When you’re looking for a new apartment, it’s important to be thorough. Don’t hesitate to ask a lot of questions to make sure you know exactly what you will be getting into. Your new landlords should be helpful and willing to answer your questions without hesitation. If not, maybe it is not the right new place for you.
The list of questions below will help get you on the right track to finding a comfortable place for you to enjoy!
- Appliances: Check out the appliances and see if they are outdated. Ask the landlord if they’re willing to upgrade. Pitch the idea of energy efficiency.
- Carpeting: Could it use a deep cleaning or should it be switched out? Before you sign the lease see if the landlord will pay for that to happen, and if not see if they’ll split it with you.
- Utilities: Make sure you understand what you and the landlord are each responsible for. Don’t assume when you read “utilities included.” Get a list and check it twice. Also if utilities are not included in your rent, find out how they are billed. Will they be on one shared residential address bill or will your apartment have its own separate statement(s)?
- Last Tenants: Ask who the last tenants were, how long they lived there, and why they moved out. It often gives a lot of insight into the landlord and the property. If the landlord is vague, even that tells you something.
- Major Repairs: Find out if there have been any major repairs done in the last 5 years. Mold Reparation? New pipes? New Central Air? Get assurance that the issues were completely fixed.
- On The Outside: Ask about the exterior maintenance. A lot of times landlords will do a pesticide spray a couple of times a year. If you have pets you’ll want to know how often it happens so you can keep them out of the area that was treated.
- Pet Deposit: See if you can negotiate and put down a deposit instead of a monthly or annual extra pet fee. This way when you move out, if there’s no pet damage, you’ll get money back instead.
- Read the Lease: Even if you are under pressure to get the lease signed quickly, make sure you read it thoroughly! Read through it and make sure you understand what each party is responsible for. If there’s anything you’re uncomfortable about, bring it up before signing it. Make sure that everything you agreed to verbally is reflected in the lease. It’s there to protect you and the landlord.
- Building: Don’t assume everything works in an apartment. Go through and check out everything from water pressure to windows. If something is broken and the landlord isn’t willing to fix it, pass on the apartment. Quality property managers will fix these things and if they won’t fix it before you sign the lease, they won’t do it after either. Don’t forget to look at the building as a whole. If it’s in disrepair, see what can be done before water pours through the roof during a good rain.
- Parking: Make sure you can park easily when you get home from work. For example, some neighborhoods have terrible parking on weeknights. If you view an apartment on a Sunday afternoon, you may have no idea it was going to be a problem. You might end up having to budget an extra $100 per month for parking tickets!
We hope this information is helpful when looking for your new apartment!
And don’t forget, if you find an apartment that is perfect in every way except the amount of storage space is lacking, call Mini Price Storage. We have the additional space you could use with multiple size units to fit whatever your requirements may be. See our Storage Calculator for more information.
Also, our self storage locations have full-service storage and moving centers, with all the supplies and amenities you need to make your move a success. We offer a 50% DISCOUNT on our storage and moving supplies to Mini Price Storage tenants.
Sourced: Forbes Magazine and Apartment Therapy