Finding a rental home that’s perfectly suited to your needs is liable to prove difficult. For example, if you live in an area with few options and/or overwhelming demand for housing, you may understandably be tempted to settle for a rental that’s far from ideal.
However, no matter how desperate you are to find a rental home and get moved in, there are a number of common mistakes you should actively work to avoid. Steering clear of the following blunders can save you a considerable amount of time and money.
Failing to Research Locations
The location of your next rental home can play a large role in determining what your daily routine looks like. For example, if a certain home is located a fair distance from where you work, committing to rent means committing to a longer commute.
Furthermore, if there are no grocery stores, gas stations, or other essential centers of commerce located within easy driving distance of a home, running basic errands is liable to prove extremely time-consuming.
So, no matter how in love you are with a certain rental home, signing a lease before researching the location may prove to be a major mistake. In advance of leasing a home, you’ll need to determine how much time the home’s location stands to add to your daily commute, as well as the daily commutes of any other members of your household.
Additionally, if you enjoy being out and about, it’s also a good idea to look into what sorts of local activities or nightlife an area offers.
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Researching the location of your next rental home also stands to save you money. Educating yourself on local rental rates helps ensure that you’re able to recognize when a landlord is attempting to overcharge you.
So, prior to getting started on any paperwork, make sure to review the rent prices on similar properties in the area.
Leasing Homes with Outstanding Damage
If you lease a home with outstanding damage, there’s a good chance your quality of life is going to be impacted.
For example, if a home has outstanding issues with plumbing, electricity, or structural integrity, you’re liable to find yourself inconvenienced on a consistent basis. With this in mind, avoid renting any home you haven’t done a detailed walkthrough of.
If you’re relocating from a different state – or country – and want to have your housing situation sorted out by the time you arrive, insist on doing a virtual walkthrough or having a proxy inspect the property in your place.
Additionally, if you intend to remain in this residence for a long time, consider enlisting the services of a professional home inspector. Although home inspectors typically deal with home purchases, it isn’t unheard of for them to inspect rental properties.
Once you have a detailed list of any outstanding issues with the property, request a written promise from the landlord that said issues will be promptly fixed. To help ensure that the issues are addressed in a timely manner, consider making this a prerequisite for you moving in.
Getting Stuck with Unobliging Landlords
No matter how nice a rental home is, an unobliging landlord can make your tenancy miserable. To avoid getting stuck in this sort of situation, take care to research any landlord from whom you’re thinking about renting.
Reading feedback from previous tenants on the web can help you get a feel for a landlord’s approach to property management and level of professionalism. So, regardless of how nice a landlord seems, you’ll need to do your homework before proceeding to lease from them.
When searching for the right rental home, you may be tempted to settle for properties with obvious issues. After all, if you’re looking for a place in an area with ample housing demand, it makes sense that you’d adopt a “beggars can’t be choosers” approach.
While there’s nothing wrong with renting a home that doesn’t meet 100% of your criteria, overlooking certain problems at the outset can lead to copious stress down the line.
With this in mind, take care to avoid the previously discussed mistakes the next time you find yourself in the market for a rental home.