Looking for a rental apartment has become easier than ever, especially with online portals such as bproperty.com. But are you just looking for a place to exist or are you looking for a place to be comfortable and yourself? We’ve got a checklist of more dire things to consider before renting an apartment. But there are tons more things to look at and we’ll be going over the more overlooked things that are actually quite important when renting an apartment.
The Basics
Size, number of rooms, location and price. These are basically what a house is, so these have to be looked at. We really won’t get into it since it’s so base but it’s worth mentioning how important it is to know what you actually want or need from a home. Don’t get a 3000 sft apartment if you plan on living alone; it’ll get pretty boring unless you throw massive parties (also find out if you can throw massive parties, first).
Also, does the area provide everything you need? Location is very important for a rental apartment and is a big decision making factor. A school or facilities that cater to your requirements should be a handy distance. And take note of the landlords themselves and their behavior. We have a couple of articles on things to ask landlords and their responsibilities towards tenants. So figure out if they’re friendly or strict before renting an apartment. Maybe even shady? Keep an eye and ear out for this when you’re looking for a rental apartment.
Utilities
So you want a house? We’re pretty sure you want water for a bath and gas to cook. Make sure the apartment you’re renting has a steady supply of the things you need. Water should be available at almost all times unless otherwise mentioned. Look into the electricity conditions in the area and make sure it suites your needs. You don’t really want to live in an area that’s blacked out half the day.
Gas is a trickier subject. Most people are used to, and love, gas out of the mains supply. But with new laws and regulations, many new homes don’t have this connection. You may have to look at LPG canisters as the only viable option. Are you okay with that? Think about it when you’re renting an apartment. Perhaps we can write an article on the pros and cons of using LPG canisters. Let us know!
Electricity Backup
Speaking of blackouts, are you protected from long periods of them? The apartment you’re looking into should ideally have a generator backup system; most new apartments do. Find out what the conditions are for it. How much backup are you entitled to? How long can you expect it to last? Is the generator actually in good shape? Know your entitlements and move forward.
Elevator & Rules
Do you prefer the upper floors? If you do, you probably wouldn’t want to climb 12 stories to get to your apartment at the end of a long day. Of course few developers make an apartment that big without an elevator, but just make sure you have one where you’re looking.
Now that you have an elevator, does it have specific rules? They can be as simple as ‘Don’t lean against the walls’ to ‘Lift unavailable from 3-6 am’. Ouch. But these sort of rules do exist in certain places, so don’t be surprised if you missed them when signing your contract. We warned you!
Maintenance & Cleaning
Everybody likes living pristine. Even the laziest homeowner in the world would prefer a clean place (as long as they don’t have to be the one doing the cleaning). But who’s going to take care of the whole building? Find out about your landlord’s hygiene habits to know how clean to expect the place to be. Some landlords skim on the cleaners to save a few bucks and it results in a terrible environment. Avoid these types because it is often times an indicator of other hazards in the building.
Safety & Security
And yes, safety is a must check. Safety comes in many forms; personal, structural, and response & control. You want the home to be secure from thievery and robbery. A good system would look into everyone walking in and out of the premise to its best capability. This ensures things run smoothly.
You also want to know about the integrity of the building when looking for a rental apartment. We’re not asking you to hire an architect to inspect the place, but do try to understand the current state. Are there any risky renovations that need to be done both inside the apartment and on the premises? As for response, is the building and its personnel ready for emergencies such as fire and earthquakes? Difficult to work out, but definitely worth looking into before renting an apartment.
Service Charge
Now you’re renting an apartment, so you’re paying for the apartment. What about everything else we just mentioned? Who covers the cost of all those facilities? You along with the other tenants of the building, of course. Service charge is applicable to most rentals. This covers cost of utilities, elevators, security and generators. It’s surprising how many people forget about the additional cost of service charge when looking for a rental apartment. They just look for a place within their budget and get surprised by the few extra thousand as service charge. So lesson, include an estimate service charge in your budget.
Internet Restrictions
We are not done! Internet, surprisingly, can be hectic to get your hands on. Some landlords, and even areas as a whole, won’t just let you get any connection you want. This can be because of exclusivity deals with ISPs or simply to avoid too many wires around the building. So you may end up using a ‘pre-allocated’ internet connection. It’s not a huge deal for many, but gamers like me might not be the happiest about it.
Pet Policy
Now pets. We here at Bproperty LOVE ourselves some pets. We have an entire article about making your home more pet friendly. We’ll also soon be writing a piece on how to make the moving process easier on your little friends. But back to it; we find it absolutely necessary to have a pet friendly place when looking for a rental apartment. But not every landlord is keen on the idea. Some can be nudged to see your point of view so you are allowed to bring home your friend. But don’t be surprised if some don’t. Our pets are our family members and there’s no way we’d move without them. Would you?
Rooftop Access
Some people can’t imagine being cooped up all day and need some fresh air. Where do you go? If you’re lucky, the roof of your building! Many landlords give you the luxury of accessing the roof. Some even have it setup beautifully as a getaway garden. But do ask before you break the door trying to get there. Some roofs are allocated strictly for maintenance and the landlord’s personal use. But if you’re really in need of roof access, ask ahead of time.
Guest Rules
It might be odd that we’re talking about guests after talking about pets, but pets are family and we decided to cover family first. ‘So what’s the harm in bringing a guest over?’ you might ask. Many landlords have rules about specific things, so you should learn about it before renting an apartment.
Some landlords won’t allow opposite gender guests for very specific fears. Others have a limit on how many are allowed or for how long. All this may seem preposterous considering it’s your new home, but it’s their building and their rules should be listened to. Decide for yourself whether it impacts your desire to stay there when you’re looking for a rental apartment.
So there are a lot of things to look at apart from the obvious price, size, rooms and amenities factors. We tried to cover the more diverse topics that are of extreme importance but are often overlooked. Obviously, looking for a rental apartment is heavily about personal preference, but you have to admit, the factors we mentioned will probably affect yours. So let us know what’s the most important to you or if there’s something that we missed out that you couldn’t do without.
