If you’re currently in the market for a rental home, there are a number of factors you’ll need to consider when making your decision. As any long-time renter can attest, signing a lease in haste is liable to result in considerable frustration and regret. Fortunately, finding a rental home that’s perfectly suited to your needs is much easier than you may think. A little bit of research and discernment on your part can help you find the right home in a timely and stress-free manner.
Research the Area in Which the Home is Located
Even if a rental home contains all the amenities you’re looking for, its location may leave a lot to be desired. And while location needn’t always be a dealbreaker, taking the time to research the location of your next rental home stands to save you a considerable amount of hassle. For starters, how far is this property from your place of business? If moving into this home will require you to take on a much longer daily commute, you’ll need to seriously consider whether this rental is nice enough to warrant this level of inconvenience. Conversely, if you work remotely – or primarily work remotely – a home in an out-of-the-way location may not present as much of an issue. Lonestar State renters searching for homes for rent in Georgetown, TX would do well to take such considerations into account before reaching a decision.
You’d also do well to research local crime rates. After all, no matter how nice a rental is, it’s important to feel safe in and around one’s home. It’s also worth looking into a rental’s proximity to grocery stores, restaurants, and other common centers of commerce. As you’re liable to find, having to drive an excessively long time just to make a grocery run can prove both highly inconvenient and financially strenuous.
Do a Detailed Walkthrough of the Property
Agreeing to rent a home sight unseen carries a multitude of risks. No matter how many images you’ve seen of a home online, you’ll need to inspect the property in person to truly understand what you’re getting yourself into. Additionally, some online listings can be extremely misleading with regard to the images they contain. If you’re relocating from a great distance and absolutely can’t get away to tour prospective rentals, insist on being taken on a detailed digital tour of the property. By extension, if you have any close friends or family members in the area, consider asking them to do a detailed walkthrough as your proxy.
While inspecting the property, take care to record any problems or areas of concern you encounter. Then, once you’ve finished your walkthrough, present the property owner with the list you compiled. Depending on the number of problems you come across – as well as the scope of certain problems – it may be a good idea to request that they be taken care of before you move in. Should the landlord attempt to minimize large problems and/or refuse to address them, it’s in your best interest to seek out other properties.
Carefully review the Terms of the Lease
The absolute last thing any renter wants is getting stuck with an unfair lease. So, before signing a lease for your new rental home, it’s recommended that you take the time to carefully review it. For example, you may find that tasks you assumed were the landlord’s responsibility are, in fact, yours to attend to. It’s also important to understand the types of penalties you stand to incur for breaking the lease, especially if you tend to move a lot. If you don’t have much experience reviewing leases, consider enlisting the aid of a good attorney. Furthermore, if the property owner attempts to dissuade you from reviewing the terms of the lease, this should be taken as a red flag.
As is the case when seeking out any kind of residence, it pays to ask the right questions and be discerning when hunting for the right rental home. Knowing exactly what to look for in a rental can take a lot of the hassle out of the home-finding process and help ensure that you wind up in a place that’s perfectly suited to your needs. So, if the ideal rental home is what you’re after put the advice outlined above to good use.
