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Finding my first apartment
AbsoluteZero
The new film by Quentin KoopantinoRegistered User regular
The new film by Quentin KoopantinoRegistered User regular
So I'm apartment hunting for the first time, I have to find a place in Minneapolis within two weeks as my new job in the city starts on the 23rd.
Anyhoo... I've been searching all over Rent411, ApartmentFinder, Rent.com, etc to find places and I've noticed a disturbing trend of 1/2 the reviews saying every place is hell's asshole and the other 1/2 saying every place is the best apartment complex ever. Can I even begin to trust these reviews?
Also, I find a lot of apartment availabilities are listed as "available now through April 1" or some such. Does that mean I'd get kicked out when April 1 rolls around? What's that about? Who the hell is going to rent an apartment for one month?
Any tips in general when looking for one's first apartment?
Anyhoo... I've been searching all over Rent411, ApartmentFinder, Rent.com, etc to find places and I've noticed a disturbing trend of 1/2 the reviews saying every place is hell's asshole and the other 1/2 saying every place is the best apartment complex ever. Can I even begin to trust these reviews?
Also, I find a lot of apartment availabilities are listed as "available now through April 1" or some such. Does that mean I'd get kicked out when April 1 rolls around? What's that about? Who the hell is going to rent an apartment for one month?
Any tips in general when looking for one's first apartment?
AbsoluteZero on
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Make about 20 appointments in a single day and see as much as you can see.
Oh, and if you enjoy cooking and can afford to, make sure spring for one with a dishwasher.
There are definitely some slummy places advertised on Craigslist, but there are some great ones, too. The places on Rent.com are there because they are big enough that they almost always have some apartments available. If you own a converted house with five units, it wouldn't make sense to advertise on a site like that.
Check the local newspapers as well, with any luck you can find them online.
General first time renting advice:
-Improvolone is right, you really do want to check out the places you're considering in person. Specifically check for water pressure and things like broken windows/doors that don't close properly/mouse crap in corners. You know, things you won't see in pics.
-Make sure you know what utilities you'll be paying. Around here, it's pretty standard for the landlord to pay water and garbage, but you still want to check.
-Since I don't know where you'll be moving from, know that in Minnesota an off-street parking space is like gold during the winter. Get a place with one if at all possible, otherwise prepare to face the hell of wading through a foot of snow at 7AM to move your car. Generally these shitty snow emergencies strike when you have a cold, the flu, or a terrible hangover.
-Pretty basic tip but my roommate had no idea about when we moved: as soon as you get into your new place (like the day of) you're going to want to call the electric/gas/whatever utilities you pay providers and get the accounts put in your name. It's a pretty quick and painless process.
-Oh! Ask the landlord if the place is wired for cable already. You'd think it would be, but we were shocked to find out that our place was not.
Also a tip: I found that some landlords at smaller places (4-plexes and duplexes and the like) were usually willing to give me a rent reduction if I offered to handle the shoveling/mowing/raking as the season dictates.
Other than that, Minneapolis is an awesome city. Good luck!
And definitely go look at the places, you can tell almost nothing from an online listing
PSN: TheScrublet
This is great advice, I just moved into a new place a few weeks ago and I am basically getting $1200 a year (100 a month) to care of this stuff. Thats like, a month and half of rent.
My advice is to just drive around and look for "for rent" signs. Its less convenient than looking online, but I find it much more productive.
Why do some places have such incredibly high security deposits? One place wants 690 goddamn dollars!
Most reputable places charge approximately one month's rent as a security deposit. I would be wary of anywhere that wants to charge you more, especially since you're never guaranteed to get a security deposit back.
When you go to look at an apartment, make sure to ask about basic things like what utilities/expenses you'll be responsible for paying and when, policy with regards to access to public areas (hallways, stairwells, elevators), pet regulation, noise regulations, improvements, note any noticeable damage to the unit you're considering and make sure anything the landlord promises you contained is in the lease agreement.
Type of rent? I'm not sure I understand the question?
If you mean amount, I haven't looked at any place more than $800 because I doubt I'd be able to afford more than that. The place that wanted a 690 security deposit is asking like 725 a month... seemed strange to me because similar places that ask for similar rent require a deposit of half that.
Of course this isn't "lost" money...when you decide to move out your last month will be "free" because you already paid for it.
PSN: TheScrublet
When you actually see the apartment ask a lot of questions. If there's anything you don't like ask if it'll be changed. Check water pressure, ask about stove/fridge age and use. If you're worried about pests look under sinks and in cupboards. You can flat out ask them too if there have ever been any pest problems. Check ceilings, walls, floors, etc. Are their cracks? Is the paint bad? Do all the doors open and close properly?
If there is heating/AC included in any way, ask how it is controlled (is it temperature based? Season based? Do you control it? Do you have to pay for it separately?).
Also outside the apartment be sure to ask about garbage, laundry, storage, and parking options.
If you're trying to rent many months in advance there's a chance the apartment you'll see will just be a vacant one they happen to have and not the actual one you move into. Ensure you get a chance to do a thorough inspection of the one you actually have to live in, not just the one you originally saw.
Really the important thing to remember is that they are trying to impress you. It's not an interview. Be critical.
This helped me so much when it came to keeping places straight. Plus, it let me get second opinions from people who weren't there.
Also, in Boston first and last upfront are typical with many wanting a one month security as well. Luckily for you Minneapolis is a one month deposit area so that's much easier to save up.
Damn that is an awesome idea. I am taking my camera with me for sure now.
For reviews that seem half and half, check the dates on the reviews. Sometimes management will change and what was good will suddenly suck because the good manager left or a company got bought out, or vice versa. Also, sometimes reviewers will have completely different experiences because of the management at that place. For example, one place I lived at we asked 2 people there before we moved in how the management was: one guy said it was great, the other woman said it sucked and she was moving out. After we moved in, it turned out that every time I had to deal with the property manager, he was always a real asshole to me. When my bf contacted him about the same problems he was always really accommodating and nice. Our conclusion ended up being that he was a misogynist asshole and after a while my bf just always had to be the one to deal with the guy. We moved out asap.
I showed the pics to my roomie (who often could not apt hunt with me b/c of work) and emailed them to my mom and dad for their thoughts. It also helped when I went back to them after seeing like 10 places. I could never keep them straight.