One of the most freeing parts of apartment living is the fact that renters are never tied down to their living space once their lease has ended. In the United States, up to 33% of renters move annually.
However, it’s recommended that a renter always investigate specific features about an apartment before signing their next lease. With apartment living, it can be easy to get caught up in light fixtures or grand floor plans when looking for an affordable apartment. Therefore, here are three things a renter should always keep an eye out for when looking for apartments for rent:
- Check the faucets
When you go to look at a new apartment, you’re not just checking out the floorboards and the paint colors. You’re seeing what it would be like to live there. And one of the most important things every renter needs is good water pressure.
Turn on the faucets in both the kitchen and the bathroom to check for a good amount of pressure and be sure to check the toilet too. Nothing’s worse than moving into a new place and finding the faucet or toilet leaks. - Find the power outlets
Before you design your new living room in your head as you’re checking out a new apartment building, be sure that there are power outlets where you need them to be. Having an entertainment center with the latest technology can be great for movie nights and Football Sundays, but not when there isn’t an outlet to let you plug in your equipment on the best side of the room.
When checking out the features of a rental apartment, you need to consider your own personal apartment living as you do so you can determine what will really work for you in the long run and what won’t. - Know the location
One of the best ways to gauge a new neighborhood is to visit the area at different times of the day on a weekday and weekend. What are mornings like Saturdays? What about evenings on Thursdays? Of course, you don’t have to make yourself a part of the neighborhood watch, but it’s good to get a sense of what kind of noise you’ll be dealing with on a regular basis since you may be living there.
It can be easy to get caught up in the design or layout when renting an apartment. However, it’s important to not only check out an apartment before signing a lease but to really check out the apartment. Look for problems along with the benefits and ask the property owner all the questions you need to ask.