The 6 Things You Should Do When Renting an Apartment That You Never Thought Of!

Have you ever felt like your home is getting too small for your growing family and you need more space to move around? Once you have decided it’s time, and the budget is ready for the move, then the hunt is on for your new place. The excitement, nervousness, or dreading the upcoming move can be a bit overwhelming at times. Use this article as a guide to help you before you sign on the dotted line because a lease is a legal binding contract. Getting out of a lease is not always an easy task, so take your time when looking for the right place. Implementing a few of the items will help you save costly mistakes later.

1 - Conduct an Inspection

You might feel a little odd doing a complete inspection of the home in front of your potential landlord, but this will only help you in the long run. You need to make sure that the apartment is everything that you're looking for. Make sure all the appliances work properly. Ask the landlord if you found something that didn't work and will they fix it and how long could it potentially take. Make a note of everything in that apartment that doesn’t work so that you will have everything documented.

2 - Check Out the Apartment Complex at Night

No one ever thinks about what could be going on around the apartment complex during the evening to late hours. But drive by at night and see if any suspicious activities are happening when the manager is not on duty. Is there a lot of yelling, screaming, or loud music playing at all hours of the evening? You want to know that regardless of the hours your friends and family will be safe in the neighborhood when they drop by.

3 - Check the Documented Crime Rate for the Area

No matter where we live there will be some sort of crime. But checking the crime rate in the area will show you the type of offense that the area is experiencing. No one wants to walk out and head right into a drug deal, or a gang fight so makes sure that the area you're moving into doesn't have an exceedingly high crime rate. Obviously, if you have children, you will want to check the Sex Offender Registry for the area.

4 - Are There Foreclosures Pending on the Property

As a renter, you have every legal right to ask the property manager, leasing agent, or the owner if any foreclosures are pending on the property. If they don't know or they won't say, you can go down to the county clerk or assessor's office, and they will be able to assist you if any foreclosures are pending on the property or back taxes owed. No one ever wants to move into an apartment and in three months have to move out again because the bank has taken over the property. Do yourself a favor and check on it.

5 - Check the School District Area

When looking for an apartment and you have children you always want to make sure that you stay in your particular School District. Your children might not want to switch schools in the middle of the year and leave their friends behind. See if the landlord knows the school district but if he or she doesn't then call the school itself and ask them. Most of the time you can look on the internet to see the boundary lines of the school district you're looking to stay within.

6 - Get Renters Insurance

Most people don't think about this, but adding it to your budget would be a wise decision. So call your insurance agent and see how much renter's insurance would cost. Remember the landlord is not insuring your property, only their property. You want insurance to cover your personal belongings, so in the unlikely event that something does happen, you can feel safe knowing your property will be insured. Rates will vary depending on your location, but it's usually reasonable on average it’s no more than $20.00 a month.