Before you rent, make sure to check out our pre-rental checklist
By Relocation.com Staff
Is it safe? Is it clean? Are the essentials located nearby? Those are the types of questions to ask before you pick a new place to rent and before selecting moving companies. Here a list of things to watch for when you’re looking at apartments for rent or homes for rent.
Outside the Apartment:
Do you feel safe in the neighborhood and the surrounding area? That’s the first and most important question by far, and is always the first question to ask yourself.
If you visit the apartment during the day, think about how will feel coming home late at night, or early in the morning. If the thought makes you scared, move on. No amenities or cheap rent can compensate for the feeling of insecurity.
As part of this, ask your neighbors about safety, and check in with the local police about crime statistics.
Is the building close to major roads and public transportation? Do trial runs for how long it would take to reach your work, your daycare, or other frequently visited placed.
Is the building clean and well-kept? Are entryways and hallways well lit? Are unsavory types hanging about? How the building is kept up is a pretty good indicator of the vigilance of the apartment manager.
Is the laundry nearby? If you don’t have a car, it better be close, preferably in your building. Picture yourself trudging there every week or so and ask yourself how you feel about that.
Where are gas stations, supermarkets, restaurants, banks, drug stores, dentists and gyms – is the distance friendly or far away? If you’re on public transit, figure out how long it will take to get to these various places that you might visit often.
Inside the Apartment:
Before signing a lease and moving, make a quick check of the apartment, not only the appearance and cleanliness, but see that things actually work. Don’t take anything for granted – something that doesn’t work now you’ll have to deal with right away when you move.
Bathroom: Check the water pressure in the sink and shower, and flush the toilet to make sure it operates properly. Also, make sure the hot water works.
Walls: If the building’s near a road, can you hear the traffic? Can you hear the neighbors next door? If near an airport, how is that noise?
Appliances: Check the fridge, the heating and air conditioning, the stove and oven and any other appliances that might be in the apartment.
Windows: Make sure they open and close easily, and make sure there are no holes or cracks in the glass.
Electricity: With any switch you see, try it out to make sure it works.
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Be precise, your room and roommate search will be easier.
By EasyRoommate.com
Searching for a room or roommates is a bit more complicated than trying to find an apartment rental. Apartments are easy, you find a place you like, and if you qualify for it financially, it’s yours (most of the time). With room rentals, and when trying to find a roommate for your spare rooms, you have to deal with other issues like different personalities, sharing bills and groceries — all in a small space. Before any lease is signed, you will have to meet your new roommate. Here’s are some tips to find the house mate of your dreams.
Nice to Meet You:
The meeting phase is usually toward the end of the room/roommate search, so how do you get there efficiently? Your first step is to start searching on a roommate service that specializes on room and roommate matching. When you are entering your information on what and who you are looking for, be precise. When you’re looking for a room, if you are a smoker, enter it in your information as a smoker, if you have a pet that will come along with you, put that in as well. These specific attributes are important to note because they are not compatible with every person, however, there are people that would be a perfect match for you. Be sure not to leave any information unanswered; this will only waste your time and those of the renters.
Be Specific With What You Want/Don’t Want:
When renting a room out, the rules are the same, if you do not want a smoker, put down no smokers allowed if you don’t want pets, put that down as well. Of course, smokers and pets are the primary examples I am using, but this applies to any aspect of your search. Some people don’t believe in this, where they put a very broad search criteria or advertisement, and wait for people to contact them. Does this work, yes, if you are willing to get numerous phone calls and emails of people that don’t match what you really want. Would you rather get 50 people contacting you, but then have to spend the time to turn 40 of them down, or get 10 contacts in which they are all good possibilities? Think of the time you will save yourself, and those searching.
Make a Roommate Contract:
Now that you have narrowed down your possible rooms and roommates, what do you do now? You should establish some basic guidelines — much like a contract — that you will discuss with potential roommates. Discuss their work hours, how the bills/rent will be paid, who will clean and on what days, talk about guests and what time they can come over, appropriate noise levels, etc. Again, these are just examples, but the key point is to bring up anything that you would be against right upfront before you actually sign a lease. It is better to discover that you will not be compatible roommates before are actually living together.
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