What You Need to Look Out For When Browsing Home Rentals

Finding quality home rentals can be tough, especially in in-demand real estate markets. Luckily, renters aren’t alone when it comes to finding housing that promises years of happy inhabitance. By watching out for these common pitfalls, it’s easy to find home rentals that suit your budget, needs, and desires.

5 Things to Look Out for in Home Rentals

1. Landlord-focused leases

A lease is a document meant to protect both the owner and the renter of property. It lays out the guidelines for living in the home, the timeline of the rental, the amount of monthly rent to be paid, and conditions for renewing or breaking the lease.

In some cases, though, leases are geared to protect landlords more than they are tenants. If you’ve found a place you want to rent, read through the lease for renewal clauses (pieces that raise the rent when you renew your contract). This will help you save money and protect your financial house in the long run.

2. Shared outdoor spaces

If there’s an outdoor area in the building you want to rent, be sure that the lease explicitly spells out your right to use it. While many tenants assume that anything on the property is fair game, this isn’t always true. Double-checking the lease before you move in can prevent disappointment down the road.

3. Apartment condition

While most people want a pristine, clean living space, many rentals don’t offer it. If you can avoid moving into an old, outdated, or damaged property, that’s ideal. If not, you may be able to negotiate with your landlord to take money off of your rent for painting or improving the property. In either case, make sure you take a thorough account of all damages to the property to protect yourself from liability when you move out.

4. Provisions for renovations

If you move into a place in which the landlord has given you permission to make improvements or repairs (such as painting or fixing a creaky back step), get this in writing. If you don’t, you could be held liable for the cost of reversing the renovations before you move out.

5. Landlord communication

Ideally, your relationship with your landlord will be wonderful, open, and gracious. If that’s too much to ask for, though, be sure that it’s at least consistent and communicative. The landlord-tenant relationship works much better when the lines of communication are kept open. Plus, knowing your landlord will pick up your calls gives you a place to turn if you have troubles with the utilities in your new property.

Home Rental Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

While finding suitable home rentals can be difficult, watching out for these five things helps make the process simpler and more intuitive for everyone involved.