Renting a home or apartment is a big responsibility that demands that you do certain things to ensure your safety and ability to meet your responsibilities as a renter. Most overlook a few critical things in the process and after they rent that end up costing them unnecessary expenses and big headaches.
Use this list of three critical things to do to ensure you secure the apartment or home you want to rent, and to protect yourself and your belongings.
Buy Tenants Content Insurance
Chances are you will house the most valuable things you own in your home or apartment, and in the event of a fire flood or theft, all of your valuables can be gone. This is why you need to insure your things against these types of tragedies. Additionally, if there is some unpredicted damage to the place you are renting, it can often be a heavy cost to you as the renter. Luckily there are companies like who provide contents insurance for tenants. Contents insurance covers renters in both of these situations. For a small monthly premium, they provide an umbrella for when there are rainy days that would otherwise cost you lots out of your own pockets.
Be Prepared for You Interview with the Landlord
The landlord will have to give you permission to live in a place that is worth many times the amount you will be asked to pay during your rental term. For this reason the landlord ants to know for sure that understand the rules, are responsible, will do what you say, and will respect his property. If you live in a competitive rental market, the landlord will likely have many applicants who want to rent, so he will be extra picky about who gets the apartment. Although a landlord cannot turn away someone based on looks, gender or race, there is discretion enough based on what can cause a rejection for a landlord to turn away anyone he does not feel comfortable renting.
The landlord will want to interview you and during the interview the landlord will have you fill out a questionnaire that requires information about your employment history, your current job and place of residence, your income, and also request the ability to pull your credit report. You will be requested to pay for your credit report to be accessed. The fees are pretty standard and it will take a few days for this to happen. You will also be asked to show proof that you can cover the first three months of rent as a deposit.
In the event that any of your information does not meet the landlord’s minimum criteria or you cannot cover the deposit, he may ask for you to provide someone who can co-sign on the apartment for you. This person will need to be solid financially and be able to also have a strong credit report. He or she will also have to be interviewed. The important part of all of this is to be calm and accommodating. The landlord is also checking to see your demeanor. Are you calm or a hot head when things do not go your way? So be pleasant and it may positively impact your chances of getting the apartment.
You Need to Tour the Entire Property Before You Sign the Rental Agreement
Taking a tour of the property allows you to get a sense of the layout of things. Some properties are older or have been converted from other types of buildings to apartments and often there are added amenities that are not ideal. These might include elevators that are very small or parking spaces that will not accommodate your size vehicle.
You also need to thoroughly check that apartment you will be renting to look for any broken door handles, switches, appliances, holes in walls or ceiling tiles and anything else that amounts to damage that is there before you rent. Take pictures of the damage nyand put in writing am damage you find so the landlord agrees before you rent. You should assume that anything you do not note at the beginning will be considered damage you caused and you will have to pay for it.