Apartments For Rent Blog

If you’re on the lookout for a new apartment, you should know that your credit rating can keep you from getting the apartment you want. Almost all independent landlords and apartment complexes will perform a full background check on applicants; this includes a full credit check, which shows them your credit payment history and bills you have defaulted on. If your rating is very poor, many landlords will either not accept your application or will ask you to pay a very high security deposit, often including the first and last month’s rent upfront. Fortunately, however, there are ways around getting denied or having to pay such hefty fees.

The first and most obvious way to fix this problem is to improve your credit rating before you begin looking for apartments. The easiest way to do this is to pay your bills on time. If you can be on time with all payments for at least six months, but preferably a year, your credit rating should improve significantly, allowing you to get access to any apartment you wish to rent. It is important to note that credit ratings can be between 300 and 850. A score of 678 is considered average, so applicants will want to aim for this score or better. A score lower than 620 will make it very difficult to find an apartment. It is up to you to find your credit score, offered for free online through many sites, and then to work to improve it. In general, the more lines of credit, for which you make on-time payments, the better your score will be.

If you are in a hurry to move or don’t see improving your credit score as a realistic option at this time, another suggestion is to simply talk to your potential landlord. Explain your situation, noting why you have fallen past due on certain bills, and also discuss your plan for staying current on your rent. Oftentimes, landlords will be very understanding, forgiving, and appreciative of the applicant’s honesty. In turn, they will often be more willing to work out a deal with the applicant or to offer him or her an apartment.

Another option is to simply find a landlord who does not perform a credit check. This rarely, if ever, happens in large apartment complexes, but some independent landlords will forego the credit check in favor of references and a background check. There is no way to know which landlords will require credit checks, so your best bet is just to visit with several independent landlords. You should only go through the application process with those who do not require credit checks, since having one performed, even when you know the results will be bad, is a big waste of time and money, both for you and the landlord.

Remember that the best thing to do in cases of poor credit is to improve your score through hard work. If you can’t do that, then try all the other options. Eventually, if you keep trying, you will find a place to live.

Would you like to get cheaper rent – who wouldn’t, right? If you wish to negotiate your rent – you’ll need to understand your landlord’s goals: to make money and to have good tenants, which will keep the money coming in. Therefore, in order to successfully negotiate your rent, you will need to be and convey to your landlord (or potential landlord) that you are an upstanding tenant.

Here’s how to prove to your current or prospective landlord that you are an ideal tenant:

• Always, always, always pay your rent, on time.
• Don’t cause problems – with the neighbors, the management, the law, etc.
• Stay as long, as possible – losing a reliable, long-term tenant can cost a landlord more than he or she may be willing to let go.
• Keep the property clean and make improvements, even if they are only minor improvements.
• Avoid calling the landlord for every little thing – a landlord will appreciate a tenant who handles minor issues (related to the apartment), by himself.

If each of the above statements is true about you, as a tenant — there are several different strategies that you may use, in order to negotiate your rent. Here are a couple of options:

1. Suggest pre-paying your rent for a year, in advance in return for one month’s free rent OR request a few weeks of free rent, if you are willing to make two rent payments a year (every six months). The majority of landlords will appreciate this offer, and are often, willing to provide good tenants with, at least a few weeks free (even if they can’t do an entire month). If you don’t have sufficient cash, on hand you may also be able to ask for an additional clause to your rental contract that will give you a small discount (two to three percent) for paying your monthly rent, early. If you use this strategy, you will need to have an excellent rental payment history and also, good credit history. If you do, you’ll want to focus on these strong points during negotiations. Make statements such as, “I am never late on a rental payment” or “I have been consistently on time with my rent payments for the past three years”, which are exactly what a landlord wants to hear.

2. If you are planning to stay for longer than a year, you can ask for a rent reduction in exchange for a longer lease. You can ask for a $50 discount for a two year lease. However, you should prepare yourself, in case the landlord makes a counter-offer requiring an additional deposit if you break lease within the two year term (this deposit serves as a rental contract termination fee. Not only does a two year lease save instant money, but this method also keeps your rent from increasing after the first year. In addition, if you are a good tenant for the two-year lease term, you are in a good position to get a new contract for the same price, or even lower than you have been paying.

Spring is quickly approaching – and along with it, is the fresh, crisp air, the colorful budding tulips and the outdoors, blooming and full of life. However, spring doesn’t have to stay outside – you can bring spring, indoors, too.

Read our tips for how to transform your apartment from the boring, winter doldrums to the fresh, new updated look of spring.

Fresh Paint – If your landlord will allow it, painting the walls of your apartment is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to spruce things up for spring. Choose from a variety of “newly-picked” colors such as, grass greens, sunny yellows and tangerine oranges to really, liven up your apartment.

A Picture is Worth 1,000 Spring Words – One of the best ways to welcome the spring weather is by looking at pictures of warmer days and your family’s shared happy times. Frame some of your family photos from last summer’s vacation – whether it’s making sand castles at the beach or hiking up the mountains – it will stir up a spring-like feeling in your apartment that can last all year long.

Spring-Infused Artwork – If you’ve ever been to a museum, and you were transported (at least, in your mind) to a place inside the artwork – you are probably already aware that art can work, much in the same way in your home, as well. Simply, hanging a painting of wild flowers or a beach scene can make it feel like spring (and boost your mood), instantly!

Clean Bedding – The way you feel when you go to bed each night and wake up each day can impact the entire outlook of your day. Swap out dark-colored comforters, sheets and blankets for lighter, spring-colored options to give your apartment the clean, fresh feeling of spring.
While everyone has different taste, and a different theme they’d like to portray in their apartment – spring-inspired geometric shapes and flowers make sprucing up your apartment for spring, practically effortless.

Room With a View – If looking outside your window contrasts with the feeling of spring (i.e. – the outdoors look brown, dry and bare); you can spruce it up by using warm spring colors to liven up the harshness of the outdoors. You can do this by simply, placing a planter (full of flowers) on your window sill, kitchen table or doing something that makes looking out your window, less depressing and more inspiring!

All-Natural Inspiration – There are several naturally-inspired ideas that can be used to spruce up your apartment for spring. You might try placing a bowl of brightly colored limes or lemons on your kitchen counter. Or you might want to add a glass vase filled with seashells that you and or your family picked themselves, last summer.

Brighter Bathrooms – It’s easy to transform your bathroom into a spring-like ambiance, in no time (and for little money, too). Try adding spring-colored bath linens, toiletries, bath salts, and area rugs to the bathroom(s) in your apartment. It might surprise you to discover how just adding a splash of color to your counter, sink vanity and bathtub can really improve your outlook and boost your mood, making it easier (and more enjoyable) to get dressed each day.

You’ve found a better apartment for a much cheaper price, you feel threatened by your neighbors, you dislike the lease terms, you don’t like the city or your job is transferring you to a different state – whatever the reason for wanting to break your lease, it’s important to know about the consequences associated with terminating your apartment lease, before you actually, break the agreement. You may wonder if there might be legal repercussions, backlash or huge penalties.

When you enter into a rental agreement (aka – sign a lease or contract that signifies you will be renting an apartment) – you are entering into what is known as a legally binding contract. Every single term of the lease is enforceable in court. Therefore, it’s important to fully understand the terms of the lease prior to signing on the dotted line.

Anything can happen that can cause you to need to break your lease – your aunt who lives in another state becomes ill and there’s no one else to care for her except you, your wife is having twins with another year left on the lease and the apartment will be too small, or the apartment wasn’t as appealing as it seemed when you first saw it and you’ve noticed it is in need of some major repairs. Whatever the case may be, you will want to terminate the lease agreement without being charged with penalties. Here are the steps you’ll need to take to make that happen:

With your rental agreement/contract, in hand – you can review the details to find out if the landlord may be found, at fault for neglect. As an example, your lease may clearly state that any emergency repairs will be handled within 3 days of the tenant notifying the property owner. If the landlord failed to do the necessary repairs, you will have an opportunity to end the lease without suffering any penalties.

Write a certified letter to your landlord/property owner to explain why you need or want to end the lease. Read the letter carefully to ensure that the tone is friendly and respectful. If you wish to make a legitimate claim, you can address these concerns with the portion(s) of the lease that are in question. If there is no legitimate claim – simply, list your reasons for ending the lease. It is possible that the landlord might be sympathetic and allow you to end the lease without a penalty.

Retain a copy of this letter for your own records, as well as, your own copy of the certificate of receipt from the post office. You will most definitely need this information if official court charges are filed.

Visit your apartment complex’s main office to discuss the letter with the landlord, when you are certain that he or she has received it. It’s best to suggest that you find a tenant to replace you, so that the landlord won’t be losing any money. In most situations, simply discussing the issue with your landlord can help you end your lease – free and clear.

It doesn’t matter if your son or daughter is going away to college and relocating to the next town or if you are moving an entire family to another state – Moving can be chaotic, stressful and challenging, to say the least

The best way to tackle the dreaded “moving process” is to tackle it head on — make a checklist. Find out how to simplify the entire process for yourself and anyone else who may be involved by reading our simple and effective tips for how to make a moving checklist.

Regardless of where you are moving to – if you wish to keep your sanity throughout your move – it’s best to keep things organized.

First things first, you’ll need to decide who will move your things. You may want to consider the costs of hiring a moving company compared to the costs of renting a moving truck where you will do the work, yourself. In many cases, a moving company will be your best bet if you have a lot of belongings or you are moving far away from where you currently live.

Next, prepare the new home before moving. List any maintenance or repairs that need to be taken care of, including, painting, repairing & changing locks, carpet cleaning, etc.

Make a list of any change of addresses you need to make such as, with the banks, credit card companies, schools, post office, doctors, subscriptions and anyone else that may need your address.

Draw out a rough sketch of your new home’s floor plan. Make a checklist for each room including, details about the placement and purpose of major furniture pieces. This will help you with the next step.

After making a sketch of your future home, do a walk through of your current home – taking it room by room – equipped with the checklist you’ve just made. Make a box with items for one room, at a time, ensuring that each box is for a single room. Mark each box with the room where it belongs and the contents. For major furniture pieces – tape the location in a noticeable place on the individual pieces.

Make a list of any utilities or other services (cable, internet, phone, etc.) that need to be disconnected OR connected when you move. If you can, schedule all of these services on the same day, so you can plan to be at home to get everything done, promptly.

Keep a phone number list for the final aspects such as, banks and rental companies – all in one place. Be sure to confirm your moving dates with the moving companies, truck rentals and anyone else who may be lending a helping hand.

And last, but not least – try to get a restful night’s sleep before moving day. The better you sleep, the better you’ll be able to focus and the process will go smooth and fast. Before you know it, you’ll be drifting off to sleep in your new home sweet home.