What Should You Ask Before Renting a Property?

Some properties include water, sewer, trash, heat, and gas or some variation. At the very least they should include water, sewer and trash. Properties that include nothing can add $50.00 or more to your rent bill every month. I rented an apartment that included nothing. The base rent was $574.00. Once they included water, sewer, and trash, it became $630.00 and sometimes higher. Can you afford it?

2. How is the rent paid? What types of payment do they accept?

Most properties accept cash, money order, and check. A few accept on-line payments and credit cards. My current property doesn't accept cash. It has to be a money order or personal check. There is a drop box for after hours rent payments. My last property accepted cash, money order, and personal checks, but there was no drop box. She came around on the first of the month and physically picked up the checks. It meant I had to be at home every first of the month. Find out what the grace period is. Most apartment complexes give you until the fifth of the month. My current complex has no grace period.

3. Who does the maintenance? What are you responsible for?

In my current apartment, we have one maintenance guy. I end up doing or starting a lot of my maintenance myself. If I spend my own money; new faucet filter, toilet kit, paint, knobs, I do not get reimbursed. Figure out who does the maintenance and how much of it you are responsible for. Find out what they consider to be "normal wear and tear".

4. What types of people live in the community? Are they well-behaved? Are their children well behaved?

Get honest answers. I was very clear with my current landlord when I told her I was a writer, single, childless, and needed endless amounts of quiet. She assured me that there were no children in the building I was moving in to. A week after I moved in I started hearing "Woohoo's!" and a screaming toddler. Turns out almost every apartment in my building has a child. The other tenants are loud, slam doors, and stomp feet. The walls and floors are paper thin.

5. Is there a lot of crime, theft in the complex or surrounding area?

Contact the police department and ask. Visit the complex at night and see how many people are outside. Observe their activities. After 11:pm, you should not see people loitering unless it's on their porches.