
10 Things you Must Know before Renting an Apartment - pbnaidu
http://freshome.com/2008/05/28/10-things-you-must-know-before-renting-an-apartment/
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raju
I rent, and after having lived in a few apartments myself, I agree with a lot
of the points mentioned - To add a few myself -

1\. I normally carry a compass with me when inspecting an apartment for the
first time. I like to have a lot of light in my apartment so I tend to find
apartments that have a lot of east facing windows.

2\. Lots of electrical outlets - Definitely need those. I hate it when
apartments have one solitary outlet per room

3\. Measure the furniture that you have right now before inspecting any
apartments (that is if you are moving in with some furniture). The last thing
you want is that beautiful L-shaped desk not quite fitting in your office

4\. The article mentions this, but __read__ your contract. Living in an
apartment for a few years means there will be wear and tear, and this should
be included as part of the contract. A lot of apartment complexes are just
looking for an excuse to take away your deposit on something as flimsy as "the
carpet has worn out". Of course its worn out, I walked on it for 3 years!

5\. Take a tour of the apartment complex before signing up. A lot of apartment
complexes advertise gyms/swimming pool facilities, where the gym has one
stationary bike from the 60's and the swimming pool looks like it has not been
cleaned for years. Talk to any residents if you can, and ask them about the
responsiveness of the apartment's management for any and all issues especially
emergencies. Considering I live by myself, I normally pay attention to that.
Considering I live in OH, I normally ask how the apartment complex deals with
snow and ice. This is normally a liability issue for the complex, but its best
to know stuff like that

6\. A lot of apartment complexes mandate that you need to have home owners
insurance when you move it. Even if they don't, you should buy it

7\. Look around the complex. Is there a pharmacy around, a grocery store? This
is critical especially if moving to a big city since you may not know the
neighborhood well. Again, useful in emergencies

