The basic rule to follow when you are looking for an apartment is: Be careful. Rental agents and property managers work for landlords, and most landlords are in the business of renting property to make money. As in any business, some landlords are responsible; some are not.
When you first meet a landlord, a rental agent, or a property manager, she may seem to be very helpful. But remember—she wants to rent out apartments as quickly as possible. When you are checking out an apartment:
- Don't let a landlord or her agent rush you.
- Carefully inspect the apartment.
- Read any agreement before you sign it.
- Get all promises in writing.
It is also a good idea to learn as much as possible about the landlord or property manager's reputation. The more you know about how a person operates her business, the better off you will be. Try to talk to current tenants. Ask them how well the landlord takes care of the place or whether they have had trouble getting repairs made. Also ask current tenants whether they have heard anything about the building being foreclosed upon. If they have, follow up by asking the landlord and read the section called How to Get Information about a Foreclosure in Chapter 21: Tenants Facing Foreclosure.
If you decide to rent a place, be sure to get both the office phone number and an emergency phone number that you can use after business hours to contact your landlord or the property manager. If there is ever an emergency or serious problem with the apartment, you will need to know how to contact the person responsible for the premises at any hour.
Produced by Pattie Whiting Created July 2008
