Searching for a new apartment to rent can be a laborious process. If apartments keep getting snapped up without you getting a look in, it can also be frustrating and demoralizing. You can save yourself a lot of unnecessary stress if you’re properly organized and know exactly what you’re looking for. Doing some research before you start hunting is a good way of narrowing down your options and, ultimately, saving yourself time. Once you know what your budget is and the areas you’d like to live in, you can act with confidence whenever you see suitable listings. Act fast. Don’t wait until later or until you finish work. Organize a viewing immediately. If you don’t, someone else will. Once you’ve found an apartment that you like, it’s good to know exactly how to seal the deal. Once again, if you’re hesitant, someone else will beat you to it.
Know When and How to Look
Most rental properties are advertised towards the end of the month. You will not find many quality listings mid-month. Make sure that you know the date that you want to move in. Start your search (if you can) at least three weeks prior. Landlords tend to want their properties filled by a certain date so try not to worry if it’s getting closer to your move-in date and you still haven’t found somewhere. There are plenty and many landlords are happy to have people move in immediately. If you are going via a broker be very assertive about the fact that you only want to see no fees properties. Alternatively, you can view all properties and attempt to negotiate the fees, should you find a property you like. You could suggest a month’s free rent in exchange for the fees. In many cases, due to the current market, a broker will be keen to keep a good tenant. If you know people who rent from private landlords, call the landlords direct. They may have other properties available, or they may be able to recommend other landlords.
Know Your Budget
You need to know your budget before you can decide on the areas in which you’d really like to live. As a general guideline, your annual income before taxes should be, on average, 40% what you would pay in monthly rent. For example, if you have an income of $30,000 this would mean you could afford $750 on rent. There are some areas, such as Manhattan, New York, where a landlord will not let to you if you do not hit this rule. Keep in mind, also, that you will have to pay for utilities or amenities such as laundry (should your apartment not provide this). Think about how much it may cost you to travel to work, or your friends, from areas of interest. In addition, be aware that many landlords expect a deposit (on average $500), plus the first, and last, month’s rent, and an additional month’s rent for security. You need to have all the money prepared and available if you are hoping to get accepted for a rental.
Find the Neighborhood for You
Once you know your budget, you can investigate the areas in which you’d be happy to live. Ideally, spend some time in the city and walk in the different areas, both at night and during the day. Research how much average rentals are in the areas that interest you and if they are not within your budget you may want to rethink. It’s important to consider which areas are convenient for traveling to your desired locations. You may also want to research the cultural and economic dimensions of a borough. This will give you an idea of who your neighbors will be. Take into consideration whether you would feel safe in this area. Explore what amenities are nearby and whether the general feel and pace of the area is a good match for you. You don’t want to end up somewhere busy and noisy, if you would prefer somewhere quiet and more relaxed. Talk to people from the area and ask them what it is like to live around there.
Dig up the Dirt
There is so much information available online that, whether you can visit the place in person or not, you can still do some investigating. When searching for areas that you may like to live, check rental websites for reviews, (sourced by zipcode), from ex-residents. You can use search tools like Google Maps to see what services, shops and restaurants are close by. If you have a specific property you are interested in viewing, you can search for crime reports and crime maps around that area. You can also look for the Department of Buildings. If there are listings for the city you are interested in, this will tell you of all permits, violations, and complaints, listed to particular properties. This could be a good indication of whether a building you’d like to view is well-managed or not. It is also worth looking on Google Maps ‘Street View’ and investigating any nearby building works. You may want to know that any on-going construction is not going to negatively influence the apartment you are keen to rent.
Be the Ideal Tenant
You need to make a good impression when you go for a flat viewing. If you like this apartment, you’re going to want to be able to take it, there and then. If you do not act quickly, the landlord is likely to rent to somebody else. Landlords are looking for certain things when they rent their properties. It is advisable to play the part. For landlords, their property is business. Make sure you are well-presented and organized. A good landlord will want to know that the tenant will respect the property and take good care of it. Your appearance is important. Landlords also want to know that they will receive their payments. Take all your paperwork with you to every viewing. This demonstrates reliability and professionalism. You need identification, references, tax returns and W-2’s, cash for a deposit and the remainder of the money readily available in your checking account.
Everything in Order
Finally, be careful before you sign up. When you visit the building, take note of the general state of repair and maintenance. Light bulbs that have not been changed, or leaks, for example, could be a sign that the landlord is slow to carry out maintenance. Check out the working order of all appliances. Where necessary, make a note, so that you are not responsible for this later, when it comes to returning your deposit. If you would like to attempt to negotiate on price you could tell the landlord that your budget is lower than the asking price though you have some flexibility. Potentially, if they are eager to take you as a tenant and they see you hesitate due to price, they may agree to a small reduction in fees.
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