Are you looking to rent an apartment?
Whether this is your first time renting an apartment or your fifteenth time, there are some important things you need to know beforehand that will make the process go a lot more smoothly.
What do you need to know?
Table of Contents
Check out this guide to discover what to look for in an apartment
1. The Right Location
When searching for apartment rentals, one of the most important things to take into consideration is the location.
Don’t just focus on living in the hottest neighborhood in town. Instead, your main objective should be to find a place that’s central to your work, family and friends, public transportation, and conveniences such as grocery stores and restaurants.
If you find an apartment you like, pull up Google Maps to see how far it is from all of your regular spots.
2. Safety
Safety should be another big priority when searching for an apartment. This includes both the safety of the apartment building and the safety of the neighborhood.
To learn about the safety of the neighborhood, you can look up crime statistics online. To learn about the safety of the building, we suggest checking out online reviews and seeing if anyone has written anything about having their belongings stolen or other safety violations.
You should also note whether or not the building has security, restricted access, bike locks, private parking garages, etc. You should also ask the landlord what they do to ensure tenant safety.
3. Convenient Parking
If you have a car, then convenient parking is an absolute-must. While it may seem like no big deal to search for parking a few blocks away, you’re likely going to get very tired of this very quickly.
Ask the landlord if onsite parking is available, and if so, how much it costs. Many apartment complexes have parking garages that allow you to rent a private parking space for a monthly fee. If the apartment doesn’t have a parking garage, make sure you understand how street parking works and what availability is like.
4. The Right Neighborhood
It’s also very important that you find a neighborhood that suits your style. In addition to finding a neighborhood with conveniences like restaurants and grocery stores, you also want to find one that has the right vibe.
For example, if you’re in your mid-twenties, you may not want to live in a neighborhood with a bunch of retired people. If you have a family, you probably don’t want to live in a neighborhood with a bunch of college students.
To learn about the reputation of a neighborhood, we suggest doing a quick search online.
5. Landlord Availability
The great thing about renting an apartment is that you rarely have to take care of repairs on your own. But, the downside of renting an apartment is that it can sometimes be difficult to get ahold of your landlord, especially if your landlord manages a bunch of different properties.
Therefore, before signing a lease, it’s very important to ask about landlord availability. Ideally, you want to find a place that has property management onsite so you can just stop by the front desk to disclose any issues.
What to Look for in an Apartment: Time to Start Apartment Hunting
Now that you know what to look for in an apartment, it’s time to start apartment hunting. Before you know it, you’ll be moving into the apartment of your dreams.
Be sure to check back in with our blog for more apartment living tips and tricks.
