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Old 04-12-2008, 09:46 PM
 
30 posts, read 96,917 times
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Ok, I am going to move to Miami and it is totally new cityfor us. I am going to look at some houses/THs that I am interested in renting. I have been a home owner for the last ten years and need some info regarding renting.

1)Which is better? private rentral property or managed property
2)How much deposit is resonable? Some landlords are asking 2 month worth of rent.
3) Is it Ok to ask some phone numbers, like previous renter's phone number?

Are there anything else I need to pay attention to?

Thanks
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Old 04-13-2008, 04:46 PM
 
Location: WA
319 posts, read 1,907,671 times
Reputation: 139
I can comment about #1. I personally would go with a managed property. The rent is usually a little higher because the rental company usually takes a percentage of the rent (like 10%). But, I have heard some bad stories from my friends who have rented from a private owner. Many landlords start renting out a property and have very little knowledge of the laws, don't have the time for the upkeep, don't answer complaints in a reasonable amount of time, etc.

A property management company will have set policies, and you will know what you are getting into. Usually they are a little more stable. You will have a number to call for any problems you have (like something breaks in the house), and they should have a set maximum turn-around time. I've heard about some landlords who just will ignore repairs, or try to do them themselves.

We have had some problems with our rental company, such as taking months to add a new person on our lease (I rent with friends). But, if it's something important, like a repair, as long as we bug them about it, it will get done. I've been glad we were renting such as the time we had a big roof leak, needed an outside drier vent cleaned, and a couple other times too.

And for deposits, I've heard between a low number such as $250, or up to two month's rent (plus the rent being due for the first month at that time). If you ask around in your area you should be able to find a trend.

If you phrase it like you want a reference or few (not just asking to speak to a past tenant), I would believe that is perfectly acceptable. Especially if you are renting from a private party.
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Old 04-13-2008, 05:14 PM
 
Location: Way up high
22,192 posts, read 29,184,054 times
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Where in Miami are you looking to rent? I just moved from there. I've had experiences with both and prefer the managed one. Private owners can just be total pains and not know what they are doing and extremely malicious. Rent is usually one months rent. I'm not sure about previous tenants phone numbers as I'm sure there are privacy laws that pertain to that and it could be very prejudice (maybe they were kicked out, problem tenants, or maybe positive on the other hand)

Now words of advice, once in property, take pictures before you move furniture in with dated pictures (make sure date is encoded on picture so when printed out, its on the bottom corner) This protects you from unlawful deposit withholdings and basically cya.
Make sure every conversation you have via telephone is backed up by a certified letter to the owner/mgmt company rehasing the conversation (another cya) That way they can't say you/we never said that.

You can DM me for anymore information or any other questions you may have. I'll be more than happy to help you.
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Old 04-17-2008, 02:45 PM
 
Location: West Virginia
13,912 posts, read 39,115,847 times
Reputation: 10234
Might get better response in the General Moving Forum and /or Miami ....that being said.


If you go pvt its the luck of the draw IF you get a responsible owner...go managed.
NO If my landlord gave people my information Id sue him!! But you might try the Better Business to see if there is a record of complaints.
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Old 02-03-2011, 02:43 PM
 
Location: jacksonville florida
5 posts, read 10,519 times
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question?? I live in Jacksonville and was recently evicted .. about a month ago. I lost my job and was unable to find other employment so after I lived in the apartment for 3 months I was evicted.My question is does anyone know of any private landlords that are willing to rent to someone with such a fresh eviction? I am now employed again and my income now almost doubles what I was making in the past. How would I go about finding that out? Also Paying my bills was never a question before I lost my job, but I know that people willl hold that against me.After losing my job, my car being repossed and then being evicted I had quite a year in 2010. After living with my parents until I was almost 30 and then to have everything go downhill has been sooo depressing. I just need a fresh start and Im not really sure where to start at. Please some advice would be very helpful.

Last edited by mrsmyles; 02-03-2011 at 02:44 PM.. Reason: more to add
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Old 02-03-2011, 02:45 PM
 
Location: jacksonville florida
5 posts, read 10,519 times
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Thinking about just moving out of state and start paying off the management company that evicted me, although Im not sure if that would help me or hinder me. Can you still rent in Florida with an eviction or not?
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Old 02-03-2011, 04:09 PM
 
Location: Boise, ID
8,046 posts, read 28,374,018 times
Reputation: 9470
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrsmyles View Post
question?? I live in Jacksonville and was recently evicted .. about a month ago. I lost my job and was unable to find other employment so after I lived in the apartment for 3 months I was evicted.My question is does anyone know of any private landlords that are willing to rent to someone with such a fresh eviction? I am now employed again and my income now almost doubles what I was making in the past. How would I go about finding that out? Also Paying my bills was never a question before I lost my job, but I know that people willl hold that against me.After losing my job, my car being repossed and then being evicted I had quite a year in 2010. After living with my parents until I was almost 30 and then to have everything go downhill has been sooo depressing. I just need a fresh start and Im not really sure where to start at. Please some advice would be very helpful.
Forum etiquette is to start your own thread instead of jumping onto someone else's, unless your question is nearly identical to theirs. I suggest you repost this in it's own thread to get some advice rather than hijacking this thread.
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Old 02-03-2011, 04:21 PM
 
Location: Boise, ID
8,046 posts, read 28,374,018 times
Reputation: 9470
Quote:
Originally Posted by recadna View Post
Ok, I am going to move to Miami and it is totally new cityfor us. I am going to look at some houses/THs that I am interested in renting. I have been a home owner for the last ten years and need some info regarding renting.

1)Which is better? private rentral property or managed property
2)How much deposit is resonable? Some landlords are asking 2 month worth of rent.
3) Is it Ok to ask some phone numbers, like previous renter's phone number?

Are there anything else I need to pay attention to?

Thanks
1. You will get some people who will tell you "never from from a private owner" and some who will tell you "never rent from a property manager". If you are a person who plays by the rules, and expects everyone else to do so, and want a professional relationship with your landlord, a property manager is probably better for you. If you are more of a "seat of the pants" type, and want to have a personal relationship with your landlord, a private owner may be the better choice for you.

2. We usually ask for about a month's rent, plus more for pets. Some states have limits on how much deposit can be. Find out on that, and then expect anything up to that limit. To me, reasonable is between 1 and 2 months rent.

3. I have never had anyone ask for this. The LL would have to get authorization from the tenants for you to call them, so they probably won't be able to give you any on the spot. Also, they are going to pick the tenants that are going to say the best things about them, so that isn't an unbiased opinion, and as such, is sort of a waste of time.

You should check to make sure the property isn't in foreclosure, which you can do by calling a local title company, and asking if one has been recorded against the address (in my area they are called "notice of default", but that varies).

You should also check to make sure that the person representing themselves as the owner, actually ARE the owner, and that the LL (if not the owner) has the right to sign for them. You can find out the owner's name by calling the assessor's office, or possibly by looking on the assessor's website. You can ask the LL to show you a signed agreement between them and the owner.

There are a lot of scams out there, but these steps will protect you from the bulk of them.

I also agree that you should have a paper signed by both you and the LL, and dated, that lists the condition at move in (photos if needed), and you should keep a copy. Even a property manager with good intentions may forget what the condition of 1 property out of 1000 was last year when it comes to move out time.
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Old 03-02-2011, 01:00 PM
 
Location: jacksonville florida
5 posts, read 10,519 times
Reputation: 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lacerta View Post
Forum etiquette is to start your own thread instead of jumping onto someone else's, unless your question is nearly identical to theirs. I suggest you repost this in it's own thread to get some advice rather than hijacking this thread.
maybe you should find someone to clean your pipes before you make such crass remarks.. i had several threads opened and replyed to that one by mistake, but make sure you call the "internet police" and issue me a ticket for making a mistake. thankw have a great day.
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Old 03-03-2011, 05:52 AM
 
Location: St Thomas, US Virgin Islands
24,665 posts, read 69,470,770 times
Reputation: 26726
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrsmyles View Post
maybe you should find someone to clean your pipes before you make such crass remarks.. i had several threads opened and replyed to that one by mistake, but make sure you call the "internet police" and issue me a ticket for making a mistake. thankw have a great day.
I'm sorry you can't see the confusion when someone latches onto an old thread. In fact, the poster who suggested you start a new thread then responded to the original poster whose thread (the one you latched onto) is THREE YEARS OLD! Posters don't always notice the dates on the threads. The subject and the dates are crucial on forums and there is really no need to take such a combative position and be so rude. I hope you find the answer you're looking for.
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