Renting an apartment is a very serious step. There are a variety of factors to consider, including price, size, location, amenities, whether or not to have a roommate, and the length of time the apartment is to be rented. All of these factors and more need to be given a great deal of thought before a final decision is made.
Here are some things you'll want to make sure you consider:
The Place
In matters of this importance, you want to make sure you are making the most informed decision possible. As far as the apartment itself, make sure you do your homework and shop around. Check out a variety of places in your price range in order to compare floor plans and amenities. You can start by looking at rental magazines or various websites to narrow down your list, and then go visit the ones of greatest interest to you. Be realistic about your budget. Know what you can afford and stick with it.
The People
Deciding whether or not to have a roommate (or roommates) is one of the most important decisions you will have to make in your apartment-hunting process. Roommates can either make a living situation significantly better or significantly worse. Better is good. Worse is bad - sometimes very bad.
On the plus side, having roommates can certainly make an apartment more affordable and friendly. Sharing expenses obviously saves money for everyone. Roommates can also help each other by sharing the workload involved in taking care of the apartment. Besides that, some people just like having someone else around instead of living alone.
There can be some definite minuses to having a roommate, however. Unless you know the person to be trustworthy, you run the risk of having your property - or even yourself - harmed. (For this reason, you should always thoroughly screen any stranger before considering them as a possible roommate.) The person may not pay their portion of the expenses on time - or at all - and then you have to go through the unpleasant process of confronting them and/or asking them to leave. In addition to that, compatibility issues may come up - even with people who are friends - that can really cause problems: one person likes to stay up late and listen to loud music and the other likes to go to bed early, one person likes to have a lot of company and the other doesn't, one person is neat and the other is messy, etc.
The Contract
Whether or not you opt to have a roommate and regardless of the type of apartment you select, you should always read the contract very carefully before signing it. This is important because a rental agreement is a legal document and violating it can have legal consequences as well as financial ones. You also need to be aware of your rights in case any kind of dispute might arise between you and the landlord. Pay special attention to any sections referring to the landlord's ability to evict tenants as well as the consequences in the event that you have to break the lease agreement and move before the term of the lease is up.
Giving serious consideration to the place, the people, and the contract will help ensure that you make an informed decision when you choose your apartment. It will be time well spent and can keep you from making foolish decisions that can come back to haunt you for months and years to come.
Mark Moebius
CEO MILJONAIR Homes
Custom Home Builder St. Louis
3452 St. Albans Road
St. Albans MO 63073
636-300-9000
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