Being able to rent your first apartment or house is a milestone in most peoples’ lives. It’s a major part of becoming an adult and having your own independence. But, actually finding an apartment to rent for the first time can feel complicated and stressful. You might not be sure of what you’re doing, after all.
It doesn’t need to be as hard as you would think, though. Focusing on the right rental tips can help put you in a great position and make the process much less frustrating.
You will still need to put a decent bit of time into finding an apartment you want to rent, but there’s no reason it should be that overwhelming. Some of these suggestions could end up having a significant impact on the process.
Know Your Needs and Budget
You will already have an ideal apartment in mind before you even start looking for one to rent. Make sure this is realistic for your situation. You’ll have specific needs, like it being close to work or other obligations, a minimum number of bedrooms, and more. Understand exactly what these are before you start apartment hunting.
Keep these separate from any nice-to-haves. These are optional extras you’d like to have, but they could push an apartment outside your budget. By sticking with your needs and then focusing on any extras within your means, there will be nothing to worry about.
Research Each Apartment Building
Once you’ve found an apartment or two you like and are considering renting, it’s worth researching the building itself, and even the landlord. A lot of people don’t realize this is an option. But, it helps you make sure everything is above board and lets you know whether you can expect any issues with that particular landlord and apartment.
StreetSmart and similar platforms are great for this. They usually have quite a bit of information about whether particular landlords or apartment buildings have had any issues in the past you should be aware of. It will save a bit of hassle later on.
Ask the Right Questions During Tours
Speaking of knowing as much as possible about the apartment ahead of time, ask a lot of questions while touring the apartment so you will have all the pertinent information to make an informed decision.
This usually spans the likes of what to do about repairs, how utilities are taken care of, etc. But, it’s worth focusing on any concerns you have or anything you might want to know about before you decide. You’ve no reason not to ask before agreeing to anything.
Gather Paperwork in Advance
You will need quite a bit of paperwork to rent an apartment, especially for the first time. This usually includes your credit score (if you have one), personal references, employment details, and others. These can all take a little bit of time and effort to get together, which is why it’s worth putting together as early as possible.
Landlords aren’t going to wait around too long for you to do this, and they will have plenty of other applicants who are already prepared. Make sure your application isn’t overlooked or ignored just because of paperwork, and get everything together early.
Deep Clean When You Move In
Once you’ve applied for an apartment to rent and been accepted, you may think the next step is to move your belongings in and get settled. This isn’t the case. Instead, make sure your apartment is as clean as possible before you bring in any large furniture or other belongings.
Even if everything looks relatively clean, there could be more dust and dirt hidden behind the fridge and in other areas than you’d think. It’s always worth dealing with this before properly moving in, making a deep clean at the start a great decision.
It’s easy to feel stressed when you’re trying to rent your first apartment. You might not be sure of what you’re doing, you could be worried about the deposit, your budget, or any number of things. But, this doesn’t have to mean it has to be hard.
Focusing on the right apartment hunting tips could be more than enough to help with this. You’ll still need to put the time and effort into it, but there’s no reason to be constantly stressed.
Photo by Patrick Perkins on Unsplash
