What are some things I should know about getting my first apartment?
Looking back at my own experiences, both in seeking an apartment, and owning rental apartments, this would be my approach.First thing should be setting out what you can comfortably afford for monthly expenses. If you are still living with your parents or other family, there are expenses that you would not have, such as laundry, groceries and household supplies such as cleaning materials, etc. If you have a car, the additional expenses you would have with a move to an apartment - insurance rates, parking fees, registration fees, etc. You should have a reasonable estimate of these anticipated expenses when setting down what you believe you can afford for rent.Second, look at apartment listings in areas where you would prefer to live. How do the rents measure up with your budget for rent? Are these listings in a neighborhood that you deem safe? For example, if you’re a student, is it in a student area? If the rents seem quite a bit higher than you would (should) be comfortable paying, you should expand your search.Does the apartment complex have a resident manager/maintenance person? If it’s a small building with 4 or less tenants, is there a management company on call for problems? Are there laundry facilities on the premises, or if not, how close is a laundromat? How close are grocery stores? Convenience stores?When you have found an affordable apartment in an area in which you are comfortable, be sure to read and understand the lease agreement before signing. In hindsight, I would have researched the standard terms of a lease agreement in my area before signing.I get a bit long-winded, so I’ll stop now. If you have any specific worries, ask away and I’ll try to answer.
Things to consider when renting an apartment?
Money wise. After highschool Id love to move into a one bedroom apartment with my boyfriend. Therefore, I'd have a roommate so there goes half the rent. (We've already agreed to that) On average, what's the cost of rent for a one bedroom apartment? Also, what are the average costs of other expenses? Air, electric, water, food? I know it depends on area and person but just on average? One more question, I know I'm asking a lot, but what else do I need to put int consideration? Thanks!
What are some things to know when planning to rent an apartment?
There are lots of really good advice given by others already. But one really very important thing you MUST do before signing on the dotted line is to check your landlord or management company’s references. I can’t tell you what a nightmare you will have on your hands if you have a negligent landlord who doesn’t care for his tenants no matter how reliable they are in paying rents on time. Use Google, Yelp, the Better Business Bureau, consumer reports… or better yet, see if you can catch a tenant around to talk to.My first night at the apartment, I was greeted with a couple dozen roaches. The management sends an exterminator who spritzes a couple of areas, which does nothing to the pests. You call and call and call and eventually they ignore you. My building consistently loses hot water, which means the boiler is always breaking down. Oh sure they’ll fix it but it happens again and again and again but will never come up with a more long term solution. So I take cold showers at least once every other week. In the winter, we get no heat at least 3–4 times a month. The only time my management company fixed a leak in the building was when the city DEP fined them. When you call the company to report a problem, they respond pretty snottily.You may think it’s easy to say that if you don’t like your landlord you can just move. But moving is a very expensive undertaking in itself. So do check and make sure your landlord has a good reputation among his or her tenants and the quality of the unit you are moving into is free of as many defects as possible.
How can I find an apartment if moving to another state?
Some people may think that finding an apartment is easy, but oh-boy are they wrong! Apartment hunting is probably the hardest thing to do when it comes to your move, and the most important thing to know is to understand your resources. Google is probably the most popular resource but usually leads you to sites like Apartments.com, which tends to charge more than what you are hoping. Here are some of my ways to find apartments. Local Classifieds: look in your local classifieds. The most popular is going to be craigslist, but don't stop there! There are plenty of other local classifieds sites that post local apartments that are either by the complex themselves or even by tenants trying to get out of their lease. In some case the latter option is going to have better deals. the local news stations website will most likely have a classifieds section for you area. Facebook!: That right, I said it! Facebook has an underground society of classified ads. It is a lot harder to find what you are looking for, but the deals are awesome. Some Facebook pages allow you to search for specifics, that should help you find apartments in your area. Apartment Magazines: Yes, this is going to be the most unusual of ways to find an apartment, but for some it actually works. The apartment guides usually will give you more information then its websites and it allows you to compare multiple complexes at the same time. I hope this helps you out! Please let me know if you had any questions.
How do I get an apartment without having a job?
everything is negotiable and this is too, however, things will go more smoothly if you already have a job that you're moving too. since you have money saved up, use some of that money to go to chicago and find employment before you need the apartment. apartment complexes tend to have more rules than individual owners so you might want to start looking through the classified ads to find owners who only own a few properties or less. interview these landlords and negotiate with them. here are a couple options: 1) find a rental that will do short term leases (possibly month to month) and ask for a 3 month lease, all paid in advance! 2) negotiate a lease for 3 months with the option to extend with proof of employment. if you don't get the jobs you're expecting the owner can make you leave. 3) have a friend or family member cosign the lease agreement; you may need to offer some other collateral besides extra payments. 4) look to buy a house going into foreclosure. you can purchase the house with (almost) nothing down and just start making the new payments. they don't have credit checks when you buy a house "subject to" the existing mortgage. however, if you do this you need to be absolutely sure you can get the job and make those payments because you'll be injuring someone else's credit if you don't make those payments. there are 4 options for you. i noticed that several other posts have suggested getting the job first. i agree, that is the easiest option but it isn't the only option. you'll just have to decide how badly you want to fight for a home in chicago.
What should I do about a nosy upstairs neighbor guy that keeps watching me go out of my apartment?
I've become obsessed with the fact that he walks over to his window (I can hear him) when I close my apartment door to go out somewhere. I've tested him; I'll close my door and he will get up out of his chair to go look out the window. I will close my back door and he will get up and go look out his back window. It's weird... but I guess I'm weirder because I can't get over the fact that he is doing this. I'm not creative enough to come up with ideas on how to get him to stop...It's angering me that I think this much about it and I'm afraid I am going to lose my temper with him should I ever meet him