Renting a home is an experience that includes another party's involvement, that being your landlord. And since the home isn't yours to keep there are restrictions and guidelines you need to follow in order to avoid unneeded drama, or even legal repercussions, with the person allowing you to live in their home. As you look in to renting, make sure you consider these parameters.
1. Deposit
When you decide to live somewhere, many landlords will require a deposit that both confirms your tenancy and prove you can afford monthly rent. However, at times it means different things when it comes to different landlords. Before accepting, make sure you are aware of their terms of the deposit and whether or not you are capable or happy with the conditions.
2. Utilities
Be knowledgeable on whether utilities are listed as 'inclusive' or even included at all. This could mean an extra tack onto your payments you were not ready or aware of. Utilities are things like water, gas, oil, and garbage removal, which is mandatory to everyday living. Check if the place you are renting also includes Internet or cable, in some cases, they do, which reduces another bill to pay as well.
3. Laundry
Most places have machines or laundry rooms for you to do your laundry in. Make sure you know the situation and are prepared to pay quarters or travel outside to access the laundry machines. The process of cleaning your clothes might often be frustrating when you realize there are certain restrictions when it comes time to do a load of laundry. Consider how well the machines may work, where the machines are located, or any other conditions of a laundry room.
4. Parking
Have a car and living somewhere in a city environment or with no driveway? You might have to park on the street. If you are worried about your car in terms of vandalism or damages from the public, make sure you know these conditions before signing a lease as well. Aside from this, consider how far you may have to park from your home if you do have to park on the street or a specific area that is not immediately next to your house. Make sure you know whether or not you need a parking permit as well, to avoid unneeded parking tickets.
5. Moving
Moving in and moving out isn't quite discussed until the time comes. That being said, make sure that you do discuss it and are aware of the date and time you have to be in or out of the place you have rented. Moving out late creates more legal repercussions since you are disrupting the moving in or out of the new tenant and the landlord's plans. On the other hand, moving in late does not have much consequence since the landlord will still expect you to pay rent even if you aren't present if your name is on the lease. With that in mind, make sure you know when move-in day is so that you aren't paying for not even living there.
Aside from this, some buildings with elevators require you to book one for your move as to not obstruct or inconvenience any other tenants that are currently living there. Make sure you know the conditions of your building.
6. The SUPER
A site manager, on-site repairman, or a landlord oversees the conditions in your home. If you need to contact them for help in terms of repairs or notifying them of a problem, consider the fact that they will not immediately act upon your request. While some landlords respond right away, the action of helping you might take a bit to go through. That being said, be patient and report a problem right when it happens so that you can get it fixed or solved as soon as possible.
7. Cleanliness
Before moving in, be aware of how the landlord handles the home after the previous tenant moves out. Do they take measure to make sure that the place is clean, or do they leave that job up to the person who lived there before you? Consider this before moving in if you are worried about the cleanliness. There are also cleaning services that offer to deep clean before moving in. On the other hand, also know the expectations for you when you move out as to not leave the rental home in a mess.
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