Apartments....

[Dracconia]

I have read some of the things in the House buying posts....and I am wondering...is it very different looking for apartments? I am currently looking for one..and i have a meeting on monday to see one..what do i look for what do i ask? that sort of thing.....any adivce....oh dear....I wanna be a Toys R Us kid...growing up sucks!

[Drake Starsong]

Much different that buying a home - not much to it really - but don't jump to hastily because you can miss out on a good deal. Find out what utilities are included if any. Most places will require first months rent and a security deposit. ALWAYS talk to the tenant to be about certain things...for instance if you enjoy having lots of people over, see how they are about noise and the surrounding people living in the area.

The only dumb question is not asking a question - don't be afraid - after all  you will be paying them the rent money

[Rage]

I guess thats where you live. Here in MN the apartment owners are facing a shortage of tenants so they are doing everything they can to get people to move in.

[Charlotte Rowan]

Apartment searching is definitely not as complicated as buying a home, but it's someplace you are going to be living, and it's still a big decision!

I agree that one of the most important things is to find out if utilities are included. You want them to be, because they can get expensive, especially heating if the apt uses gas heat. Also if you find someplace you like, make sure everything works. Don't be shy about turning on faucets/showers, flushing toilets, etc. Make sure the water pressure is okay, there seems to be hot enough water, and that the toilet seems to work okay. If something doesn't work, you can ask the landlord to fix it before you move in.

Also think about laundry. You probably want a building that has a laundry room so you don't have to go to a laundromat. Look at how much it costs too, as some buildings charge more, sometimes dryers are free, etc.

If you have a car, you want to look at parking. Is there off-street parking? If so, do they charge for it? How much? If there is only street parking, is the street crowded with cars? Will you be able to find a parking spot within a safe walking distance if you come home alone late at night?

Then of course all the safety considerations, like is it in a safe area and does the apartment building itself seem safe. Trust your gut. I once found an apartment that I really loved, but the landlord seemed super creepy - all the tenants in the building were young females and he knew all their boyfriends by name... and it just felt a bit weird. So I decided against it, and I'm glad.

Finally, don't worry too much if an apartment that you like doesn't work out. It's always been my experience that something good works out in the end. So don't let it cause you too much stress. Good luck!

[CatAshtrophy]

Definately find out the laundry situation. Also, sometimes there will be laundry hook ups in the apartment and you can rent a washer and dryer.


If you can, find out how much utlities usually cost at your apartment, not just if they are included in the bill or not. Sometimes apartments will have you pay by apartment, and some divide them among the whole complex.

Also, do ask if they are having plumbing problems. My apartment  seemed fine when I first got it and I had checked the faucets and everything. However, occassionally all my water would be suddenly turned off for repairs. I would get no warning. I even had it turned off on me while I was in the shower. Because my faucets were strange, I couldn't always tell if the water was off or not. I once left the hot water on, but didn't know because nothing came out of the tap. It came on while I was gone, and steamed up my whole apartment. The fire alarm was on and everything, but nobody did anything about it all day. My cat had to go to the vet immediately when I got home because of the extreme heat. Thankfully, she was okay. It did ruin some paintings I did though.

Because of the incident I had with my cat, when I get another apartment, I will strongly consider getting one with a monitored fire alarm system.

Also, you may or may not want to have renters insurance. If you are a student and if your parents have home insurance, your apartment could be covered under their policy, but not necessarily. My apartment was insured like that.

[RumbaRue]

Being an apartment dweller for many years, one of the things we did before moving to where we are, is to come back in the evening and see what's going on. Is there loud music, parties, try to talk to some of the current tenants and see what they have to say about the place.

Do you have any four legged pets? Most places that accept pets require a pet deposit; we paid almost $300.00 for a pet deposit here, and then less than 3 months later, the management decided no more pets. We have our cats in our original lease, where as others here do not, but they sneak in cats anyway.
Legally we could have been evicted however since I keep a very clean home, no smell (the two cat boxes are cleaned daily), so we have been allowed to stay.

BTW- WE DO HAVE RENTER'S INSURANCE! You never know when a disaster might happen.

[Kruzar]

Just a few other tidbits to add on here...  I have lived in apartments for awhile now, and in a wide variety of markets...

When searching, definetly use the internet to do your research.  Many of the standard amenity type questions of the complex can be answered and many of the websites out there offer floorplans, tours, and other pictures of the complex.  Another thing with the internet is look for deals that will help you if you use the particular website to find an apartment.  For example, Rent.com has many apartments to look at in most cities and if you tell the complex that they referred you, you get a $100 visa card.  There are also several sites out there that will help with the actual moving or will move you for free. (Limited markets, but something to look into)

I know that when I was in Dallas, I utilized several of the free moving sites and it helped so much to have professional movers move you in and out from the old place.  My Friends were much easier to convince to help pack and unpack in many cases when they knew they would not have to do the heavy lifting. 

I used the Rent.com for my move from Texas to San Diego, and did much of my research from that site.  I did cross reference with other sites that are out there to make my decision.  The selection of my current residence was done completly online and I am very pleased with the results.


Another thing to get is Renters insurance... it is very inexpensive and many places will require it.  Many times you can bundle this with your automible insurance as well depending on your provider.  Many complexes will require that you have this insurance.

I know some of the things that I ask about when looking are things like... can you grill at your apartment outside, or do you have to do it away from the building?  Can you use Propane/Charcoal, or are only electric grills allowed. 
Can the apartment be modified (i.e. painted) and if so what is the policy on returning it back to normal state?
Can ceiling fans be added to the apartment, and if so... do you just buy them and maintenance will install?  (This was big for me in Texas and saved so much on the electric bill by installing fans.)
Pet policy is a big one normally, and it is normally only defined for dogs and cats.  If you have pets that are different find out what the policy is for them.  Many places will charge a deposit, but some places actually add to the rent as well.
Deposits... Do they have any special programs?  For my last apartment, they actually had a program that you did not have to pay a deposit if you had good credit and a good history.  Definetly a saver when moving in.... and on move out should not be that bad, since I do a really good job of cleaning and such when I leave a place.
And definetly ask about specials... Apartments are always giving away free rent or other things.  Be sure to ask. 

Anyways... long post, but hopefully some will help someone.  Apartment life can be fun, but it is worth looking at all the options.  One thing that I have loved about it over the years is being able to live in many different areas and being able to change at least once a year if I want to. 

[analise]

You might want to see if the place(s) you're interested in show up on http://www.apartmentratings.com .  Take it with a grain of salt, since disgruntled people are more likely to complain than happy people are likely to go somewhere to give praise, but it can help give some idea of what people who live there/have lived there think about it. Especially if you can't talk to anyone in person.

Another thing you might do is see if the police in the area have a website that give crime stats for that area. I did that when I was considering places in Baltimore, the police website has this map that show when/where recent reported crimes have occurred. Of course, that also scared me off from renting anywhere in Baltimore, but that's okay, too.

I'd hold out for a place with a washer/dryer (or at least the hookups for 'em) in the apartment itself. That's one of my big criteria for a place as I hate using shared laundry spaces (got enough of that in college).

Definitely don't be shy and poking into everything. Check out the closets, imagine how your furniture will fit in the rooms, definitely make sure there's enough storage space (one of my current pet peeves with my current place), pay attention to how well-kept the grounds and buildings seem to be. Try to make sure you see the actual apartment you'd be renting instead of one of their 'show' apartments (some places do that, anyway). Think about where in the building you want to be. If you're on the first floor, it'll be easy to get into, but it also means you'll have people right outside your windows/patio/whatever, as well as people directly above you. If you're on the second, you're sandwiched between people above and below as well on either side. Et cetera.

If you want/have a pet, find out what their pet policy is. Some places require a deposit as well as extra "pet rent" per month (at my place, it's $25 extra every month on top of the $300 nonrefundable deposit). Some only allow small dogs. Some only allow cats. Some allow large dogs but restrict by breed. Some only allow one or if they allow multiples, there's a weight limit (at my place, the weight limit is 50lbs).

Ask lots of questions! Watch how the staff interact with their renters. They may be nice to you because they want to get you in but do they continue to be nice to the people they've already got there? What's their maintenance like? Is it one handyman who comes in on weekends? Is it a group of people? Do they have to contract out for everything?

Definitely get renter's insurance. It doesn't cost much extra so it's definitely worth it.

If utilities aren't covered in the rent, try to find out how much they typically run.  

Another thing to find out is what happens if for some reason you have to break your lease early. How much will it cost you? Can you get someone else to move in and cover your payments? You may even want to see if you can find out how much or if they typically raise the rent each year.

That's all I can think of right off the top of my head. Hope it helps!

[raevyncait]

Thankfully, I no longer need to rent an apartment, but here are my thoughts on several things:

1. Renters insurance: ABSOLUTELY YES.  Mine for my house runs less than $200/annually, and while my auto insurance is the best rate I can get, I do know that the company is a little less competitive in the renters/homeowners arena

2. Utilities: If they are included you have a right (at least in TX) to a detailed breakdown of how they are divided up.  The last time I lived in an apartment that required that I pay specifically for water, I got ROYALLY screwed, because the total bill was calculated based on the size of the unit and the number of people on the lease, NOT THE NUMBER LIVING THERE, and well, I was living by myself in my 1 bedroom, and the bunch living across from me, with like 8 people living in also a 1 bedroom, were paying the same amount, even though they were using WAAAY more water than I was.  Another thing, if Electric and gas are included in 'bills paid' you may be at the mercy of the management as to when your air conditioner and/or heat are actually turned on, etc.  Fortunately, I've never had that problem, but I've known people who bought space heaters because it got cold before management was ready to turn the heaters on.

3. Neighborhood: I would say definitely cruise the area in the early evening, and also at night to check lighting, etc.

4. Don't sign a lease until you can actually view the unit you are leasing, not just a similar one. I have done that in the past, and wound up with more than one issue.

5. Pets:  I highly recommend that you fog the apartment for fleas before you move in, whether you are bringing in animals or not.  The last 2 places I moved into my cats had no fleas before we moved, and about 2 weeks later, boom, they are fleabitten.  My preference is Adams Flea & Tick fogger, which lasts up to 7 months, and not only does it kill the adults, it kills the young, and somehow kills the eggs.  In both instances, I was able to treat my cats, remove them from the apartment, fog the apartment, and they never got fleas again in that unit (stayed in one a little over a year, and the other for 3 years). 

[Taffy Saltwater]

Is parking assigned?  Not a necessity, but a nicety.  I live in Houston & on the few occasions I have to be coming home later than usual, I hate to park in a lot on the other side of the complex & walk through to get home - creepy.  As far as apartmentratings.com, check it. A lot of people who post in it obviously have an axe to grind, but consistent bad ratings are a red flag.

Another thing you can do if you have some time is to ask if the local P.D. for a location report, which will show all the criminal activity at the address of the complex for a time frame; i.e., the last five years.

[Sorcha]

All things mentioned have been great.  I'd add just a couple more things. 
Check out how you leave too.  What kind of and how long of notice do you need to give? 
Take photos when you move in as well as when you leave.  That way if there is any question about getting your security deposit back, you have proof of the conditions.
Along the lines of repairs and things that are wrong that was mentioned...  If the landlord agrees to fix it, get it in writing.  Dated and a compleation date listed.  If there is something wrong, this is one of the things you need to take a photo of.   I'd go as far as making it an addendum to the lease.
The lease is a legal document.  READ IT!  Let it protect you as much as it protects the landlord.

Good luck!

[Blue66669]

Just a little tidbit that my mother always told me about looking for apartments....

Take a drive through the complex. What shape are the other tenants CARS in? Are they nice and well kept? Are most of the cars beat up old junkers? Are there a good number that seem to be in disrepair??? The cars in a place can definitely tell you about the element that reside in the complex.

[brier patch charlie]

That's some of the best advice I have ever seen on renting or buying into some place, Blue........ I never realy thought about that.