Smart Things to Do Before Signing an Apartment Lease

Smart Things to Do Before Signing an Apartment Lease

Renting a new apartment is an exciting milestone. A fresh start in a new place, among new people, is something many renters look forward to. On the other hand, a lease ties a tenant down for a full year, in most cases, and commits him to paying a full year of rent. If you're considering renting an apartment, make sure you know what you're getting into before you sign your lease.

Tour the Property

    The apartment itself is the most important place to examine, but it's not the only one. For many reasons, prospective tenants should tour the entire property. Make sure the property has everything you need, such as laundry facilities or a business center. In addition, the condition of the public areas gives you a sense of how well the landlord or property manager maintains the property. Look for clean floors, adequate lighting, mowed grass, trash-free playgrounds and curbsides, and trash receptacles that appear to be emptied frequently.

Talk to Other Residents

    The best way to get a feel for what it's like to live in an apartment building or complex is to talk to people who already live there. Ask them whether they feel the staff is responsive to their needs and concerns. Discuss how strict the management is in enforcing rules, especially those that concern good-neighbor policies such as noise restrictions and acceptable uses of the property. Although it's important to understand that even the most attentive and responsible landlords have detractors, take repeated complaints about the same issues as red flags.

Do a Walkthrough of Your Unit

    Walk through the unit you intend to rent to inspect it for signs of wear and damage. List items that need repair and ask to have the list become an addendum to the lease. This will serve as proof of the landlord's acknowledgment that the damage and wear existed before you moved in, and protect you against eventually losing a security deposit for damage you didn't cause.

Read the Lease

    Surprisingly, many tenants sign apartment leases without reading them first. As a result, they agree to terms that benefit the landlord rather than the tenant, and they do so without question or negotiation. Important items tenants miss when they fail to read the lease include clauses about how much they are responsible for paying toward minor repairs, such as plumbing clogs. It's not uncommon for a tenant's liability to exceed $200 for each instance -- enough to drive some prospective tenants to look elsewhere for housing. Tenants should also know about the landlord's policies regarding subletting, lease renewals, and noise and other lifestyle issues. In addition, clarification may be in order for lease clauses that explain the consequences for breaking the lease, as the legalese with which many leases are written is unfamiliar to most prospective tenants.



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