Finding the perfect apartment can be more involved than just going online to Apartments.com and typing in your search area. You need to know what you are looking for specifically before you ever start a google search.
Apartment complexes can have fewer features than you think and can leave you feeling like you aren’t getting a good deal. On the other end of the spectrum, some complexes have everything included and additionally charge for every little thing, which can majorly ding your pocketbook if you don’t know all the costs and fees you are getting into at the start of it.
I put together a good list of questions below that you should use when you are looking for a new apartment. Don’t think that you need to use and ask every single question I list below. You will find those that are most applicable to you and most important to ask for your particular apartment hunting experience.
What Is Included In The Cost Of Rent?
Probably the single most important question on the list. What is included with the rent? Do you get parking? Pets? Are utilities included as well? If you didn’t know by now, there are apartment complexes that have all these things and more included right in the cost of the rent.
Other complexes though, are more “no-frills” and may have lower rent and charge for everything else. There are benefits to both types of complexes and the different things different renters are looking for.
Find out what features you value the most and make sure that those are both available and included in the price if possible.
How Long Is The Term Of The Lease?
Different complexes are going to have different terms for the length of the lease. Some want at least a two-year contract because they really want to avoid turnover. This may discourage some people from signing but may be an attractive feature to others.
Other complexes may have a 1-year lease, which is the most common, all the way down to a month-by-month lease option.
Figure out how long you are realistically going to commit to being in a particular place and then see if the term of the lease works with your life.
Are There Any Move-In Costs?
By for the most OVERLOOKED issue made by apartment hunters.
There can be a TON of costs associated with moving into a new place. From setting up internet, cable, water, sewer, gas, electricity, security deposits, the actual rent payment, moving costs……..these things all add up, and they are going to all come right when you move in.
Take a moment to read the article I wrote specifically on Move-In Costs, and how you can be prepared for them.
What Methods Can I Pay For My Apartment?
Flexible payment options are a big plus for many tenants. From being able to pay electronically, to having the rent auto-deducted from their bank account to avoid the hassle, to the option of being able to pay in person with cash or check.
Every tenant has different needs and preferences, and asking the methods by which you can pay can be an attractive or unattractive feature, depending on what you are looking for.
What Is Your Guest Policy?
This is something that both the tenant and the landlord should go over in detail before a lease is signed.
What constitutes a guest? How long can they stay? What happens if there are problems with a guest? These are all things that you need to be clear on before committing to a year or more at a complex.
Knowing the guest policy is key to having a good renting experience for both you and your apartment neighbors. Make sure you talk to your landlord about guests before you sign a lease.
Do I Need Renter’s Insurance?
From storms to fires to thefts, things can happen. That’s why rental insurance is key. Many people mistakenly assume that if something happens on the complex grounds that the insurance of the complex will cover them.
Most of the time, it doesn’t. The renter needs their own protection, and sometimes, the complex requires you to have insurance before they will let you move in.
Check with your landlord to see if their complex requires this or not.
How Does Parking Work?
There is no end to the amount of protectiveness that can come from someone’s parking space at an apartment complex. Between guests coming over and parking where they shouldn’t, to other tenants just not caring, parking can become a big issue.
Check with your landlord to see where you are going to park and if you have a designated spot to park outside your building.
What Is The Surrounding Neighborhood Like?
Make sure that wherever you choose to rent is going to be a safe environment to live in. Remember, you are going to be frequenting the area, as well as your friends and family, over the next year or so.
Is it safe to get to your apartment building from your car or are the grounds not well lit and kind of sketchy? Ask the landlord what the neighborhood is like and the businesses and features in the community that are near.
Does Your Apartment Complex Allow Pets?
Asking this question can save you a ton of hassle. Make SURE that if you have a pet, that your apartment complex actually allows them. If they don’t, you are in danger of breaking the lease but can still be responsible for paying the remainder of the term.
If they do allow pets, ask if they charge more for them or if they are allowed in the cost of the lease.
If you don’t own pets and are looking for a complex that doesn’t allow them, you will also know the policy and how to handle the situation if someone tries sneaking their furry critter in next door.
What Happens At The End Of The Lease?
This is an important question to ask even though it is literally months or years away from happening. Knowing how to handle the end of the lease is just as important as how to handle the beginning of the lease.
Check out this article on the topic to see why.
What Am I Responsible To Fix In My Apartment?
You need to know who is responsible for fixing different things in your apartment. If a light bulb goes out, who replaces it? If your stove stops working, who is responsible for replacing it?
You need to know who to call on the complex grounds when something breaks or stops working so you can get it fixed again.
When Should I Start Apartment Hunting?
The more time you give yourself to look, the better experience you are going to have searching for the apartment. The last thing you want to be is rushed and then be forced into signing with someplace you really don’t want to be at. That is a recipe for a miserable year.
The more time you have to look for an apartment, the more you are going to be able to get a feel for what apartments are going for in the area you are looking at, what features they offer, and what amenities. Being able to have the time to do a thorough online search, as well as a few in-person walkthroughs, are going to give you your best results.
If you want to know all the reasons why you should start the hunt for your apartment sooner rather than later, I’ve written a post on it HERE.
What To Look For When Apartment Hunting
There are several main things to look for when hunting for an apartment. This list is in no particular order, but should include essentially all of the following…
- Price Of The Rent
- Parking
- Neighborhoods
- Schools and Businesses
- Early Termination Costs
- Guest Policies
- Pet Policies
- Maintenance Issues
- Roommates and Subletting
- Making Sure Everything Works Inside Your New Apartment
If you overlook anything on the list, even if it is not that important to you know, could come back to bite you later on. Make sure you fully understand all of these issues, how they apply to you, and if these are the terms and conditions you want to agree to for the next year or so.
Red Flags To Look Out For When Apartment Hunting
When I was writing this article, I did a few quick google searches to see what other sites were saying about this very topic.
Incredibly, it seems like most of the authors of the information I saw on many different sites had never been a landlord, because most were missing some BIG red flags.
The FIRST red flag I want to highlight is if the apartment complex has pictures on their site, or on apartments.com that don’t AT ALL match up to the actual apartment when you come to do a walkthrough. This is RED FLAG #1.
We have all had the experience of renting a hotel on a site and showing up and wondering what the heck you were looking at when you rented it. Chances are, you didn’t do anything wrong, but the property manager purposefully misled you.
Many property managers do this by renovating one apartment, using that as their picture for ALL of their apartments to attract more people to their complex than otherwise would be. If you ever run across this, you INSTANTLY know that you don’t want to lease from that company.
The remainder of the red flags, I am going to list here below, and are pretty self-explanatory, but you should have these in the back of your mind as you go through your search process.
- The apartment smells terrible
- You can’t easily get ahold of the landlord or manager on site
- You feel out of place or not safe at the apartment complex
- The apartment is not well-maintained
- Super-Low Rent
- Can You Hear The Neighbors Through The Walls
- Cigarette Butts Everywhere
- Dog Poop In The Yard Outside The Buildings
- Poorly Taken Care Of Lawn
- Dirty Bathrooms Or Sinks
If you want to know more about what to look for when renting an apartment, I have written another article on the subject called, “What To Look For When Renting An Apartment”. Go check out the other things you should be aware of when looking for your next apartment!
