Questions to ask landlords (apartment, lease, how much)

[bhare]

Hi all,

Next Saturday my fiance and I will be visiting the area to look at a few places. I have only set up one appointment and will be doing the rest tomorrow. I was wondering if everyone could put their two cents in on what to ask landlords. What are the basic questions that one should ask to get the best picture of a property before you go there? Sq. ft.? Utility responsibilities? Pets? Those are some basics, but I was wondering if there are some good questions to ask that I wouldn't necessarily think of.
Thanks for your help!

-brian

[ontheroad]

Yes, how big; are pets allowed; and are you responsible for utilities. But ask which utilities. You might also ask if they know what these costs were for any prior tenant. Some include: gas, electricity, heat and water. Others may not.

I'd also be curious about upkeep to the apartment (who is responsible). Does the building have landlord electricity for outside lighting and corridor lights?

Also, if the property has any grounds, who is responsible for its upkeep and to what extent.

Are there laundry facilities in the apartment, building or neighbourhood.

These are some of the issues that have come up for me that I hadn't anticipated.

Good luck on the viewings.

[Elder18]

You should also ask about pets being allowed and if so, how much the deposit is and if it's refundable.

Just in case you have two cats who like to run around and play. : )

[guylocke]

Parking!!!

[Wantingtostartover]

Originally Posted by bhare

Hi all,

Next Saturday my fiance and I will be visiting the area to look at a few places. I have only set up one appointment and will be doing the rest tomorrow. I was wondering if everyone could put their two cents in on what to ask landlords. What are the basic questions that one should ask to get the best picture of a property before you go there? Sq. ft.? Utility responsibilities? Pets? Those are some basics, but I was wondering if there are some good questions to ask that I wouldn't necessarily think of.
Thanks for your help!

-brian

here is a link to find out info on what to ask the landlord and what to inspect before you move into a place.........http://www.tenant.net (broken link)

[Mugatu]

If utilities are not included in the rent, ask the landlord if they are calculated for each individual unit, or averaged out among the tenants. For example, some complexes just use one gas meter for the whole building and all the residents split the bill. You could be out of town for a whole month, and still come home to a whopping utility bill because you are paying for everyone else's usage. I'd never move into a complex that divides the bill like this.

Before signing a lease, inspect the until you will be getting, make a list of the improvements you want done, and ask the landlord to put it in writing that these will be done before your move in date.

Check out apartmentratings.com to see what current and previous tenants had to say about the place.