Renting an Apartment

1. Renting an Apartment April 4, 2011

2. Terms • Tenant • Somebody who rents a house or apartment for a fixed period of time. • Landlord • A person who owns the property and rents it to tenants.

3. Terms • Lease • An agreement that requires a tenant to stay for a particular amount of time and restricts the landlord’s ability to change terms. • Eviction • The removal of a tenant from rental properties by the landlord.

4. A landlord has a legal right to enter your apartment when: • Making repairs • Showing property with reasonable notice • Emergency (Fire, Serious water leak etc.) • Abandonment

5. Terms • Credit Check • A process where a person has his or her credit history checked before credit is extended (in the form of a loan). • Security Deposit • Money given to a landlord to provide some protection for damage to the rented premises or for some other failure of the tenant.

6. Terms • Utilities • Services such as water, natural gas, or electricity • Ask about Internet access! • Fixed expenses • A cost that occurs regularly, same amount of $ • Variable expenses • A cost that occurs regularly, but may vary in amount of $

7. A landlord can judge potential renters by: • Poor credit history • Insufficient income • Bad references • Past behavior (i.e. destruction of property) • Tenants would exceed valid occupancy policy

8. A landlord CAN’T judge potential renters by: • Race • Religion • Ethnic background or national origin • Sex • Age • Tenant has children (except in senior housing) • Mental or physical disability

9. Step 1: Where to look • Craigslist • Rent.com • Apartments.com • Classified section in local newspaper

10. Step 2: Consider your needs Is the apartment complex pet-friendly? Is parking included? Is it on-site? Is there a covered parking lot? Is there a security system in place? Are there washers & dryers in the building unit? Is the apartment centrally located? Do you have any deal-breakers?

11. Step 3: Money Matters • Think about your budget • Get a free credit report • Think about the down payment & security deposit

12. Step 4: Get to know the neighborhood Look at the other renters; are they your age, young families, or retired? Check out the proximity of restaurants, public transportation, entertainment, etc. Ask the natives Ask yourself what neighborhood best suits you

13. Step 5: Come prepared Checkbook Camera Tape measure Financial documents Roommates References Questions Things to bring with you:

14. Step 6: Know your landlord • The first and easiest step you can take to finding out whether a landlord is legit is to check with The Better Business Bureau. • Search for the rental company’s name with the BBB, but remember that negative feedback is only recorded when complaints are filed • You may also want to check out an online rating community like: ApartmentRatings.com for additional information.

15. Step 7: Know your lease Terms of the lease: When is rent due? Is there a late fee? How much is the security deposit? Special policies: Are pets allowed? Can things be hung on the wall? Can the walls be painted? Read the fine print! Remember: A lease is a contract!

16. Normally, apartments provide basic kitchen appliances like cooking burners, oven, and refrigerator; some come with dishwashers. • Mostly all the apartments are equipped with AC/heat. • You can rent furnished / unfurnished apartment. If you rented an unfurnished apartment you can buy furniture from yard sales or Goodwill stores. Do You Know?