5 Surprising Secrets Landlords Hide From Naive Renters
Stay away from a bad lease or apartment!
It's exciting to finally move out of the dorms and get your place with friends or new roommates. What isn't exciting is getting scammed or tricked during the renting process, whether for a house or apartment. Many on-campus or near-campus landlords know that this is the first time many students are renting (typically without direct input from their parents). If you aren't careful, you could pay more money, get stuck with bad lease terms, or have a gross apartment. This post will teach you five secrets to renting as a college student so you don't fall victim to typical apartment hunting and signing downfalls and mistakes.
Always tour and meet the landlord in person
You must go in person unless extenuating circumstances prevent you from touring the apartment or house. It is easy to hide damages, leaks, or unsightly noise issues in a virtual tour or online video. With virtual tours, the apartment complex can manipulate what you see. This means things can look fine online or over the phone and be a completely different story once you go in person.
By touring live in the leasing office with the landlord and employees, you get to see firsthand their attitudes, the cleanliness of the office, and how seriously they take their job. How the staff behaves should be your first indicator of whether the apartment or house fits you. If the staff seems distracted, dismissive, or disordered, it could be a sign they may not upkeep their building or property.
When touring in person, be bold and open every cabinet, door, closet, or machine. This tour is your chance to be invasive with the space and discover any issues before signing a lease agreement that locks you into it. Sometimes, the apartment will be staged so that decor or appliances cover holes or leaks. Be sure to get dirty, move stuff (within reason), and shine flashlights around. If you find any issues or damages, take a photo or video and request it be taken care of before moving in. Be sure to get this request in writing.
Read the entire lease agreement
Many college students don't like reading lengthy papers or documents. The lease is one legal paper you must take seriously and read in its entirety. Once you sign this document, you are locked into it for the remainder of your lease term. If you realize after you sign that you aren't happy with a condition, rule, or policy, you typically won't be able to easily break your lease without major fees, repayments, or finding a sublet.
Even if the document is 30 pages long, read every word. For example, some leases can hide cleaning fees or what they can fine you for deep in the lease agreement. An issue I ran into is that I had a pest infestation that was not my fault, but the landlord was technically not responsible for pest control according to my lease term.
Don't get stuck in these terrible situations; make sure you read every statement and ask questions about things in your lease.
Take photos of the unit as soon as you move in
Before you bring in any furniture or personal belongings:
Take a video and photos of the unit (time stamped).
Document the condition of the walls, appliances, doors, and floors.
Check cabinets and the bathrooms for any leaks or damaged faucets.
Even if there are tiny holes or small paint imperfections, document these as well.
Nothing is too minor to not be documented. These videos and photos will be your best friend if your landlord tries to accuse you of damage you did not do.
Be detailed on your inspection sheet
Even though it might seem overbearing, this inspection sheet needs to have every detail about that apartment or house you are going into. List every stain, crack, hole, missing item, damaged item, and more you find in the unit. Many students don't take these forms seriously, resulting in the landlord being able to charge them for damages they didn't do. If you need more space, write on the back or add more paper.
Before you turn the sheet in, take a photo or scan a copy of the sheet for yourself and your records.
Keep email documentation of all communications
One of the hardest lessons I learned was not documenting every email or online communication. I would often resort to phone calls, which don't have many easy or legal ways of being kept or monitored. This means if I had a complaint or issue that wasn't being resolved, the best evidence I would have would be call log images.
Hello, World!
Instead, before you resort to calling logs or in-office visits, send an email or letter first. This paper trail is critical in case the landlord tries to deny a communication response or claims they did something. Requesting email verification of maintenance requests or complaints is important for ensuring you can defend yourself if legal action is needed.
These tips should help you start to navigate the realm of leasing and renting as a student. Remember to stay diligent and pay attention to every detail in the leasing process!
