You aren’t quite ready for the big plunge of buying a home of your own.
There are definite benefits to renting space before buying one. There
are fewer responsibilities, fewer bills, and less to worry about leaving
behind. However, even with a pay-as-you-go rental, there are certain
steps that you are not going to want to miss on the path to your perfect
rental.
The beauty of a lease is that nothing is set in stone
UNTIL you sign it. Before you ever sign that lease, make sure that
everything is clear, clean cut, and out in the open:
Negotiate with
your renter. Make sure that you have what you need in your lease. The
price, inclusions, and even status can all be negotiated; if handled
properly and professionally. If the apartment needs it, have upgrades
and renovations included in the lease agreement. If you are open and
direct about your wants and needs for the living space, most likely your
desires can be me.
Before you sign the lease, make sure to go
over all pre-existing damage to the living space with the landlord. In
many cases, the landlord is going to fix the damage and all will be
forgotten. In the case that the damages are to stay, make sure that they
are recorded on the lease agreement. That way, once the lease is up,
you can not be held liable for prior tenants’ damages.
Make sure everything possible is included. If you don’t know what is
available to you, you may miss out on having a lot of your utilities
included on your lease. Before signing, see if the landlord will cover
any of the utilities; whether heat, electricity, water, cable, etc.
Know
up front what the pet policy is, or is going to be. If your significant
other or child is of the furry, four-legged persuasion, chances are you
knew the policy before you ever looked at the space. If you may want a
pet in the future, however, but don’t have one yet, you’ll want to know
the policy. Many times if pets are allowed it means a bigger security
deposit upfront, so make sure to check for details.
Lastly, remember that signing a lease is literally signing a contractual
agreement, and that’s not to be taken lightly. When you sign a lease,
you are making a commitment to the space and the landlord to follow the
agreed policies and stay the agreed upon length of time. Although you
didn’t sign into a life-long commitment (like buying a house) you can’t
just leave your least at the drop of a hat, unless there isn’t a time
commitment.