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Find the Perfect Apartment for You by Asking the Right Questions
Searching for a new apartment can be fun. The thrill of finding listings, and choosing candidates based on photos, maps, and amenities can be enjoyable, and there are plenty of tools to make the search easy. The real trouble starts when it's time to tour a prospective home, meet the landlord, and learn a little about the neighborhood. This is where you have to put on your detective's hat and start asking questions. Here's what you should find out before you sign a lease.
Photo by Charleston's TheDigitel.
Step 1: Do Your Research to Find Apartments Worth Visiting
Finding the right apartment for you is a topic we've tackled several times, and we've even discussed some great tools to help you find rentals that are in your price range and in your preferred neighborhoods. We particularly like Padmapper andApartments.com, both of which do a great job of helping you narrow your search to neighborhoods and communities you're interested in, filter based on price and amenities, and get regular updates when availability changes.
That said, finding a great apartment to visit is only half of the battle—and in many cases can be the easiest part of the process. Looking at promotional photos and Craigslist snapshots is only part of the job. Once you've used these tools to narrow down your list of candidates, it's time to go see the units in person, and that's where the real challenge begins.
Step 2: Check Out the Neighborhood Before Scheduling a Visit with the Property Owner
If you're moving to an area you already know or that's close to where you live now, you have the luxury of driving through or visiting the area before you schedule an appointment to see the property with the owner. Check out the community and see if the amenities match up with what you're looking for. If you enjoy eating out and nightlife, make sure you're not moving to a sleepy cul de sac far away from the action. If you want a quiet neighborhood where your children can play, a house rental along a major road may be affordable and look good on paper, but isn't the best option.
Spend some time in the neighborhood if you can. If it's a thriving community with shops and restaurants, stop in to a local cafe for a bite to eat, and chat up a friendly-looking employee. Let them know you're moving into the area and ask them what they think of the community. Sometimes they may not live there themselves, but in many cases you'll get someone who's willing to offer you some insight into what the neighborhood is really like. If you can, stick around until after-hours, or come back late in the evening and drive around. After the sun sets, you'll get a real feel for whether the neighborhood is safe at night, is as quiet (or as lively) as you hoped, or is somewhere you'd like to come home to after a long day of work.
Photo by Pamela J. Eisenberg.
Step 3: Schedule Your First Visit with The Property Owner
Depending on the rental market in your area, you may not have much time to waste when it comes to scheduling visits. When I gave up an apartment in the suburbs for a unit in the heart of the city, I learned quickly that the rental market in my city's popular neighborhoods is brutal—apartments that were open and available on Monday could have a tenant moving in by Wednesday, and that's even if you scheduled a viewing on Tuesday. Don't waste time, but don't feel rushed either - new units come on the market regularly.
Call the landlord or property owner and ask them when they can meet with you, and if there are any regular tours scheduled or applications already in on the unit. This last bit is important—you don't want to waste your time or take off work to go visit a unit where there's already an application unless you know you have to see it. Make sure you find out from the landlord how popular their property is and how likely it will be that the unit will be gone before you even get there. With Craigslist, a number of landlords prefer to do business over email, or schedule group open houses. That's fine, but try to get them on the phone whenever possible. Speaking to someone gives you the opportunity to make your case and get immediate feedback, while email can get lost or be ignored for days on end.
Once your visit is scheduled, it's time to make a list of questions you want answered while you tour the unit.
Step 4: Show Up to Your First Viewing with Questions In-Hand
Your first visit to an apartment may be your last one before you submit an application, if the unit is in high demand. Don't waste the opportunity to ask your future landlord as many questions about the property as possible.
Ideally, you'll show up armed with the basics, and you'll just need to confirm them with the property owner or landlord. You'll already know how large the unit is, how much it will cost you, whether there's parking (assigned or not), and how far you are to your job, major roads, amenities, or mass transit. These are all things you can look up on the internet before you go, don't waste much time during your visit with them unless you need to confirm them. Here are a few more probing questions to help you get below the surface.
Photo by Matt Biddulph.
- How long as the unit been empty? How long did the last tenant stay? You want to know how long the unit has been on the market because, especially in competitive rental markets, if an apartment has been empty for months or the last tenant was only there for a few months (or worse, was evicted), something may be wrong with it. Plus, it gives you a chance to ask the landlord a pointed question to see how they react. Regardless of whether they're forthcoming with the information or try to avoid the question, you've learned something useful about their character.
- When was the building constructed/How old is the property? Have there been any major changes or renovations? The age of a building tells you other important information, like how old the facilities in the walls are (which you'll ask about in a moment) or how likely you may be to have maintenance problems resulting from old flooring, ceilings, windows, or plumbing. Asking if there have been any renovations gives the landlord the opportunity to highlight any work they've done recently that may be beneficial to you, like new plumbing, windows, or weatherproofing.
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- How old is the wiring? Can I see the fuse box? If you're reading Lifehacker, odds are you have a good amount of gear in your home. A large TV, maybe a couple of computers, several monitors, game consoles, and so on. All of that gear is going to need power, and you don't want to trip a breaker every time you heat up some nachos without turning off your computer first. You may not immediately know what you're looking at when you see a fuse box, but you should be able to tell super-old from brand new. Ask if there are fuses that you'll be expected to keep and replace should one blow. Take the opportunity to look around and make sure there are enough outlets in each room for your needs.
Photo by p. gordon.
- Do all of the appliances work? How old are they? You'll want to ask this question while you're testing whether the stove burners get warm or the oven light works, or whether the fridge feels cold and there's good water pressure from the sinks and showers. At the same time, if the unit has been empty for a while, the landlord may have the appliances turned off or unplugged, and you'll want to know before you put in an application, much less sign a lease.
- Are there any major repairs coming up in the next year? Will any repairs be completed before I move in? If there's nothing going on with your unit, there's nothing going on. However, if you see repairs in progress, or things that you would want addressed before you move in like painting, appliance replacements, window repairs or the like, make sure you bring them up immediately, and follow up by getting them in writing.
- What utilities are included? Is heating/cooling individually controlled? You should know this from the ad, but make sure to verify this and anything else from the ad that you may have questions about or want to make sure you're clear on. In some places, "all utilities included" is a ticket to centrally controlled heating, air conditioning, and hot water, and shared electric bills based on average use by the entire community. "Cable and internet included" can mean your landlord will add a cable-splitter to their line and run a cable through the floor, or offer you free use of their Wi-Fi. Be wary of that, it may save you money, but you could sacrifice comfort for it. If heating and cooling aren't included, check the windows and doors to make sure they're insulated properly, and bring up any concerns to the landlord.
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- Who will be responsible for maintenance and repairs? What about emergencies? If you're leasing from a management company, this one's probably easy: you call their office number, put in a maintenance request, and they respond (you should ask about response times, as well.) If you're renting from an individual or small management company, you definitely want to know what you're on the hook for yourself and what you can call about, and who you should call if the toilet starts leaking at 2am. Do you call a contractor or plumber and take their fee out of your rent? If so, get it in writing. Do you call the landlord at 2 in the morning and they call a plumber and pay for it? Get that in writing too.
Photo by Wendy Piersall.
- Who's responsible for pest control? Often, large communities and condominiums have a contract with a pest control firm that works with their residents. They may send them out to you when you request their help, or you may simply be required to use their services instead of another company's. At the same time though, many landlords leave the responsibility for pest control on the tenant, unless there's some kind of pre-existing condition when they move into the unit. I've seen leases that say after the first 30 days, a tenant is on their own when it comes to pest control. Ask the landlord on your first viewing if there have been pest problems, and if so, who they use for pest control.
If you're renting from a management company that handles multiple units in the property, you can take some of these questions further, and ask about the types of maintenance requests they get, how often they get them, and what modifications they're willing to make to a unit upon request. Apartment Ratings has a great list of questions for landlords as well, although they're largely directed to management companies, not individual landlords or property owners who may wind up being your upstairs neighbors. Just remember, if you get concessions or any agreements as a result of the questions, make sure to get them in writing when it comes time to get a lease drawn up.
Step 5: Talk to Others in The Community for Their Opinions
One of the best ways to find out more about a community before moving in is to talk to other people who already live there. You don't have to be a creeper, but sit out front of the building with a cup of coffee or your smartphone, and casually ask a passer by if they live in the are or in the building you're interested in. Be open with the fact that you're considering moving into the place, and you'd like to know what they think of the community, landlord, or management company. Most people, as long as you're nice about it and open with the fact that you'd appreciate their help, are willing to lend you their opinion.
Ask them specific questions that don't waste their time, like how long they've lived there, and whether they've had any serious maintenance, pest, or management problems, or if there's anything they had addressed right after they moved in that they wished they had known about earlier. We've discussed how to make sure you find a decent landlord before, but ask others what they think of the landlord as well. Ask them if they plan to renew their lease or continue living in the community, and ask them if they have any advice for someone who's just now looking at apartments or homes in their area.
If you have more time, ask them if they looked at any other buildings or communities in the neighborhood as well, or if there's anything they learned after living there for a while that they wish they could have found out earlier. For example, you won't know until you've lived in an apartment for a few weeks that the garbage trucks are particularly noisy on Tuesdays, or that a huge cargo train slowly rolls by the back of the complex every three weeks. There's a great post and comment thread about these types of things over at Apartment Therapy, and it's good reading for anyone looking at homes. Apartment hunting is something of a universal experience. In most cases, the people you meet will be willing to lend their opinions and experiences, as long as you ask the right questions.
Photo by Kevin Tostado.
Step 6: When You're Ready to Sign, Go Over Your Lease Carefully
When I asked Bruce Dachis, our very own Adam Dachis' father and a property owner and landlord himself, what he hears from his tenants when they complain "I wish I had known that before I moved in," he explained that a lot of people fail to do two things that would protect them when they're shopping for a new place and interviewing potential landlords—two things that any reasonable and honest landlord should never have a problem with you doing:
- Know your rights. Familiarizing yourself with the landlord/tenant laws and regulations for your jurisdiction should be one of your top priorities, and going to your visit or into your lease negotiations armed with the knowledge is important. Many landlords and management companies will give you copies of the local bylaws, but only as part of your welcome package—the one you get when you sign the lease. Don't wait on them to educate you. Check out the US Department of Housing and Urban Development's page linking to individual state laws, and do some digging on your own (usually Googling "landlord/tenant laws —state name—" will do the trick.) This way you'll know if someone's trying to pull the wool over your eyes.
- Read your lease completely and thoroughly, ask questions if anything's unclear. Bruce couldn't emphasize enough how important this is—and how few people actually do it. Read your lease thoroughly, ask if you can review it overnight, or even just take it to get a cup of coffee and read it somewhere away from the pressures of the rental office or landlord's home. If you're not sure what something means or if you thought something was supposed to be included that isn't speak up and have a conversation about it. Don't wait until you've signed to ask about something you're unclear on.
He reiterated the importance of some of the questions above, especially with regard to maintenance requests, response times, and whether you'll be responsible for vetting a contractor or repair-person or they will. Make sure you're aware of any fees that the landlord may not discuss until the last minute, like move-in/out fees, parking fees, or anything else. He also explained that depending on the nature of the rental market, you may have to take what you can get and some landlords will be less inclined to make accommodations for you, but you should always ask the questions and decide for yourself where you're willing to compromise.
When you do sign the lease, make sure to ask any lingering questions you may have before handing over your copy, and if there are any last minute agreements you come to, make sure you get them—and everything else—in writing as an update or addendum to your lease. Remember, you never know what you can get until you ask for it, and until you have it in writing, you have no proof you actually got anything you asked for.
Photo by Grasa Victoria/shutterstock.
Step 7: Enjoy Your New Home
The key to finding and landing the perfect home is part research and good timing, but also largely a matter of asking the right questions before you visit, when you visit, after you visit, and when you sign the lease. Make sure you're as well informed as possible and that you go into your new home with both eyes open to what you're getting into. When you've finished your move and you're sleeping in your own bed in your new home, you may still encounter a few surprises, but hopefully it's nothing significant enough that you wished you had asked about before you moved in.
Do you have any questions that you make sure to ask when touring a potential apartment or house? Any tips to make sure you're not blindsided by the lease or some other issue that may be lurking beneath the surface? Share your tips and house hunting suggestions in the comments below.
*M Junaid Tahir
http://paradigmwisdom.blogspot.com/
http://ae.linkedin.com/in/mjunaidtahir
https://groups.google.com/group/ParadigmWisdom
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/hyd-masti/GO9LYiFoudM/TKqvCCq2EbMJ
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