Renting Ideas Continued:

facebooktwittergoogle_plusredditpinterestlinkedin

Here are some more ideas for anyone considering renting a home or an apartment.

– To get a competitive edge over other applicants, bring the following when you meet the landlord: a completed rental application; written references from landlords, employers, and colleagues; and a current copy of your credit report.
– Draw up a budget and take a hard look at where your money is going. If you’ve got some time before hitting the market for a new rental, run the numbers using services such as GoSimplifi, Mint, Yodlee, moneyStrands, LendingTree’s MoneyRight or HelloWallet.
– 30% of budget should be for housing costs
– To avoid disputes or misunderstandings with your landlord, get everything in writing.
– Consider additional expenses such at utilities
– Do you need electrical outlets or a nook within one of your home’s rooms
– Security deposit equivalent to one month of rent,
– Would you be willing to live on a ground floor, use stairs
– Invest in pieces/furniture that you love and you know you will use
– Amount of notice your landlord must provide before entering), it will be easier to protect them. For more information, see Tenants’ Rights to Privacy and Repairs FAQ.
– Save yourself $40 or so and take apart your moving boxes when you are done unpacking and place them in a closet or under your bed.
– Check your contract. Dig it out and give it another read. Does it say the carpets need to be deep cleaned, or that all picture hooks need to be removed and filled in?
– Street parking?
– Landlord is responsible for buildings insurance, so you should only be getting contents cover
– Determine how you spend your time, does your new place compliment your interests.
– Set the design tone in your rental by replacing the standard lights with new ones that fit your taste.
– Free furniture etc. It’s all about web communities, and the big names are Freecycle and Freegle.
– WalkScore site: lets you run searches for a given address or neighborhood so you can see its proximity to coffee shops, restaurants, grocers, public transit and schools.
– If your rental unit is not kept in good repair, you have a number of options, ranging from withholding a portion of the rent, to paying for repairs and deducting the cost from your rent,
– Read on where and what types of crime are happening in your area. check out Neighborhood Scout, Spot Crime, Crime Mapping, Crime Reports and Nixle, as well as neighborhood blogs.
– Your landlord’s insurance policy will not cover your losses due to theft or damage. Renters’ insurance also covers you if you’re sued by someone who claims to have been injured in your Rental due to your carelessness.
– Apartment in a high-rise apartment building
– Suburbs, townhouses or single-family homes
– When you move in, do a walk-through with the landlord to record existing damage to the premises
– Clean 1: Bicarb of soda, soda crystals, vinegar, newspaper and Oven Pride are pretty much all anyone needs to clean a house.
– Clean 2: Sugar soap removes emulsioned wall scuffs that no other cleaning product shifts without taking paint too. Wipe gently, don’t rub.
– Clean 3: Lie on your back in the middle of each room, you would not believe the snagging found just looking from a different angle. It works!

Sources:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/mortgages/rent-a-property
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/10-great-tips-for-renters-87121
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/ten-tips-tenants-29446.html
http://www.hgtv.com/design/real-estate/5-steps-to-finding-the-perfect-rental-home

This entry was posted in The Things I've Recently Learned and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.