Renting Tips For Tenants - 4 Ways To Make Life Easier
If there is one thing that everyone can agree on, it is that having a place to live is important; and for a lot of people today, that means renting. When you rent a property from someone, you are entering into a contract with that person, and there are responsibilities on both parties to make that contract work. Here are some tips that will make your life as a renter exponentially better, and your landlord much more amiable!
1. Pay Your Rent! This might seem obvious, but the best way toward ensuring a good relationship with your landlord is to pay your rent on time. This will eliminate the wasted time spent tracking you down and trying to collect money. This time can then be spent making repairs and upkeep, which in turn makes your life better. Also, a landlord who doesn't have to double as a collection agent is usually a much friendlier person in general.
2. Stay Within Your Budget! This tip follows nicely with number one; the easiest way to make sure that you have your rent every month is to rent an apartment you can afford. Sure it would be great to live in the downtown area of a city, or an apartment on the beach with a waterfront view, but if you can't afford the payments, you are setting yourself up for failure. Consider this scenario: you move to an apartment on the beach, but you immediately fall behind on the rent; six months later you are evicted, living in your car, and your credit is ruined, all because you decided to splurge! Hopefully you are laughing at that anecdote, but the truth remains; stay within your budget.
3. Maintain Your Apartment! This is also a fairly obvious one, but it is often overlooked. It is not the job of the landlord to clean up after you or your guests. I am not saying you have to keep your place inspection ready by any means, but by keeping an apartment clean and free of smells and dirt, you can prevent rodent problems, as well as nasty looks in the hallway. Another great rule of thumb is to always leave the place better than you found it. This makes life easy for the landlord, who can rent that unit again fairly quickly. Also, it will usually lead to a great recommendation to your new landlord.
4. Be A Considerate Neighbor! Think of an apartment building as a community, where the actions of every person affect every other person. By following the rules and doing the right thing, you are more likely to get the benefit of the doubt from management when you need it. If you are the inconsiderate tenant who racks up noise complaints every weekend, or leaves your trash in the hall or elevator, you might as well paint a bullseye on your door. You can rest assured that you will be the first one blamed for any problems, and the last one to get any timely service or maintenance.
These tips are for you, the renter; just four simple reminders to make your renting life infinitely easier and a little more enjoyable. I hope you use them, and maybe prevent a few headaches every year!
1. Pay Your Rent! This might seem obvious, but the best way toward ensuring a good relationship with your landlord is to pay your rent on time. This will eliminate the wasted time spent tracking you down and trying to collect money. This time can then be spent making repairs and upkeep, which in turn makes your life better. Also, a landlord who doesn't have to double as a collection agent is usually a much friendlier person in general.
2. Stay Within Your Budget! This tip follows nicely with number one; the easiest way to make sure that you have your rent every month is to rent an apartment you can afford. Sure it would be great to live in the downtown area of a city, or an apartment on the beach with a waterfront view, but if you can't afford the payments, you are setting yourself up for failure. Consider this scenario: you move to an apartment on the beach, but you immediately fall behind on the rent; six months later you are evicted, living in your car, and your credit is ruined, all because you decided to splurge! Hopefully you are laughing at that anecdote, but the truth remains; stay within your budget.
3. Maintain Your Apartment! This is also a fairly obvious one, but it is often overlooked. It is not the job of the landlord to clean up after you or your guests. I am not saying you have to keep your place inspection ready by any means, but by keeping an apartment clean and free of smells and dirt, you can prevent rodent problems, as well as nasty looks in the hallway. Another great rule of thumb is to always leave the place better than you found it. This makes life easy for the landlord, who can rent that unit again fairly quickly. Also, it will usually lead to a great recommendation to your new landlord.
4. Be A Considerate Neighbor! Think of an apartment building as a community, where the actions of every person affect every other person. By following the rules and doing the right thing, you are more likely to get the benefit of the doubt from management when you need it. If you are the inconsiderate tenant who racks up noise complaints every weekend, or leaves your trash in the hall or elevator, you might as well paint a bullseye on your door. You can rest assured that you will be the first one blamed for any problems, and the last one to get any timely service or maintenance.
These tips are for you, the renter; just four simple reminders to make your renting life infinitely easier and a little more enjoyable. I hope you use them, and maybe prevent a few headaches every year!
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