So, you have made your decision; you are venturing out into the unknown to take on the world – one rented apartment at a time. Your journey onto the first half-rung of the property ladder is going to be a bit of a steep learning curve, unless you do your homework beforehand. Below are some of the important points you need to be aware of if you are in the process of looking for your first apartment.
It is obvious so say that rather than choosing a property based on photos alone, you need to visit a property to get a true representation of the apartment. However, what many people forget to research is the area. Most first time tenants do not find out about the alcoholic Elvis impersonator next door or the budding DJ upstairs until they have moved in when it is too late. It is important to get a good feel of the area and the people you will be living in close proximity to, so spend a few minutes chatting to the potential neighbors to find out a bit more about the area.
The responsibilities that you will have to take on now that you are moving out into your own space are quite tough for many to take. Of course your parents may help you into this by giving you furniture, helping you with moving items or maintenance, and possibly even doing your washing for you, but the most important responsibility that you really should be taking on yourself is your finances. Expect to have to pay a large deposit and possibly up to two months rent in advance before you move into a property and always keep on top of your rent and insurance payments while you are there.
The rental agreement is the contract that you will sign, binding you to the property and the financial payments that you will be required to make all the time you are living in that property. The clauses in that contract are legally binding and breaking any one of them could either lead to court appearances, fines or compensation to be paid to the landlord. For these reasons you need to be in full understanding of every word in the contracts. If you find it a little unclear, get advice from somebody with more experience in rental agreements.
The chances are that you have been browsing local newspapers and magazines over the previous year with half an eye on available rental properties before you finally decided to make the move, however, that does not mean you should move into the first one that jumps out at you. In order to make the best choice, you must look at each property critically and be aware of any potential problems. In some cases it may be sensible to ask a friend or family member to come to view places with you to keep your feet on the ground.
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