I am moving out from home. Need an apartment for July. I have found a roomate, now we just need an apartment, but shit is more complicated than I thought. Any tips? Also, is there anything else I need to know? Thanks.
Apartment hunting
I am moving out from home. Need an apartment for July. I have found a roomate, now we just need an apartment, but shit is more complicated than I thought. Any tips? Also, is there anything else I need to know? Thanks.
Unfortunately many landlords are middle aged (older) and many people in that age group still aren't quite tech savvy. That means searching Rent.com and Craigslist all day won't show you everything that's out there. In Pittsburgh, near bus stops there are free apartment guides that building owners buy ads in. Of course there's the local newspaper. In all honesty, the best way may be to simply drive/walk around in the neighborhood you want to live in. After I moved, there were a surprising number of places a bumped into that simply had a FOR RENT sign in the window that I wish I was at least aware of before I signed my lease.
As far as the online deal though, I stumbled upon this a few weeks ago and find it very helpful.
http://www.padmapper.com/
it's pretty straightforward, just depends on the apartment complex. think about it, you're gonna live there for 6 or more months. do you like it? can you afford it? cool.
i just went on apartments.com. if you go through a realtor they'll want a fucking deposit that costs as much as rent. you get it back, but for me i don't have that kind of money so i just get apartment. never dealt with a landlord really, just apartment management. and don't believe too much the negative reviews of apartment complexes because nobody will take the time to post a good review, but they'll post a bad review. my apartment had shit reviews and i loved living here.
It's really not that complicated. Search craigslist, apartments.com, rent.com, and newspapers. Find one that looks interesting and affordable, contact landlord, meet with landlord, ask questions and get information, and if it's not what you want, repeat process.
To narrow your search, figure out things that you may consider necessities. Aside from a certain rent price, keep in mind cost of utilities (gas, electric, water), internet, cable, etc. Some of these may be included in the rent. Figure out your parking information- will you have a garage? A driveway? On-street parking? This may be a deal-breaker for some. Discuss lease lengths, and sublet options if you plan on being away for part of the lease duration. When you go to sign, carefully read the lease over with your landlord and bring up any concerns you may have. Once you sign it, you are legally bound to abide by the terms and conditions listed. Make sure you understand and agree with ALL of them.
Try to get month to month payments if you can. Getting locked in a lease can really bite you in the ass.
Originally Posted by AJ Pow
month to month payments usually cost 100-200 more a month. if you were gonna live there for a year anyway, that's an extra 1200 a month. just sayin. think of how long you're gonna be there. if you're in school you'll probably stay
honestly just ask the apartment people you talk to everything you need. some apartments require renters insurance, others don't. pick an area you want to be in and search that area. see what's around it. my apartment has 3 grocery stores, many restaurants, a gamestop and a gun store next to it.
You're in a good spot for when the zombies come.
You come see me, I get you pair of skates- Ramell Knight
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