I’ve just about got enough money to cover a deposit and get some essentials (microwave, vacuum, etc) and now I need to get serious about contacting places.
I haven’t actually found my own place before. My last apartment was found by my sister and we shared it until she moved out.
I’ve been browsing craigslist and various renting sites. I have a price range in mind and an area (I’m looking in about three towns). What scams do I need to watch out for? What questions do I need to ask?
Thanks
Not a scam necessarily, but it’s important to understand up front how the climate is controlled (you don’t give your location so I don’t know if heat or air conditioning deserves more of your focus) and how you’ll pay for that.It might be better to pass on the charming pre-war building in favor of the one with less personality but with double paned windows. Ask me how I know.
If a place makes your short list try and visit the neighborhood at a few different times of the day/night. A few different days if possible. Are there loud neighbors? Is there enough parking, even if you want to have friends over? What are the mechanics of day-to-day life. If you make a big stock-up trip to the grocery store do you have to carry the bags a great distance. Are there adequate laundry facilities?
Oh I know this one, if I remember it at the time. My last apartment paid for electricity. Which meant they said we couldn’t have air conditioners. In Southern California. It was often over 90 in there, even with the windows open and fans going. And then we got the fertilizer smell from the fields, which bothered me more than the heat.
Thanks for the pointers.
First, decide what amenities are dealbreakers for you, which amenities would just be nice to have, and which amenities you don’t care squat about. It doesn’t matter if there’s a pool and fitness room if you’re never going to use them. It doesn’t matter whether pets are allowed if you’re never going to get one. But if pets are important to you, then any place that doesn’t allow them is right out (even if they have free utilities and gold-plated microwaves). Amenities I can think of are in-apartment laundry, on-site laundry, balcony, elevator, air conditioning, free heat/gas/other utilities, pool, fitness room, tanning, snack machines, volleyball court, ceiling fans, vaulted ceilings (they look impressive but they’re hard to cool), reserved parking, gated entrance. Decide what dealbreakers you care about and don’t look anywhere that doesn’t provide those options. Treat the stuff you’d like to have as tie-breakers if you can’t decide between two places. All other things being equal, would you rather pay a little extra for in-apartment laundry and free tanning, or go without those amenities? (or whatever) Do you care whether you live on the bottom floor (easier on the knees, but less private, and you can hear people walking above you) or top floor (quieter, more privacy, but the walk can be a bitch with heavy groceries)?
Also keep in mind, a lot of locally-owned properties don’t advertise online at all. By just looking at Craigslist or rent.com, you might be totally missing out on good places to live. Go on a drive and write down the name of every apartment complex you pass, then look them up online and give them a call. Or you could walk in and talk to the person at the front desk. They may still have a website but not advertise online, because it costs too much or they’re uncomfortable with the type of renter it brings (I think a lot of property managers distrust Craigslist, in particular, because of its image).
Ask about the visitors’ policy, and drive by a few times to check out the parking situation at different times of day. My first apartment in college was really hit-or-miss with parking, depending on what side of the complex you lived. I was on an outer corner and never had trouble finding a spot right outside my building. But my friends in a busy inner building had to walk a quarter of a mile if they got home after 8pm. The place wasn’t unsafe, but still… that sucks after a long day at school/work. It was a smart idea for them to buy a reserved parking spot, but it would have been a waste of money for me. Also, make sure to drive by on a Saturday night, to see if there are any loud parties. And beware of renting near a college/university, because students tend to be loud, destructive, and don’t give a shit about noise ordinances. If they have balconies, ask if they restrict what you can do/put on them. They probably won’t allow a grill, but ask if they have any rules about furniture or balcony decorations.
Try to talk to people in your city about places they’ve lived (there are local city forums on Craigslist, if you don’t know anybody). They can tell you whether a place they’ve lived is pretty nice, just okay, or a dump. Going on a tour to the show-unit *won’t *tell you this. I sublet an apartment for about 6 months before finding out there were a shitload of drug dealers in the complex. The place looked alright from the outside, and the show-unit was nice. There was even a private playground. But one side of the complex (not mine) was meth-city. You can also look up reviews online, but take the good ones with a grain of salt (some places pay shills to lie on those). I usually tend to trust a review if it’s fairly well-written, and has a mix of good and bad qualities. No complex is all good or all bad.
Visit the building at different times of the day and night and different days of the week. See how loud the neighborhood is.
Call your local police and ask about the neighborhood.
When looking at an apartment look at the ceilings very, very carefully. Do they have spots of discoloration or mold? Can you see that part of the ceiling was repaired and then painted over? Are there bubbles in the paint? All of these things can be signs of a building that tends to flood. I will say that of all the horrible crap I’ve had to put up with in my life (a car that overheated at the drop of a hat, loud neighbors, bad neighborhood, etc.) the very worst thing I’ve ever dealt with was an apartment that flooded regularly. We spent hundreds of dollars on plastic bins for waterproof storage and replacing damaged items and our shitty landlord refused to let us out of our lease until we took him to court over it.
Cockroaches are gross but can be killed. Earplugs can drown out annoying neighbors. Having to go to a laundromat is a bit of a pain but certainly livable. Flooding in your home will destroy your possessions and fill your place with mold so quickly you will wonder if you’ve stumbled onto a mold form of a weapon of mass destruction.
Thanks everybody.
I don’t need a lot of amenities. As long as I can get a place at the same level or better than my last apartment I’m good (we had to literally reinforce the kitchen cabinets drawers so they wouldn’t fall apart, and replace hinges in the bathroom, and termites or birds or something were dropping wood pellets all over my closet). Some utilities being included would be awesome. I’m mostly concerned about cost, but noise is definitely an issue as well.
Stuff from my current Must have/nice to have list:
cost/rent
within half a mile (aka walking distance) of major public transit (the El, in this case: buses are everywhere, but less reliable for commuting)
pets allowed
heat included (Chicago winters!)
laundry in building
bike storage
good closet/storage space
Security/safety issues:
Back door in the apartment (alternate exit in case of fire)
Both back and front entrances also have locked main/common doors (it takes bypassing two locked doors to break into your apartment)
All windows above ground level (harder to smash a window and climb in… this also means no garden apartments. some places have ground-level windows with bars or grates across them, but also consider that means you can’t exit out a window in case of fire)
safe neighborhood – I think legally real estate agents are not allowed to comment on this, but if you don’t know the area yourself, do check at different times of day, with the police, search online for crime stats, etc.
Check water pressure (and time to heat up) in the shower. Flush the toilet.
Check the ceiling/walls for signs of water damage/leaks
Check the windows: do they seal well? Can make a HUGE difference with heating/cooling bills
Full-size fridge/stove (some places have tiny efficiency kitchens)
What are estimated/past heating/cooling bills? See if you can ask current or former tenants.
Those are all the must-haves, I also have a bunch of preferences (like hardwood floors – easier to clean than carpet). Some of these may or may not apply to you, but you can use it as something to get you thinking about what you need.
When you pick one and move in, go over it with a microscope and report in writing, and get the landlord to sign a copy, of EVERYTHING that is even slightly imperfect. If you don’t, you will pay for anything that is even slightly imperfect when you move out. I was charged for a small dent on one slat of a window blind that I had never touched, a loose showerhead that was loose when I moved in, a “dirty” oven that had like one tiny black spot, and I had never used (I microwaved everything back then), etc. They are bastards.
Yeah, good idea… and better than writing it, get a camera and document with photographs. I’ve had some people suggest a walk-through with a video camera, although I think you can be thorough with a still camera too.
You may already be aware, but my husband and I are also looking for rental properties and have encountered a LOT of scams on Craigslist. You can spot most of them a mile away (rent is too good to be true, there’s no city or phone number listed, photos look fake, etc.) And if they send you an email written in broken english saying they are out of the country but need a whole bunch of personal information from you, then you know for sure it’s a scam. A basic rule of thumb is to avoid anyone who refuses to meet you in person.
Like I said, you may already know this, but wanted to issue the warning just in case.
This.
Unless you don’t like sleeping, do not get an apt. next to pool/jacuzzi. Late night drunks jumping in pool, and screaming over the sound of a jacuzzi is not fun.
Top floor usually best so you don’t hear clumping shoes of people, or insane dogs running back and forth, on hardwood floors above you.
Highrises can suck. Especially if they are cheap highrises. Broken elevators are no fun, and neither are jammed trash chutes. Or roaches that would require a nuclear explosion to get rid of. You can keep an immaculate home, but if the roaches have infested the building they will be visiting you whether you want them to or not.
First floors are great. Yeah, there’s a greater chance of a break-in, but moving is so much easier when you don’t have to navigate the stairs of a walk-up. Also, their daily presence will serve as a constant reminder that if you should ever sprain an ankle or break a leg, you will be screwed.
If your future looks stable, go ahead and sign a year lease. Otherwise, try to find a shorter-term lease. I’ve had to bail out early on my last two leases, which cost me mega-bucks.
Finally, renter’s insurance. I’ve never had to use it, but there is something comforting about having it. I always wince when they show people on the news after their apartment burns down and they don’t have insurance. Getting it would be a responsible, grown-up thing to do.
If utilities aren’t included in the rent, call the utility companies before you sign a lease and ask them what the average monthly cost has been in the past 12 months. Also get them to tell you the lowest bill and the highest bill for the same time frame.
Some properties around here also require it in the lease, so be aware of that. Read your lease before you sign it.
I lived in three different apartment complexes before I bought a house. I always checked out apartment complexes on review sites such as http://www.apartmentratings.com
I felt that helped steer me in the right direction at least.
Personally I’m a fan of living in top-level apartments. I liked the extra sense of security even though it can be a little inconvenient to go up the stairs with heavy stuff. I also liked apartment buildings that had a locked common entrance/common hallway. I felt that was more secure than having a private entrance. I also felt that it made it easier to heat/cool my apartment since my door opened into a hallway rather than allowing the outdoor elements to directly affect things by the doorway.
Either there are a LOT of scammers in the Ventura county area, or there are a LOT of people who can’t write ads. The majority don’t have phone numbers. Many of them don’t have the city. I haven’t emailed any of them yet. I’m pretty sure the one that’s for $150 a month is a scam. 
I’m not going to give out any personal info online for these.
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First floors are great. Yeah, there’s a greater chance of a break-in, but moving is so much easier when you don’t have to navigate the stairs of a walk-up. Also, their daily presence will serve as a constant reminder that if you should ever sprain an ankle or break a leg, you will be screwed.
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I don’t think there are any apartment buildings around here that are more than two stories. I really want a first floor one. I lived on the second floor at my old apartment, and the second and third floor at the dorms (those sucked because usually I couldn’t park anywhere near.) Fortunately I don’t yet have any heavy furniture, but I may end up getting some (I’m in the middle of changing decorating styles, and I’m tired of Ikea).
I should be good about a longer lease. I’ll keep insurance in mind.
Unfortunately none of the cities I’m looking in have apartments listed there. Except the senior apartments, which I don’t qualify for.
I don’t think any of the apartments around here have a common indoor hallway. There are disadvantages of living in California. A lot of the time even when the hallway is covered it’s open to the outside.
Thanks everybody.
Here’s my perspective as a landlord: If you make an appointment, show up on time. If, for some reason, you can’t make it, let the landlord know ahead of time. Be able to prove that you’ve been in the habit of paying your rent on time, by getting together your canceled rent checks. That carries more weight with me than anything else. A lot of landlords will ask you to fill out a detailed application, so make sure you have on hand past addresses, past employers, etc., with dates. (And this is just me, but if you’re asked to pay an application fee, I’d walk away. I hate the whole idea of that on principle. Don’t know how common that is where you are.)
And speaking of location, around here ( Boston area) the rental situation is really tight. Here, if you see something you like at a decent price, you’d better act fast, because it’ll be gone before you turn around. Know your market would be my advice.
A priority on my list is checking the rental company’s maintenance policy–is it 24-hour service, or are service calls only taken 9-5 on weekdays?
You’ll never think of this until the ceiling in your bathroom collapses at 3 a.m., resulting in an inch of standing water and assorted debris on the floor. The people upstairs knew they had a leak, but “didn’t really know where the water was going…” (a direct quote).