For the first time ever, I find myself in the market for my own apartment. My housemates took care of all the details for the house I live in now, so I really don't quite know what I'm doing. I'm going to check out an apartment tomorrow, and I need to know what I should be looking for/at. What questions should I ask the landlord? Is it appropriate to check out the functioning of faucets, etc? Any and all advice would be appreciated, oh wise experienced apartment hunters!

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2000

Answers

Well, as the veteran of many an apartment search, here are a few pointers:

Sure, check out the faucets and such. Look at how worn the carpets are and whether the place has been freshly painted. These things will give you an insight into how well the apartment is being maintained.

It's a good idea, if you can schedule it, to apartment-hunt during those times when your prospective neighbors are home. I had an apartment once with walls like paper - you could hear everyone in the adjoining apartments. Since I'd looked at the place during the workday, I didn't know how noisy it would be in the evenings and on weekends.

One thing I noticed when I was looking at my current apartment was that lots of people in the complex had wreaths on their doors or had otherwise gone to some trouble to make the outside of their places look nice (in my complex, we all have private entrances to the outside). Some people had even planted their own tulip bulbs and such outside, or had planters. I figured that, if the people living here cared about how their rental property looked, it probably would be a good place to live. I was right, by the way.

Make sure you check about who pays for utilities, you or the landlord. For example, in the northeast (where I've lived since 1988), you can afford to pay more rent if the landlord pays the heat bill.

As a corollary to the above, if you're not paying for heat or a/c, make sure you're not going to be stuck in a freezing or broiling apartment! You want to be able to regulate your own temperatures.

There are probably lots more things I could add if I thought about it some more, but this should give you a start. Happy hunting!

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2000

As well as looking at the condition of the paint and carpet/floor, as Tracey pointed out, ask if these will be redone for your occupancy.

Who takes care of trash? Is it an extra utility or included in the rent?

If the place has its own parking, look at the cars. Call me an elitist, but you can tell a lot about the demographic you'll be living with from the cars, and the age and the income of your neighbors will affect your relations with them. Oh, and the bumper- stickers. Also check for litter and the cleanliness of the common areas, which indicates the effort of both staff and tenants.

Juggle rent vs. convenience. Is it worth it to pay more per month so you have a shorter commute? Is it worth it to pay less if it means you have to wash your own dishes? Where are the laundry facilities? What are its hours?

Here's a big one that's impossible to determine without a year's worth of twice-daily visits: how much sun does the place get? Will it be cave in the winter?

We compromised our safety (not yet violated, thank goodness) and our privacy by living on the ground floor and thus having lower rent. Is that worth it to you?

Can you have a pet if you want? If you don't want but pets are allowed, did the previous occupant have a pet? Will it stink of cat pee after you remove all the room fresheners, when it's hot in the summer or when the doors and windows are closed in the winter?

Absolutely be as snoopy as you want to be. In Denver, fr'instance, it's a leaser's market. It's not like Seattle and San Francisco when you have to show up with a credit report or have no chance, but it's pretty tight. Nonetheless, turn the faucets on, flush the toilet, roll the shades up and down, ask if they have maintenance staff onsite or on page or emergency. If anything, I think this makes you look more responsible to the landlord. A person who cares about maintenance is less likely to be destructive.

Ahahaha, a biggie--do you smoke? Do you hate smoke? Does the current occupant smoke? If so, and you don't, the paint and carpet *must* be replaced. If you keep your windows open, will the smoke from your upstairs neighbor waft in? (someone said this earlier today--bitter, party of two?)

Our utility companies and police will give stats about any address. The woman at Public Service nearly threw a rod when she quoted our new house's heating costs--those solar panels really help keep costs down. (The police weren't as enthusiastic, alas.) I don't know about other utility companies, but your cops should be able to quote you safety stats re the neighborhood.

And since we're all geeks here, call the phone company and find out if that address has DSL or ISDN or if you'll be stuck at 28.8.

Oh yes, the lease. How long a commitment are you looking at? Would it be cheaper to sign a 24 than a 12 month lease? If so, it might be cheaper if you're confident you won't hate the place. We would Not Be Allowed to break the lease--despite the tight housing market--if we hadn't signed a House-Buying Lease, so that you're granted the privilege of vacating the rabbit warren if you buy.

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2000

Chat with the landlord/lady too. Make sure they're someone you feel comfortable talking to. I made a good first impression on the grandmotherly type woman who owns my apartment, and she's gone out of her way to help me with minor problems. It's nice to get a feeling for what they expect of you, and what you expect of them. When and how do they want the rent paid? Will they be responsive if you need something fixed? Would they water your plants if you go out of town for a weekend? That sort of thing.

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2000

For any type of improvements they agree to do post move-in [e.g., replace fixtures], get it in writing. In fact, get everything in writing.

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2000

For me, the most important things are the small details. Like in the bathroom, is it a standup shower or a full tub with a shower? This doesn't matter as much if you take only showers but if you like the occcasional bath, you'll find yourself cursing the heavens whenever you can't have one. Also, the kitchen sink. I hate sinks with only one bowl-I need two. Would you mind of a previous tenant smoked? Are there any children in the house? Children can be surprisingly, shockingly loud and disruptive especially if you need a lot of quiet time.

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2000

Here is my suggestion: if you can, talk to people who have rented from the management company or the owner before. We rented from a HORRIBLE rental agency (if you're in Sacramento, I don't want to publically flame this place, but just think of the painting of the Blank's Mother, or the sound your mouth makes when you blow air out of it a certain way, and you'll know the name of the agency i'm referring to) that charged us (err, tried to) 800 dollars for new tile in a teeny tiny bathroom, plus a bunch of other crap. Well, after telilng everyone I knew not to rent from them, I started running into people who had rented from them in the past and had similar or worse problems. And now I've even met owners who used this agency for their rental agency and have had problems. UGH!

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2000

OK, I have a couple of tips for when you've actually rented the place and are moving in.

BEFORE you move a single stick of furniture into the apartment, get a camcorder (borrow a friend's if you have to) and videotape the entire apartment. Ceilings, floors, fixtures, you name it, if it's in the apartment, it goes on the tape. Pay special attention to any problems (flaky paint, chipped tiles, etc.).

Then if there ARE any problems, write down a list of them and submit it to the landlords, also before you ever move anything in. Keep a copy in a safe place.

That way, if it's time to move out and the landlords are like, "Oh, you owe us $1000 to repair the water damage to the ceiling in the kitchen," you can be like "guess what? I have a videotape from the day before we moved in taht shows it was already there... and I have a copy of the letter that we submitted to you that details the damage."

Hopefully you won't ever need to use either your tape or your letter, but it doesn't hurt to have them just in case.

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2000

Beware the moose upstairs.

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2000

Does anyone think a landlord would actually repaint (if he wouldn't have done so already) or replace a carpet because a former tenant smoked--much less accept the assertion that the carpet MUST be replaced? He'd simply find another smoker, or a non-smoker who is not intolerant (they do exist!) I'm not a landlord, but I'd laugh very heartily if someone asked me to replace otherwise good carpet because they detected cigarette smoke!

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2000

Lots of good advice given above here. I agree on checking out the cars in the parking lot -- it will tell you something about your neighbors. And be sure to visit any apartment complex you are seriously considering at night. You can see how well (or poorly) lit the parking and walking areas are, and you can find out if the place is full of music-blaring types. One of the last apartments I had was really pretty nice by day, but at night my heathen neighbors would return and have drunken screaming matches in the parking lot outside my window. If you're going to be living alone, or even if you're not, I'd suggest you stay off the first floor for safety reasons. Try to get the top floor so you won't hear your neighbors stomping around above you. It's law here in Texas (possibly elsewhere?) that apartments must have two deadbolt locks -- one that's openable from the outside with a key and one that cannot be opened from the outside. That's designed so that when you are inside, no one who has gotten a copy of your key can get in. I believe the law is the result of a lawsuit won by a woman who was raped by an apartment complex employee who had access via a key. If you have a sliding glass door, make sure it has adequate locks and consider getting one of those poles to help make it more secure. One last concern, I always liked to have a bathroom that was accessible through a hallway for guests -- no need for them to go traipsing through my not-always-so-clean bedroom.

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2000

My best advice, especially if you enjoy long, hot showers:

Go into the bathroom/kitchen and turn the faucets on, shower on, flush the toilet. See what it does to your water pressure.

That's what got me in the apartment I'm in right now. Should have thought of that. If you are taking a shower and someone turns on water somewhere else in the house, the water pressure disappears and you have a little drip-drip shower. It sucks.

I think everyone has pretty much covered everything else.

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2000

Figure out what's important to you - space? quiet? sun? lots of hot water? security? - and try to scope out those things in the ways others have suggested.

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2000

You might want to find out how intrusive the management is. The place we moved into before our current apartment, we were there for 6 months. During that time, the management came up with a lame excuse to enter our place at least 1x per month, including three exterminator visits, when they only claimed to do those once per year. Also, once we notified them we weren't going to renew, they started sending notices that they were going to show our apartment to prospective tenants- BEFORE WE MOVED. How's that for freaky??

I asked our current complex about that, and the rep was flabbergasted. This place doesn't enter our apartment unless there's an emergency (hasn't been one in the 1+ year we've been here) or unless you've made a maintenance request.

Something else you should do, find your local Tenants' Rights advocate (there are a lot of websites). Find out about the laws in your area. You'd be surprised at some of the things landlords are required to do that you'd never think about. For instance (at least in Tx), when a tenant moves out, the landlord is required by law to change the locks before the next tenant moves in. There are other security features they're required to provide. And, if you want additional (like another deadbolt), they are required to add them, but at your cost.

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2000

Lots of great advice - Try to live in an upper unit, if possible! God, I've had neighbors make my life hell just by WALKING.

An end unit on the top floor - not always possible, but perfect.

Visit the complex at all hours - especially a Friday or Saturday night, just to see what's goin' on.

Good luck!

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2000

Thanks for all the advice, everyone! The place I checked out today looks absolutely ideal; let's hope the landlord thinks -I'm- ideal. Again, I appreciate your suggestions-- I put a lot of them to use.

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2000

I wish I had known about some of the things mentioned before I took this place-- but I'm happy enough with it. My main concern is the fact that my unit is in the basement next to the back door. I have a safety issue with that. On the other hand, there has never been a break-in to one of the lower units. Never. I asked. We are in such a low crime area that there's no graffiti on the bus stop. I've lived in this complex for more than a year now, and in this unit for 6 months, and I have had no trouble, except for little kids looking in my windows. Both units were basement suites, and both are comfy. I just wish that my kitchen and living room weren't connected. I hate looking at the fridge all the time.

Something you should ask before you sign the lease; Does the landlord requite you to clean the apartment at your expense when you move? I had never heard about that before, being from Montreal where they do that for you. Leaving it in good, neat condition is assumed, but when I switched from one unit to another in the same complex here in Edmonton, I was required to have the carpets steam cleaned, the walls washed, the windows cleaned inside and out, the oven cleaned, the fridge and stove moved and washed behind, etc-- a very thorough cleaning. All at my expense. So be careful-- they nailed me with that right before I moved out. It's expected here in Edmonton, but not all landlords are so strict.

-- Anonymous, May 04, 2000