Questions to ask your landlord before renting an apartment in Ibadan
You love the apartment and you love everything you read about it ( haven't found the apartment you love yet? But what about what wasn’t in the listing? Below are some questions to ask before renting, and a good landlord or company should be happy to answer them.
1. What’s included in my rent?
You need to know what you're paying for so as to maximise your budget. Here are things that may or may not be included:
Utilities: Ask which ones, too—electricity, water, Wi-Fi...
2. How do I pay rent?
Some places stick with checks and tellers and see it as the least expensive option, but some places allow you to pay rent online.
3. What are your late payment policies?
Find out if there are late fees and when they come into play.
4. What’s the view on pets?
Pets may be allowed, but sometimes certain pets are not. Don’t forget to ask about any fees connected with your pet, for instance, an additional amount on your security deposit or rent.
5. What’s the guest policy?
Guests are typically allowed, but landlords like to define guests. Otherwise, the line between a long-term guest and a roommate can get blurry. Your contract may state that guests can stay no longer than two weeks.
6. What are the terms on your contract?
When does your contract begin and end? And how does it end? Read the lease carefully. Some leases renew automatically unless you give your landlord notice that you’re leaving.
7. How often is the rent raised?
This information may not be in the contract document itself. If you’re thinking of staying in this apartment for a long time, you’ll want to know if you should expect an increase in rent each year.
8. How far in advance do I have to give notice before moving?
If you sign a one-year contract and you want to move out when it’s over, 30-day’s notice is generally an acceptable amount of time.
9. Can I make changes to the apartment?
Some places are fine with you painting, for example, but it’s unlikely they’ll let you take down walls. Some landlords might ask you to put the apartment back to the way you found it before you move out.
10. Any building updates heading our way soon?
You want to know in advance if you’re going to be facing a lot of construction noise, debris, etc. in and out.
11. How do maintenance requests work?
You want to know who to call if there's water coming from your upstairs neighbor’s bathroom. You want to have access to help 24/7.
Now that you know all the questions to ask when renting an apartment, it’s time to start thinking hard about that rent. Too hard?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Post a Comment