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4 Tips First Time Apartment Renter Should Know
Renting an apartment is more than just paying your monthly bills and other obligations. It’s more than just following all the landlord’s rules and regulations. There are still some other equally important things that you need to know especially if you are a first time renter. Some of them are as follows.
Budget wisely
Check and analyze your budget and see how much you can afford to pay for rent. See to it that the rental fee doesn’t eat up almost half of your monthly income. Also consider other fees aside from the rental fee that goes along with apartment living.
Impress the landlord/apartment manager
Before personally visiting an apartment that you wanted to rent, make sure that you already have all the documents required by the landlord/apartment manager. Bring all the necessary paper work with you – credit / rental history (if you have any), certifications, endorsements letter etc. Don’t forget the papers that show your monthly income and your capability to pay the rent on time. It’s also best to bring in someone willing to co-sign/vouch for you. Doing this can surely give a good impression that you are a truly responsible tenant.
Check the legal agreement
Before you sign the contract or lease agreement, make sure that you fully understand it. A lease is a legally binding document so make sure that you agree with everything mentioned in it. Take a closer look at the fees, landlord responsibilities and other stuff that could affect your apartment living.
Inspect everything before moving in
Check the whole apartment thoroughly before moving in. Look out for damages and cracks that need repairs. Best if you can bring a camera (a smartphone will do) that you can use to document the parts of the apartment that needs to be fixed. Let your landlord know about it (send him/her the pics of the damage area) and request for an immediate fix.
These tips can surely make apartment living more bearable for you as a first time renter. Aside from making your apartment life easy, these tips can also make it inexpensive and worry-free.
Featured image via congerdesign / pixabay
Great list of tips. Under the lease I would add to think about things that may change and will they still fit into the agreement. I wish someone would have given me tips the first time I moved into an apartment but then I may have been to hardheaded to listen to them anyway!
These are such great tips. I remember my first apartment! I would have loved to know these tips then! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Great advice for first time renters or anyone who did not do it right the first time…
Those are great tips for renters period. When I moved into my last apartment I did many of those things minus the co-signer because I really wanted the place.
Looking and moving in to a new apartment is always exciting, but we tend to forget more important things. Thank you for listing them down. This is also helpful for those who are renting their place 😀
Really great tips. It is best to inspect every nook and cranny of the place you are wanting to rent before signing any lease contract.
These tips are all great. I agree with you in reading the entire lease contract first before signing. Ask the landlord questions and discuss items you don’t understand.
Yes these are very key points! I think inspecting the place and taking photos or a video of how it looked and any marks or things you notice when you move in.
You definitely want to check that legal agreement. Come time to move on and move out, there are surprises that can def. pop up if you haven’t read what you signed well.