what are the most common mistakesto avoid ,as a renter, when choosing an apartment? (USA)?

Question

Like location-if you dont know the area well- and signs of possible future problems- what are the "clues"....
somethings like the pre move in checklist -imporatn to be accurate and detailed. How to tell if you will have a noisy disruptive neighbor etc

had a house sold it to be more able to move/travel and not have maintenance

i guess I dont mean so much if the lawyers have control over the leases and money etc that's a given- I mean just livability concerns.

Answer 1

If anything goes wrong between you and a landlord your attorney cannot represent you in a small claims court.Attorneys aren't even allowed into small claims court.Before moving in walk through on a Friday night after 5pm and then revisit on the weekend to check out the noise level.Look for graffitti on nearby buildings if you see any buildings spray painted that's a sign of gang activity.Look for bars and liquor stores,strip clubs and card rooms if you see any of those stay away because those places attract human maggots and you don't want any of them walking around your neighborhood.Also look for hospitals that serve the mentally ill,I say this because I just moved from an area that had a nearby hospital for the mentally ill and people with all kinds of mental disorders were always walking around in front of our home.One of them even started yelling at my son as we were getting into our truck scaring him half to death, then 6 or 7 of them took up residency behind our dumpster and after I called the police to have them removed they came back and keyed my truck.Before signing a lease walk through the place and make a note of anything you find wrong with the landlord.Get everything in writing with the landlords signature as well as your own.Anything you notice wrong after you moved in should also be brought to his attention in writing with both of you signatures so he can't later say you did the dammage and take it out of your deposit.Invest in a video camera and video tape the entire inside and outside of your apartment.Get every inch of the place on film.Don't treat the landlord as if he were your friend this is a very bad mistake that I learned the hard way not to do.Instead deal with him on a professional level.Your renting from a landlord is a business arrangement and nothing more.Don't share anything personal with a landlord about yourself the less they know the better off you are.Look for Schools and parks and churches these places are good to live by because they attract good people and the maggots stay away because it's not their cup of tea.Also you can call the police department and ask what kind of criminal activity is common in the area and they will tell you.Go to www.meganslaw.com and see how many registered sex offenders live within the immediate area.If it's alot then stay away it's a bad area.Lastly use your own judgement and see if you can have a working relationship with the landlord.Be careful,because where I live landlords are cut throat and very greedy.Good luck and have fun apartment hunting!

Answer 2

Take a look at the cars in the lot, if they are old junkers or the lot is full after 9 am you are in a poor neighborhood living on the state. Park and watch who comes in after 5 pm you will get a look at the neighbors. I had a terrible time with young mothers not watching toddlers that would get in the street. Had my car towed away when it was a bit out of my parking space because of a giant pool of water--$150 cash paid to the rudest man in the world, sicked a dog on me when I went to get the car and demanded my registration, which was in the car---duh!! Also had party animal men living above me as in loud music and wrestling and throwing beer bottles and cans in the yard. Not to mention the improv black minister holding scream sessions on Friday nights and Sunday mornings. Check out the area and forget getting any deposit back they will figure a way to keep it. I called 3 days in a row trying to get someone to come and inspect, left messages and when I got back the check out list it said I refused a walk thru with management. They win, do the shortest lease you can when you move in and then decide if you want to move out when it is up. Don't mean to sound like gloom and doom but landlords win.

Answer 3

It's impossible: I was a Broker. There is no way you can beat us.
The best of attorneys have made out the leases. Whatever you think you have signed, we have you by the short hairs and there's no way out. Your at our mercy.
I've been there myself. I had a wonderful condo myself that my friend, broker was the lessee I rented from for years. He put nothing into it in that time. I had a heart attack and was forced to move. All of a sudden everything changed. I had to let all the neighbors know that we were moving out of State to another child's State to care for me. We left no forwarding address and was gone overnight. Forgot our upfront money and down payment otherwise he might have come after us for painting and refurbishing the place, I knew him. This is the way it was, is. Your at their whim.

Answer 4

it's a crapshoot. people move in and out a lot, so if you have a quiet neighbor now, next week they could leave and a lunatic could move in. I would suggest you visit at different times of day/evening to get a handle on whether the area changes. also going late at night you'll get a sense if there are enough parking spaces.

Answer 5

Read your lease carefully.One place I lived at towed my car away in the middle of the night because my license plates had expired that day.The state gives you a thirty day grace period-but the apt complex considered the car abandoned once the plates expire.Missed work and had to pay $150.cash to get my car back. Wish I had read that damn thing before this happened.

Answer 6

pay attention to stuff like if it has new carpets. if it does not they can not charge you for them. ask other tennents about auto thefts, thiis is big. I lived in what was a very nice place, but had literally an epidemic with auto thefts. make sure there is a washer and dryer inside every apartment. I always used to find a place that they pay water, sewer and garbage not the tennent. that is the basics besides move in specials.

Answer 7

The first thing to do is check out the prospective neighborhood at different times.

It may be quiet in the afternoon when you first go there---and very noisy at night!

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