Five Important Questions that Need Answers Before You Rent a Property

When renting, especially in these economic times, nothing should be assumed. Some things are outlined in an example lease for you when you go to view the property, however, more often than not, it is a lot more casual that first meeting. Keep in mind at all times that it does the landlord no good to scare you away from renting their property, so you will have to be very good at reading people during this time. It is important for the potential landlord to not feel scrutinized because they will put their guard up higher and if it is a troubled property you will have a harder time finding out.

Very Important Question For Your Potential Landlord #1:

"How long do you plan on owning this property?"

Right now the market isn't that great and houses/apartments aren't selling as fast as they go up. This could change at any time. I have always rented and unfortunately the area I'm in the houses for quite some time were selling for outrageously high prices. So of course the owner would get in while somewhat low, then sell as soon as it went back up. This gave me an average of two-three years at each property. Finally I learned to ask the above question the last time I moved, that was five years ago, and I'm still here. I could easily tell by the personal aspects he added that he was not in a hurry to "turn-over" the house.

Very Important Question For Your Potential Landlord #2:

"What are my options when something breaks?"

It is important to find out if there are options other than wait for the owner's personal handyman. There are a couple reasons for this. If the prospective landlord has many other properties, sometimes more minor things get put off. While not major issues they could inconvenience you in many ways. One way would be having to wait for the repairman leading to time taken off work. Another, just to use an example here, lets say you have sliding doors, often the screens get loose and come off track. While not an extremely important issue, definitely something that would grate on your nerves eventually. Sometimes the owner will give you the option of fixing it yourself or hiring someone to do so and furnish them with receipts for the work and taken off your rent. If it is a major issue such as the heater in the winter, you need to know that the owner will hire a professional to fix it immediately. I know this seems a given, but do not ever assume. When I was married and young with young children, our family went three days in the blizzard of 1996 with no heat. In another apartment we had to wait until Monday for our toilet to be fixed. So even major repairs are not a given that they will be done immediately and properly.

Very Important Question For Your Potential Landlord #3:

"What type of neighborhood is this?"

Even if you are from the basic area your whole life, you can't base a judgment on that. Every neighborhood has different little areas and types of people. If you are young and single and like to entertain, you may not like the idea of having neighbors that are elderly and need peace and quiet. On the other end of things, if you have young children there are many types of things to consider when considering your potential neighbors. Is it a neighborhood made up primarily of rentals? If so you may want to reconsider even though you are a renter. When you have young children you want to avoid neighborhoods where the general length of time lived there is a year and under. Besides your children gaining and keeping friends, oftentimes people who should be registered as sex offenders slip under the cracks because the area is filled with people coming and going, so they wouldn't appear unusual.

Very Important Question For Your Potential Landlord #4

"How often and how much should I expect my rent to go up?"

If the potential landlord doesn't have a ton of properties and seems to be a "slow but steady" owner, often they keep the rent basically the same if they see that you care for the property well and pay them on time. It is hard to get a good tenant these days, so often they will try to keep you with reasonable increases only when necessary, like to cover mortgage bill rising, living expenses and so forth. However, many landlords that own a great deal of property have a different prospective than that. So it is very important to ask before you get to the lease, how often and how much the rent will rise. If it is something you can't afford in two years, but you are looking for something more long term than that you can nip the rise in rent and subsequent move just by asking this question.

Very Important Question For Your Potential Landlord #5

"What is the crime rate like and what is the highest reported incidences?"

This question most likely would have to be asked to the township director or police chief, but well worth the time to ask and research. There is no perfect area and even the nicest looking areas have their problems. The answer to this question and what it means to each person is different. No one likes or wants any crime, but everybody has their own wants and needs and preferences when it comes to what they want to take their chances with. For example, if the highest crime committed is teenagers being arrested for drinking, but there is no matching vandalism or unruly behavior, a person or persons renting that do not have any kids may not care about this, while a mother of two teenagers most likely will.

In the end, deciding to rent is a major decision. Once you sign that lease you are there for that period of time, be it monthly, yearly, or more. If you move in and find out the answers to these questions the hard way it is already too late. While you can go to court and fight to get out of a lease under certain circumstances, that takes time, money and energy better used elsewhere. So instead, take the time to ask these five simple questions and watch the reaction when the question is asked. If there is a problem in the area you're asking about and the potential landlord is being less than honest there will be clues, a hint of nervousness, a little sweat, failure to meet eye contact and more.

Personal experience