Starting your apartment search can be daunting, especially if it is your first apartment! By thinking of the following 13 things, you will for sure find an apartment you are happy with. Happy apartment searching!
Consider these before touring
1. Are you living by yourself or with a roommate?
Before starting your search, you have to decide if you would rather live alone or with a roommate.
Pros of living by yourself:
- Your space is your space
- You can create the work environment that you like
- Great for privacy since your space is YOUR space,
- No drama
Pros of living with a roommate:
- Companionship / always have a friend around
- A roommate is a great way of raising your overall budget without paying more yourself
- You’ll have help around the apartment
2. Do you need a cosigner?
Not a usual thing but some apartment complexes require that tenants under 21 have a cosigner. If you are under 21, be sure to check!
3. What’s your budget?
Most important start to your search is how much money you are comfortable paying each month. This will obviously narrow or widen your search.
Keep in mind that you will still need to account for expenses in utilities, trash and other apartment expenses aside from the base rent.
4. What lease term works for you?
Apartment complexes usually vary their rent depending on the lease term. 99% of the time, the advertised lease will be under a 12 month rent. If this does not work for you, be sure to adjust while filtering in a website or let whoever is helping you in the complex know.
Sometimes if you sign on for a longer than 12 month lease, you can get a rent lower than advertised.
5. How Close do you want to be to school/work?
You’ll want to look for an apartment that is close to school/work to avoid sitting in traffic for hours trying to get home.
There are several apartment search websites that have added filters for how long you want your commute to be, and if they don’t definitely still do a quick check with google maps!
If you are still in school I would recommend staying within a 15 minute radius of school.
If you own a pet, and you want to go visit them during your lunch break, consider narrowing down your radius even further.
6. What management company runs the complex?
Do some research on the property company that manages the complex. Hopefully you will only have to deal with them on move in or move out days, but if you have to reach out to them more you definitely want a management team who cares about their tenants.
Keep an eye out for what people say in their reviews! For example, do they answer service requests quickly?
7. Are you bringing a pet?
Apartment complexes all have extra charges for bringing a pet into the rental agreement. This might include a deposit, and extra monthly payments.
Price points for pet rents vary widely, so take note while comparing complexes during your apartment search.
For example, my current apartment charges a non-refundable $200 pet fee, a $200 refundable pet deposit AND an extra monthly pet rent of $20/month. Costs like this can start to add up and be a possible deal breaker for a contender in your apartment list.
If you have a dog, you might also want to keep an eye out to see if they have a dog park and a dog washing station.
Consider these WHEN touring
8. What is the building’s condition?
Old buildings can be charming at times and definitely more budget friendly, but an old building also comes with a higher risk of possible problems.
With newer buildings you have the added perk of everything being updated and possibly being the first tenant in your apartment.
If you do settle for a complex that is not super new, be sure to keep a copy of your move-in inspection checklist when you move in, that way management can’t try and pin problems on you later down the road.
9. What amenities are included?
Do you care if they have a good gym onsite? Does the unit include a washer and dryer? Do they charge extra for the mail/package system? Do you need to pick up packages from the office (avoid if possible!)?
If you are not sure what amenities you care for and which you don’t mind not having, that’s ok! You will start to pick up on what you like once you start touring.
For me, it was free coffee in the mornings at my first apartment and covered parking at my second that sealed the deal.
10. How safe is the area around the complex?
One of the biggest things to look for when touring is how safe the complex is. Take note of what areas you need a key fob to access and which are open to the public.
If you are unsure if the area around the complex is safe, you can always do a google search about it!
Pay special attention to this when looking at apartments that are in areas that are being redeveloped, as there might be more crime around those parts.
You might not think much about it right now, but you will sleep better knowing you can trust where you live.
11. What is the parking situation like?
There are a variety of parking options out there. Complexes can have covered or uncovered parking, a parking garage or private garage spaces.
If you have a car, it will become very important that there is sufficient parking spaces in the lot for everyone in the complex.
Be sure to ask the person giving you a tour if they usually have any problems with that. You don’t want to not have a parking spot, or be parking super far from your apartment, every time you come home late.
12. Is there enough closet and cabinet space?
When you are touring an apartment for the first time, you might be too excited to notice these things but boyyy will you notice if your closet is too small once you are living there.
Same thing goes for cabinet space.
Make sure you have enough storage in your kitchen and bathroom cabinets at least for your essentials.
13. Is there enough natural light?
Something else that might be easily missed is how much natural light the apartment getting.
An apartment with an abundance of natural light will make the place look brighter and happier, while one with barely any natural light can feel sleepy and closed off.
Bonus!
Watch out for apartment specials during your apartment search. If you are renting a complex for the first time, ask if they have a free month special or something similar. These specials might make the apartment you thought out of your budget, more affordable! But be aware that they do not extend beyond the first lease term.
