Read the contract carefully. See under what conditions it can be terminated. All contracts are more or less standard, but if you have never seen it in the eyes, it is useful to study it.
For example, we had a situation: we moved into an apartment, where they put new carpets, there was a very strong smell from them. We did not pay much attention, we thought the walls, because in America, every time new tenants move in, they repaint the walls. The smell did not go away, so we figured out by experience that it was the carpet. It was absolutely impossible to stay in the apartment, I felt dizzy and nauseous. We, of course, went to see the manager and wanted to move out. No one just wanted to let us go. The contract had already been signed and under it we were obliged to pay a fine of 2 months’ rent if we prematurely terminated. The alternative was to move to another apartment, which they were willing to give us. We didn’t want to stay there any longer and we insisted that we would register our complaints with the doctor, call the air quality measuring service, we were ready to go to court. They were not too afraid of our threats. In the end, everything was resolved in the best way because we were given a better apartment, but at the same price and they didn’t charge us for 2 days of rent when we lived in a hotel while the issue was resolved.
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Where I’m going with this. Our contract did not include a security clause. This is the kind of clause in the contract that allows you to terminate it within a certain period of time without penalty if you are not satisfied with the living conditions. Large landlords often exclude this point in the contract to protect yourself, but you should be careful when reading the contract. Some apartments, for example, have a rule of 48 hours, when you can evict without penalty, if for any reason, you realized that the housing is not suitable for you. Unfortunately, such leniency occurs infrequently, you should discuss this issue with the manager.
Study Landlord Tenant Law. This is the law that regulates the relationship between tenant and landlord. It is different for each city/county (county) (google city/county name Landlord Tenant Law).
Refer to this document and refer to it directly in your letters and conversations with management/owner in case of disputes. Litigation is common here, including landlord-tenant disputes. Know your rights. Seeing that you are a newcomer and don’t yet know the local cuisine, the management/owner may be tempted to take advantage of it.
Read reviews on apartmentratings.com, Yelp and Google. Of course, all can not please everyone, but if a few people write the same thing, it is worth thinking. We, for example, refused to rent one apartment, because several tenants in one voice said that when evicted they were fined for cleaning, repairs, etc. and were sent to them without any proceedings collectors. We gave up on the other apartment because the tenants there complained strongly about the management and the fact that they often steal parcels.
Do not hesitate to ask the management about the problems mentioned in the reviews, see how they react and whether they solve the issue. For example, in reviews for one complex in droves wrote that the elevators regularly do not work long. I asked this question to the manager, he said that, yes, this problem existed before because the complex was served by two companies that could not decide who was to blame and who to fix if the elevator was broken. Now they work with one company and if there are breakdowns, they fix them quickly.
It is useful to read reviews not only about the apartments, but also about the management company, as it will influence the quality of management, the practice of interaction with the tenants and is also important, the charge for the eviction.
All communication with the management / owner only in writing. If you spoke on the phone or in person, and agreed on something, then write a letter, where you list the main points of the conversation and ask for confirmation of the information. This is the norm of business communication in America. People try to have a written confirmation, so that in case of something easier to identify those responsible and to prove that the event / conversation took place.
Before you move in, ask about moving out fees (payments upon eviction). Managers are not very fond of this subject and will never start it themselves. But there may be surprises waiting for you here, too. The standard is that you should leave the apartment the same way you left it when you move in, i.e. it should be clean (after professional cleaning, as they like to say here). Simply vacuuming the carpet and wiping the shelves will not be enough. Chances are, you’ll either have to hire your own people to professionally clean it, or take out a sum from the deposit, and management will arrange everything themselves.
The first way is bad in that your cleaning may not satisfy the management, and they will demand additional cleaning for your money, of course. In addition, they should conduct a minimum disinfection after the eviction of tenants, for which you may also be charged.
The second way is simple and convenient. You just pay the money and don’t bother. The approximate amount should be announced in advance and not be astronomical. Separately determined by the cost of general cleaning and carpet cleaning, if there is one. Prices for such services, ask the manager. He should also give you all the receipts for cleaning, if you suddenly doubt his honesty.
Some apartments may charge you for repainting the walls. They explain it this way: for example, it costs $600 to paint the walls, and we amortize that amount over 3 years. This means that if you live in the apartment only a year, we will take off 2/3 of the amount, $ 400 (1/3 of the amount has already depreciated), if 2 – $ 200, if 3 – nothing. It will be unpleasant, though, to find out about this at eviction. Fortunately, this does not happen often.
Do not forget to also carefully fill in the holes in the walls before you leave, if you made them. They may also charge extra for this work ($10-$20 per hole).
Fill out the check list responsibly. They give it when you check in. There you should write down all the faults and breakages you find in the apartment. You need to be very careful and thoroughly check everything, because if you do not put something there, when you move out the cost of fixing this problem may hang on you.
I took pictures of all the scratches, cracks, minor breakages, checked all the corners. I put everything on the check list. If something is dirty (we had a window, for example), also write, the management should fix it. And even the smell coming from the fridge, noted. In this case, better more than less. All the photos I have saved on my phone as proof that all this existed at the time of entry.
You can write a letter to the manager and attach a copy of the check list and photos, so you have a written confirmation that the management of the complex alerted to the problems. When you give the original check list to the manager, he should give you a copy.
Always look at the apartments you are going to rent before you sign a contract. Do not agree to similar and special beautiful furnished models to show. You should see what you are paying for, so there won’t be any unpleasant surprises later.
Look for housing close to work, daycare, or school. The commute can really take up a considerable amount of time and energy.
Look at the rating of neighborhoods: how safe, how clean, what kind of contingent lives.