Renting an apartment? Important things you must examine and pay attention to before you enter a rented apartment.
1.You are searching for an apartment to rent? Following are the three most important things you should know before going to search for an apartment to rent: location of the apartment, size of the apartment and the size of your budget.
2.Where to look for an apartment to rent? Daily newspapers, relevant internet sites and in real estate agencies in the area you want to live in. Searching for an apartment can be an exhausting and time consuming task; you must have patience. If your time is precious, it is worth your while going to an estate agent that will save you going to view apartments that owners tell you are renovated and spacious, when in fact they are far from that. The commission the agent receives (in the case of finding an apartment) is equal to one month’s rent plus value added tax, now do the sum of benefit versus payment and think how long it might take you to find an apartment to rent and how much your time is worth.
3.View the apartment in daytime and at night – prior to signing the lease, go to view the apartment at least twice. Once during the day, in order to see the apartment in daylight and to check if it is bright or gloomy and in good condition. It is also good to see where the apartment is located – see the surroundings, especially if you are working or at home during the day, it is important to see if the area is noisy or busy - full of traffic. Come after dark the second time. When you come to see the apartment, try to talk to neighbors and other residents in the street in order to find out about the neighborhood, the building or anything else important to you.
4.Prior to signing the lease – examine the apartment well, because the lease usually obliges the tenant to repair everything in the apartment. Due to this, you must check carefully and thoroughly to find anything that needs repair in the apartment. Search especially well in the bathroom/ bath area, toilet and kitchen, areas that have delicate plumbing equipment that often need repair. The landlord must rent the apartment to you with everything intact, you as tenants, must insist on this otherwise it might cost you a lot of money.
5.Repairs – continuing from part 4, add a paragraph to the lease stating the landlord is responsible for repairs in the apartment, repairs needed through use (wear and tear) not caused by the tenants. That is – the landlord is responsible for bringing a skilled worker or to repair the item within a reasonable time, or immediately if it is urgent, and to pay for it. Alternatively the tenant can bring in someone to do the repair work and charge it to the landlord.
6.The Lease – some landlords use the standard lease for renting their apartment, a copy of which can be found in any post office. Some prefer to write their own, often with additions. Whatever the case, you should look it over thoroughly and read all the paragraphs. It is valuable to go to a lawyer for advice; he will bring small print to your attention that you may miss. After you sign the lease it is virtually impossible to change or prove things that you put your signature to or not.
Pay attention In the lease the sum of the monthly rent, the conditions of payment (monthly or several payments during the year) will be specified clearly, the sum of the guarantee for the apartment and dates of entry to the apartment and exit from it will also be included.
7.House committee, municipal tax, taxes – from the start find out about the payment to the house committee and if the tenants pay. If so how much? Take care to write in the lease that the payment to the house committee covers on-going necessities of the building (cleaning and garden) but does not include payment for widespread renovation or repairs to the shared building, such as plumbing or electricity; the landlord should pay for this.
In some areas the tenants pay high municipal tax – this should be known from the start and then you will not be shocked when the two-monthly demand for payment arrives.
In addition – make sure all payments are settled prior to entering the apartment and that there are no debts. You should ask the landlord to read the water and electricity meters and to write down the exact reading so you will not have to pay debts of the previous tenants.
8.Accessories or equipment remaining in the apartment – in reality you are supposed to receive an empty, clean and newly painted apartmentand to leave it in the same condition. If accessories, furniture or electrical equipment remain this must be listed in the lease plus a record of their condition. For example: a new refrigerator an old air conditioning unit, and so on.
9.Pets – in certain apartments pets are not allowed, find out exactly what the position is by asking your new landlord. Good luck!