When you're leasing apartments, you're doing more than looking for a place to sleep. You want a quality environment that you're happy to call home. The apartment's location, landlord and whether you effectively protect your rights in the lease all have a large impact on your enjoyment of the property.
Leasing Apartments in the Best Location
Your apartment's location can make or break an otherwise perfect property. Long commutes, lack of entertainment options or problematic parking might not seem like big issues at first. Your frustration can grow over time, however, until your perfect apartment turns into a complete nightmare. Match your apartment location to your lifestyle. If you enjoy trying out new restaurants every day of the week, getting an apartment in the hottest foodie mecca in town lets you live life to the fullest. If you want some space between you and city life, getting a place in the suburbs helps you balance commuting convenience with a quiet lifestyle.
Protect Your Tenant Rights
You have some tenant rights provided by your state's, city's or region's landlord-tenant law. Your landlord can't supersede your tenant rights through lease terms that contradict the established landlord-tenant law in your area. You receive those rights even if they aren't explicitly mentioned in your lease. Tenant rights vary from state to state, but basic tenant protections provided in nearly every area include:
- Warranty of habitability: You have the right to a livable property when you're leasing apartments. Each region has its own definition of what habitability means, but in general the property has to adhere to local building codes and provide major house systems such as heat and water.
- Privacy: Your landlord does not have the right to barge into your apartment without appropriate notice. In most locations, your landlord needs to provide 24 hours or more notice before entering the property.
- Timely repairs: Your landlord is responsible for timely repairs on your property when he or she receives proper notification of a problem. If your landlord fails to make repairs, you may be able to withhold rent based on this inaction.
Create a Relationship with Your Landlord
You don't need to be best friends with your landlord, but you should be on good terms with him or her. Open communication makes it much easier to let your landlord know when there's a problem, such as a repair or difficulty paying your rent. A healthy relationship with your landlord makes your apartment a much happier place to live.
Finding the perfect apartment is more than going through a checklist of features. You need the right location, an ability to recognize your tenant rights and a great rapport with your landlord in order to make the process of leasing apartments easier.
