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Things You Should Know Before You Sign An Apartment Lease
f you are contemplating a If your landlord does NOT ask you
move to a new apartment, be to sign an apartment lease, you
sure you know your rights should ask why. Moving into an
and obligations before you sign a apartment without a lease can
lease. cause problems, because your
rights and obligations are not
Whether you live in Chicago, New defined and, in some states, your
York, Boston, San Francisco, or landlord can throw you out of
Peoria, Illinois, your perfect your apartment without notice.
apartment is the one in the right
neighborhood, near the right If you have an apartment lease in
highways or train or bus lines hand and you are ready to sign,
for commuting, at the right rate, you should review these items
in a secure building. before you put your signature on
the dotted line.
There are probably other
apartment features you have on Each state has different laws
your list. But, no matter what regarding apartment rentals and
you are looking for in the way of obligations. You can search
housing, the right apartment online or call your State offices
nearly always comes with a lease. to find out more information
about landlord and tenant rights
and obligations for apartment
When you think you’ve found the rentals.
right apartment, you should
protect yourself by reviewing the Don’t sign up for more than your
lease before you sign it and State requires if you can help
asking a few questions of your it. If the landlord is using his
new landlord. own apartment lease form instead
of a standard form, read it
carefully and don’t hesitate to 24 hours a day?
ask for changes if you feel the
terms are too restrictive. Elevators – If your apartment has
an elevator system, how often is
While you may not be able to get it inspected? If there are
changes for stipulations like problems with the elevator, is
pets, or things that impact fire there a number YOU and the other
insurance or fire laws, there are tenants can call or should you
some things you CAN negotiate. call the super for the building?
Is there a guaranteed turnaround
Here are a few other things to time for a service visit or might
check on that dream apartment. you be walking up six flights of
Some of them may be in the lease stairs for a week or more?
and some may be services that are
not outlined in the apartment Apartment Super – If your
lease you will sign. apartment building has a super,
is he/she resident in the
In any case, you should know building or does the super live
about these lease conditions offsite? What days of the week
upfront. If the terms and and hours does he/she work, and
conditions of your apartment how do you reach him/her? What
lease are not to your liking and services does he provide and what
there are serious concerns, you services are subcontracted to
may have to rethink your dream others, e.g. plumbing,
apartment and keep looking. electrical, security systems,
etc.
Security – How much security, if
any, does your landlord provide? Pets – Are you allowed to have
If there is a parking garage, is pets in your building? If so,
there security for that garage, what kind? What happens if there
are complaints about you or some
other tenant regarding a barking Apartment Vacancy and Sublease –
dog, odors, etc. Can you sublet your apartment if
you have to move out of your
Garbage and Incineration – What apartment for any reason? What
services and systems does your happens if you vacate the
landlord provide for garbage or apartment and continue to pay
incineration? Are there garbage rent? Can you move back in or
receptacle areas in the building, will the landlord seize the
or do you throw your garbage down apartment and cancel the lease
into an incinerator? What type of with penalties?
clean-up and sanitation is done
on a regular basis to ensure that Changes to the Apartment – Can
the garbage does not attract rats you hang pictures on the walls,
or vermin? or change fixtures in your
apartment?
Apartment Security Deposit –
Typically, a landlord will ask You should also consider any
for payment upfront, equal to one specific requirements YOU have
or more months of rent to hold and add those to the list of
for any repairs he may have to questions you want to ask your
make if you leave the apartment landlord. For example, do you
in disarray at the end of your have a baby grand piano you need
lease. If you must make a to move into the apartment? If
security deposit, find out so, can you take out a window to
whether your landlord is holding hoist the piano in from the
this in escrow in accordance with street, through the window frame?
law, and when you can expect to Do you raise ocelots? If so, find
get it back when you are ready to out if you can do that in your
move. new apartment before you sign the
lease. apartment lease before you make a
decision on an apartment.
Be sure you ask all of these
questions and review the
About the Author:
Find out what questions to ask before you move into a new apartment. You can find everything you need to know about apartment rentals at our web site: http://www.apartmentsdnld.com/apartments/
Read more articles by: Timothy Rea
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