Not everyone can afford to buy their house; at times, you have to find a house to rent. And this can present you with all sorts of challenges if you aren’t prepared for it. Some advice can help you navigate the market, even if you don’t know what to do.
You don’t want to be in a situation where you are taken advantage of because you don’t know what to do. When you are looking to lease a property, below are some crucial things you need to know. Use them as advice every time you are looking to rent.
Table of Contents
Review the Lease
Before making any payment, you need to review the lease and ensure that you are comfortable with everything written down. When there are conditions that you find unacceptable, you don’t have to sign the lease.
Some of the things that you need to look at before signing a lease include restricting pets or guests and altering the design. While leasing a Condo, look at the Condo Black Book, Miami’s condo guides for more on what’s good and what isn’t. You need to ensure that all terms on the lease are acceptable to you.
Bring Your Paperwork
Before you get the house, there are other competitors you are up against for the home. It would be best if you bring along your paperwork to have an edge. When you are prepared, the landlord will likely take you seriously during your first meeting.
It would help if you wrote references from previous landlords and completed the rental application. You may also need to have references from your boss and some of your colleagues too. A copy of your credit report should also come in handy.
You can get your report by filling out the necessary info on the three major credit bureaus:
- Transunion
- Experian
- Equifax
Protect Your Rights to Privacy
Once you rent a house, you want to enjoy some privacy in your home. And this has always presented some challenges for most tenants. Tenants want to be left alone, but misunderstandings may arise as you reserve the right to enter your house.
You need to have clearly understood under what circumstances a landlord or property manager is allowed entry into your home. Also, you need to understand what notice should be given for this case. When you get all these, it will be easy to protect your privacy.
Have Everything in Writing
If you don’t want to misunderstand the landlord and the property managers, you need to write everything. You then need to keep a copy of all the written lease agreements for future references. All oral contracts should also be put in writing.
Some of the things you need to put in writing include requesting repairs, maintenance, and others. When there’s an oral agreement, ensure you follow it up with a letter confirming the deal.
Demand Repairs
Before you get into the house, you need to demand repairs. Even after you are in the place, you need to ensure that you live in habitable units. Once you know your rights in this scenario, could you not give them up no matter the cost?
You need to understand what repairs your landlord should handle, and this must be in writing. And remember to keep a copy of the written agreement for yourself. If you do the repairs yourself, you need to ensure that you deduct from the rent.
Keep an Open Line of Communication with Your Landlord
You need to keep an open line of communication with the landlord once you have settled in the house. This will be particularly useful when there’s a problem you need to be fixed. You can only talk it over with your landlord when you have an open line of communication.
Be Safe
While you look around for houses, you need to look at the area’s security before you make any final agreement. You also need to know what to expect from the landlord if the area isn’t safe. You need to know the state laws that require safety devices and how they can help you.
You then need to inquire if there has ever been a break-in before. The landlord has some obligations to protect you – they need to take the necessary steps to protect you. You may also want to get renter insurance that will cover you in case of theft.
When you want to rent a place, there are several things that you need to look out for. You need to ensure that you have all the above ideas checked out before and after settling in the house. They are pretty crucial to protect your rights, privacy, and safety.
Featured Photo by Naomi Hébert on Unsplash
