1. Read the Lease
I know this sounds basic but the lease contains all of the rules your current or potential landlord will want you to follow. I almost signed a lease that had an attachment stating that tenants needed to get approval 24 hours in advance if guests were going to stay past 10pm. As someone who has friends and family over to my apartment all the time, this was a rule I knew I wouldn’t be able to follow. Read the lease and be certain you are capable of complying with the terms!
2. Pay your rent on time
This is the golden rule every tenant should follow. I’ve had months where it’s a struggle to come up with rent on time or where I was forgetful and did not send it on time. I used to have to pay over $100 in late fees! Now I pay rent online to ensure that each month my rent is paid on time. No more pesky late fees and no more awkward encounters at the beginning of the month with my landlord.
3. Be respectful to your neighbors
When I was in college, I lived next door to a family with small children. College parties and sleeping children do not make for good neighbor relations. One weekend, I realized that my apartment wasn’t a soundproof bunker when my landlord came knocking on my door during a particularly late and rowdy party. Not only did I have to deal with the embarrassment of confronting my landlord but I also had to pay a noise complaint fee that was part of my lease. My landlord was wary of my roommates and I from then on and regularly checked up on our building. Always respect your neighbors and save your landlord the hassle of having to deal with noise complaints.
4. Report any maintenance problems
The first week I moved into my new apartment, the ceiling in the apartment below mine collapsed because the tenants before me never reported a leak from the pipes below the kitchen sink. My landlord had to fix the ceiling and hire a plumber to come out and fix the leak. I made sure to report every little maintenance problem I had from then on to avoid being the tenant that caused the ceiling to cave in. No one wants to be that tenant!
5. Make sure you keep your apartment clean
If your landlord happens to come over for a maintenance issue and they see a dirty apartment it could cause them to worry about damage to their property. Keep a clean and tidy apartment and your landlord will be more likely to keep you as a tenant and less likely to raise your rent.
