Looking for an apartment is an exciting step towards independence. The freedom of gaming until 5 am without needing to pretend you’re sleeping when your mom checks on you, hosting parties with your friends, waking up at 1 pm, doing whatever you want to do. However, you definitely should not sign a lease on the first apartment you visit; you need to be on the lookout for several different things. Let’s see what goes into shopping for your first apartment.
In this article, I am mostly talking about apartments, but these considerations also apply to renting a condo or a house.
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Before you get started, you need to consider a few elements
What is your budget?
My financial counselor once told me that your housing budget should represent 1/3 of your monthly income. This could make the difference between living alone and having roommates.
By determining what you can afford, you will be able to determine if you can get an apartment with a rent of $500 or $2,000 per month.
What are your needs?
- How many rooms do you need?
- If you live on a higher floor, is there an elevator in the building? (Bringing a fridge up to the 3rd floor isn’t my favorite activity)
- Do you have pets? Are they allowed in the building?
- Do you need a lot of storage space or a huge kitchen?
- Do you want to live close to school or work?
- Do you need a parking space (or more than one)?
- Do you need to be close to public transportation?
- Do you need to be a walking distance from the grocery store?
Write down your needs
Writing down a list of your own needs will help you make the best decision when it comes to choosing your living space.
Now that you know what your criteria are, it’s time to shop for your first apartment.
Field trip!
I don’t mean to generalize, but most landlords don’t put their vacant apartments online. You might need to drive to the area you’re interested in, look for “For Rent” signs, and note down the phone numbers.
Unfortunately, if you are allergic to phone calls like I am, most landlords only advertise their phone numbers, so you might not have the choice to contact them via email or text.
Get yourself together and call! Or ask your best friend to call for you, I won’t judge you.
Important elements to look for
Once you are ready to visit different apartments, look for these elements:
- Does the description of the apartment match what you see?
- Is there mold in the bathroom, in the kitchen, in the closets?
- Is the apartment in good shape?
- Are there apparent signs of water damage?
- Is there a weird smell in the apartment that is not related to food, cigarette, or pets?
- Can you see bugs, like roaches?
- Are the windows in good condition?
- If you are visiting during the winter, are the heaters working?
- Do you have a space for your washer and dryer?
- If not, is there a laundromat in the building?
- Does the landlord seem like a shady person?
- If you don’t have a good feeling about them, don’t take any risk and consider other apartments.
- Try the hot and cold water. Do they work appropriately?
- Ask about the neighbors, especially those surrounding you. Are they quiet or loud? Are they grumpy or nice?
- When I visited apartments after my divorce, there was one case where the downstairs neighbor was a grumpy older person, so I couldn’t see myself living above them with 2 young kids.
Questions for the landlord
You may also ask these questions to your potential landlord:
- Did they have to submit claims for this building to their insurance company?
- Do they require a deposit? (Note: some provinces or states might require it by law, while others don’t. Make sure to read the laws applicable to the region).
- Do they allow Interac e-Transfers?
- This is important. I lived for 3 years in a building where the landlady had the habit of depositing 3 cheques at a time, instead of depositing them every month.
- This will also give you a proof of payment in case of litigation.
- If something breaks, are they willing to repair it?
Signing a lease
Once you are ready to sign the lease, make sure to read every single condition and fine prints. You don’t want to be caught signing something you haven’t agreed upon.
- This includes flexibility on rent payments. If something would happen, would you be immediately kicked out for missing a payment?
- If they told you that pets are allowed, but the lease says they are not, do not sign the lease.
- Check for the duration of the lease. They are usually for 12 months, so make sure this matches your agreement.
- Read the conditions for moving in and out.
- For instance, in Quebec, Canada, most leases are from July 1st to June 30. However, most landlords allow you to stay until 11 am on July 1st to allow you enough time to move out.
Dealing with a landlord
Sometimes, despite your best efforts to find the best apartment for your needs, your landlord isn’t as great as you thought.
In case of a major problem in your apartment where your landlord isn’t doing anything, know that you have rights.
- In Canada, tenants and landlords’ laws are governed provincially. Learn more on the Federal website.
- In the United States of America, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) governs tenants’ rights. Learn more on their website.
Get your own home insurance
I will address insurance in another post but know that as a tenant, you MUST get your own home insurance, which will most likely be a Tenant policy.
If something happens in the building, such as a fire or water damage, whether your are at fault or not, you need to insure your own stuff.
Your landlord most likely has a Landlord policy, which insures only the building and his own stuff (like the lawnmower, the shovels, etc.).
Getting your own Tenant policy will ensure you have the required coverage to replace or repair your stuff in case of an insured loss. Unless you already have the thousands of dollars to replace your mattress, your TV, your appliances, and everything you own…
Ask your parents who is their insurance company for their home. If they are satisfied with their insurer, you’ll feel more comfortable starting there. However, you can do a quick Google search to find the better price for your needs. You could also deal with an insurance broker.
Make a budget
Budgeting is essential, y’all! Whether you live alone, with your partner, or with roommates, you need to budget everything to make sure you pay your rent and your bills on time. Read this post to learn how to make a budget, even if you are terrible with money. Also, make sure to develop a healthy relationship with your credit card.
Thank you for this great post! There’s so much going on when you’re trying to find your first apartment that it’s easy to forget all the minor details. Your list of questions for the landlor and details to look out for is really helpful!
I think this is a great resource for someone looking for their first apartment. I certainly wish I had it when I started but I think you figure out some things to look for after you find your first apartment. For example, the land lord that cashed three checks at once. I would die!
YEP, this was terrifying… When you thought your rent had been paid for the last 3 months and BOOM, 3 cheques at the same time T_T
And, if you have a chance, check who the neighbours are, make sure you want to live among them:)
This is SUCH A GOOD POINT! Thank you!!!!