As a first-time college renter, you might experience mixed emotions because you finally get to leave alone. It can also be scary because you do not know what to expect. The freedom of living without a roommate who is always on your neck about bringing friends over or doing other minor things is soothing. However, dealing with landlords and caretakers can be difficult, especially if you are a first-year and straight out of your parent’s shell. But do not fret. Let’s go through some common mistakes first-time college renters make to ensure you enjoy your stay.
Looking for Apartments Online
Browsing for apartment listings leaves you open to fraud, although some may be genuine. There is nothing wrong with looking for your dream apartment online. However, before signing any document or paying for it, ensure you make a physical visit to ascertain that it is indeed what is posted online. Even if there are numerous pictures of the apartment posted online, you will find some omissions. Apartment owners mostly tend to omit the poorly done areas of the house to attract tenants.
Additionally, the size of the pictures might appear enlarged. Therefore, ensure you visit the site before making any significant steps. Nothing dims the joy of moving in and finding a foul smell coming from across the street or that the walk-in closet is not really what it looked like. Worse still, there is a club just across the street making noise all night.
Such environments are not conducive for students since it may be hard to carry out your assignments, and you may end up looking for writing service companies. Ideally, it would be best if you made frequent visits to the place at different times of the day to ensure you get a clear picture of where you’ll be moving into
Ignoring Small Damages
Most apartments have a policy that you pay for any damage caused to the house. Therefore, a small crack can transform into something more prominent during your stay, making you liable. Before moving in, ensure you take snaps of any damage, even if it is a spill stain. Also, raise the issue with your landlord to let them know of the damage. If possible, insist that the damage be rectified before moving in. Assuming such minor things may cost you trying to get cleaning or repair services.
Not Knowing If the Rent Is Inclusive Of Utilities
Just as you would want to know how much you’ll spend acquiring a service at us.masterpapers.com, you also need to get your budget right before moving into an apartment. It is best to have every calculation to know how much you will be paying every month. Nasty unexpected bills can tamper with your financial planning, especially as a student living under a tight budget.
Most apartments include utilities in the total rent, but still, you have to go through the fine print of your contract to confirm this. Utilities range from electricity to garbage collection. Therefore, you need to know how they are paid for and, if possible, ask for a cost breakdown.
Brushing Through the Terms and Conditions
Ignoring the terms and conditions is a significant mistake first-time renters make, especially those referred by a friend. You may not find the need to go through the contract since your friend who lives in the surrounding area has given you a brief of what goes on. However, some terms that favor them may not favor you. Therefore, as a first-time renter, you need to avoid skimming through the contract. Just like when doing your paper writing assignments, you need to read all the instructions to ensure you do not omit any guidelines.
It is also best to carefully go through all the terms and even ask questions about what you don’t understand. For example, an apartment may allow pets with weight and breed specifications. Therefore, if you do not go through the finer details, you may miss out on such and end up being in breach of the conditions that may warrant your lease termination.
Other landlords may have visitation restrictions, such as paying fines if a guest stays for more than two days. Sounds crazy, right? It is why you need to go through the document bit by bit.
Failing to Ask About Deposits
Some apartments require renters to pay hefty deposit amounts of up to two months and other additional charges. Failing to inquire beforehand may come as a surprise on the day you plan to move in. To avoid such pitfalls and disappointments, ensure you make inquiries about deposits to help you budget before the moving date.
The Take-Away
The above are some common mistakes you might make as a first time apartment renter. Sometimes the excitement of finally moving into your apartment may cloud your judgment to pay attention to some of these mistakes. Therefore, before making any payments or deciding to move, ensure you check whether you are making some of the aforementioned mistakes.
Salman is a prolific environmental writer, and has authored more than 500 articles in reputed journals, magazines and websites. He is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management, sustainability and conservation all over the world.
Salman can be reached on salman@cleantechloops.com
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