Apartment Search

When you are apartment hunting, prepare a rental search plan. Besure to know in advance what you want in an apartment and whatyou can live without. Decide in advance what areas of the cityyou could consider living in and make a list of apartmentbuildings within that perimeter.Be sure to consider how far and how convenient it will be foryou to travel to your job or your school or your family andfriends. Also, how far is the apartment from stores, banks,hospitals, Church (if you attend) etc. If you have a car, makesure that there is adequate and convenient parking space 24/7.If you don't drive make sure that there is close by publictransportation.Narrow your apartment locating to the size of rental unit youneed. Studio apartment or one bedroom apartment or 2 BRapartment or more. Are you considering a furnished apartment ordo you possible need a short term rental. If you are renting anapartment with a cat, dog, or other pet, you need to find outwhich apartments allow renting with pets and which do not. And,if they do allow pets, is there an additional security depositrequired and if so, how much it is. Do you need an apartmentcomplex with an exercise room or tennis courts or a pool or arecreation room, etc. or do you simply need and desire a niceclean and quiet pad.Be realistic about what you can afford. Most apartment rentingguides 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 additionalapartment expenses such as heating and air conditioning andother utilities. If you fall short of affording the apartment ofyour choice, you might consider sharing an apartment with aroommate or roommates. Keep in mind that living with roommatescan help you afford an upscale apartment or even, in some cases,luxury apartments, but it also has extreme restrictions to yourprivacy.If you are familiar with the area and its neighborhoods, thatgives you a distinct advantage for your apartment search. If,however, you are relocating to a new city or are notparticularly knowledgeable about the city, you may want tocontact an Apartment Locator or an Apartment Finder.Once you narrow your search for apartments down to apts whichsuit your needs and desires you must be well organized & wellprepared for your visits to the apartment complexes. Wheninspecting the rental premises be on the alert for unsafeconditions, excessive noise from traffic or playgrounds orneighbors. Visit the apartment building at night as well as thedaytime hours. This will give you a more comprehensiveunderstanding of the total space you will be residing in.When you find the apart...

...ment complex that meets your rentingneeds and desires, you must be ready to put your "best footforward" when you meet the apartment's rental agent. This personmay be the apartment building manager or a renting agent for theapts. You should prepare for this apartment renting interview ina professional and intelligent manner. Be advised that you aregoing to be asked to provide proof that you are a reliableprospective tenant. You are most likely going to need referencesfrom previous landlords. You may also be required by theapartments to show that you are gainfully employed and canafford the rent. Many landlords may require a credit report. Ifyou are a first time renter and/or you have limited credithistory you may be asked for references from family, friends,employer, professionals, etc. Likewise if you are renting withbad credit you will certainly want to come to the interview witha strong selection of references.You are not necessarily restricted from apartment renting withless than perfect credit, but you may be required to put up anadditional security deposit and possibly have a credit worthyperson co-sign the apartment lease with you. Don't unpreparedfor by requests for any of these things. Be sure to fill out a100% truthful apartment rental application and come to theinterview with references, proof of employment, creditinformation and any other renting resources at the ready. If youdo have a credit history or renting history that might bedetrimental, going through an apartment locator or apartmentfinder may be the best solution. They will present your historyto the landlord for you, (make sure they are 100% truthful aboutit) and they can also be quite helpful and save you a lot oftime because they most likely will know which landlords andapartments are more lenient in these circumstances. They canalso advise you as to exactly what kinds of references anddocuments you might need to prove that you can be a responsibletenant.You Have Located Your "Dream Apartment"Once you have located your "dream apartment", or as close toyour perfect apartment as possible, now it is necessary to payextremely close attention to the particulars of the rentalagreement. An Apartment Lease is a contract between you and thelandlord. Once agreed upon and signed by the tenant and thelandlord, the rental lease creates obligations and restrictionsfor both parties. The most obvious covenants of the apartmentlease are the length of the rental, (Six month lease, one yearlease, 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...

...n small print) that can cover a great variety oflandlord 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 * EminentDomain * Nuisance and noise clauses * Stipulations as to thecircumstances whereby the landlord can enter the premises * Useof Common Areas * Keys and locks * Loss or damage * Parking *Pets * Plumbing * What the landlord may do if the rent is inarrears * What the tenant can do to bring the rent currentbefore any kind of action might be started * Non performance orbreach of the contract by the renter * Renter's penalties in theevent of early termination * Circumstances which might cause thetenant or the landlord to break the lease prior to the end ofthe term * Heat and other utilities * Removal of goods *Surrender or Non-Surrender of the premises * Waivers of variousobligations * 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 thatis contained in that lease and make an informed decision to be100% accepting of all the provisions for both the tenant and thelandlord, that you are positive that you can live up to your endof the bargain and that you are comfortable with the provisionson the landlord's end.If you do not understand every single clause of that apartmentlease then do not sign it until you do understand it. Ifnecessary and if possible, request assistance in interpretingthe lease from a trusted source such as a knowledgeable friendor family member or employer or professional, or anyone else whocan understand it and explain it to you. If necessary get legaladvice. It can cost additional funds if you do not qualify forfree legal assistance, but that additional cost might save you aton of money and save you a ton of heartache and aggravationdown the road.If you do not agree with any of the provisions of that apartmentlease and/or you feel that you can't live up to the tenant'sobligations, or if you are not in agreement with any of thelandlord's rights under the agreement, then do not sign thelease until/or unless it can be changed to your satisfaction. Ifthe apartment rental agreement cannot be amended to meet yourneeds and desires and comfort level then do not sign the leaseand do not rent that apartment. The Apartment Rental agreementthat you sign as a prospective tenant will not change once youbecome the actual tenant of that apartment.Good luck in your apartment search and good luck in your newapartment.