Apartment living is an art form and involves all of the best and worst of being human.
One guy here in Arlington moved into the top floor of an elderly lady's house and ended up living there forever, caring for her in her later years, and then getting the whole house when she left it to him in her will.
But, let us say you are looking for an apartment for just a school year. You find a place and agree to $1000 a month for a one-year lease. But, April comes and you know you do not want the place over the summer, so you stop paying the rent because you know it will take months for the landlord to evict you through the courts. And that is why she wants first month, last month, and damage deposit up front.
And some landlords think they can tell good tenants from bad. Good tenants pay rent on time or early and do not destroy the apartment or upset the neighbors. Bad tenants have loud parties that upset the neighbors. They also paint the walls weird colors, do not clean anything so the roaches come to visit, and are always late with the rent (which the landlord needs on time so she can pay the mortgage). Really bad tenants punch holes in the walls, set small fires, and rip out and sell the copper water pipes when they leave.
Then there are summer sublets: The college kids head home for the summer and the place will be empty. So, the tenants find a few friends who want to hang around for the summer and say: "Stay here. Just pay the rent." But, the newbies forget to pay the rent or trash the place. Then the landlord blames the original tenants who claim they are innocent and are upset that they are responsible even if they are innocent.
So, try to look like a good tenant.
And do not get me started on housemates and roommates ...
Shopping for an apartment:
1) Yes, start early.
2) If they are advertising it, they would like to hear from you now. That is why they placed the ad.
3) Look for surprises: Roaches in the kitchen do not appear during the day. Mice in the walls do not come out until night. Drunken, loud neighbors may only appear on weekends. The very loud and scary commuter rail may not run by in the hour you are inspecting the apartment.
4) Some apartments are run by Agencies. They collect the rent, find tenants, do the maintenance. They work for the landlord who may be a distant real estate investment company. Agencies may charge fees and they will only show you the buildings they control.
5) If the ad says:
Unheated. It does not mean there is no heat, just that you have to pay for heat in addition to the rent. In Cambridge, MA there are laws about how much heat a landlord has to provide.
Includes Utilities. The landlord pays the electricity and water bill and will probably complain if you leave the lights on 24/7.
Cozy studio. You will be living in a closet.
And, if this is your first apartment, get someone who has done this before to help you out.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2008-04-05 02:08 pm (UTC)Apartment living is an art form and involves all of the best and worst of being human.
One guy here in Arlington moved into the top floor of an elderly lady's house and ended up living there forever, caring for her in her later years, and then getting the whole house when she left it to him in her will.
But, let us say you are looking for an apartment for just a school year. You find a place and agree to $1000 a month for a one-year lease. But, April comes and you know you do not want the place over the summer, so you stop paying the rent because you know it will take months for the landlord to evict you through the courts. And that is why she wants first month, last month, and damage deposit up front.
And some landlords think they can tell good tenants from bad. Good tenants pay rent on time or early and do not destroy the apartment or upset the neighbors. Bad tenants have loud parties that upset the neighbors. They also paint the walls weird colors, do not clean anything so the roaches come to visit, and are always late with the rent (which the landlord needs on time so she can pay the mortgage). Really bad tenants punch holes in the walls, set small fires, and rip out and sell the copper water pipes when they leave.
Then there are summer sublets: The college kids head home for the summer and the place will be empty. So, the tenants find a few friends who want to hang around for the summer and say: "Stay here. Just pay the rent." But, the newbies forget to pay the rent or trash the place. Then the landlord blames the original tenants who claim they are innocent and are upset that they are responsible even if they are innocent.
So, try to look like a good tenant.
And do not get me started on housemates and roommates ...
Shopping for an apartment:
1) Yes, start early.
2) If they are advertising it, they would like to hear from you now. That is why they placed the ad.
3) Look for surprises: Roaches in the kitchen do not appear during the day. Mice in the walls do not come out until night. Drunken, loud neighbors may only appear on weekends. The very loud and scary commuter rail may not run by in the hour you are inspecting the apartment.
4) Some apartments are run by Agencies. They collect the rent, find tenants, do the maintenance. They work for the landlord who may be a distant real estate investment company. Agencies may charge fees and they will only show you the buildings they control.
5) If the ad says:
Unheated. It does not mean there is no heat, just that you have to pay for heat in addition to the rent. In Cambridge, MA there are laws about how much heat a landlord has to provide.
Includes Utilities. The landlord pays the electricity and water bill and will probably complain if you leave the lights on 24/7.
Cozy studio. You will be living in a closet.
And, if this is your first apartment, get someone who has done this before to help you out.
Good luck.