. Weak water pressure is incredibly frustrating, especially when you’re trying to rush into the shower to get to work in the morning. Also, when you are trying to do the dishes, bad water pressure will really slow you down. Make sure all the burners on the stove work, look inside the oven, and check the lights and fan above the stove. Look inside the refrigerator and in the freezer. Don’t be afraid to ask the landlord how old the appliances are – that’s a perfectly logical thing to wonder about since you are potentially going to be living there for a year or more.
If you’re planning on moving in with pets, make sure that they are allowed. Many apartments do not allow pets, especially dogs. Cats seem to be a little more widely accepted, but still, there are often stipulations on the number of cats that you can have, and sometimes there is additional monthly rent or security deposit per cat. Some pet owners try to evade the subjects, and they just move in hoping that the landlord won’t say anything thing about their pets. That is not a good idea – you don’t want to have to give up your pet because you didn’t check with the landlord, and you also will not want to give up an apartment that you just moved into because you “forgot” to tell the landlord that you had a pet. Honesty is the best policy. Similarly, if you’re a smoker, you have to make sure that it is OK for you to smoke in the apartment.
Bring a tape measure when you look at an apartment. Having the square footage of the rooms will help you to gauge whether or not there’s enough space for you and your belongings. Bring a pencil or a pen and pad so that you can take any notes about the places you look at, or so you can sketch the layout of apartments to jog your memory later on. You should also bring a list of references to supply to the landlord if necessary. Before you make an offer on an apartment, you should always give yourself time to think about it. Tell the landlord that you are interested, but that you need to go over your thoughts, and you will give him or her call back as soon as possible. If you are worried that someone else is going to scoop up the apartment that you want, then request that the landlord give you at least a few hours to decide – tell him or her that if you want the place, you will be able to come back with a deposit right away (landlords like the comfort of knowing that you have the cash available). Above all, just remember to pick a place that you feel comfortable in, and do not settle for less than what you are seeking.
