9 questions to ask before renting an apartment

What’s the parking situation?

Specifically: How many spaces do I get? Is guest parking allowed? Is towing/booting/ticketing enforced? Are the lots gated? Is there a deck? Is everything properly lit?

I lived in a small complex with ZERO visitor parking spaces and it was a nightmare for guests, pet sitters and my boyfriend to come over. It’s hard to invite people to your place and then say, “Oh but if you park here you will get a $75 boot on your car so you’ll have to walk a couple blocks.”

You should also clarify how many spaces you get with the unit. If two people will be living in a one-bedroom apartment (not unheard of for couples), make sure they don’t limit that unit to one parking space per number of rooms. Similarly, if you plan to rent an apartment with multiple rooms but just one name on the lease, make sure the leaseholder isn’t the only one granted a parking space.

When my fiance moved into my two-bedroom apartment, they wouldn’t give us a parking space for him because, despite renting space for two, I only had my name on the lease and thus only qualified for one space.

Do I get guest passes for the pool?

When I lived at Wesley Village, I believe our two-bedroom apartment was limited to four pool passes for guests. I think this is plenty but people who like to throw big pool parties hate the guest limit. The passes come in the form of colored rubber bracelets that you have to wear when you’re by the pool. (And if you lose them you have to pay up so don’t give them to your irresponsible friends.)

Some complexes are stricter than others when it comes to regulating guest pool passes so read reviews and ask around if inviting big groups of friends is a priority for you.

How are package deliveries handled?

Some leasing offices will accept packages for you and hold them in the office for pickup. You don’t realize what a luxury this is until you live in a building that doesn’t accept your packages and you have to go pick them up yourself at the UPS distribution center after the delivery guy leaves three “Sorry we missed you!” notes on your door. This got so bad at my last apartment that I just gave up and started shipping everything to my office where I knew it would be received.

Where are the dumpsters? Is there a trash collection service?

Some complexes will charge you extra money to collect your trash at your door. It sounds convenient but I hated this service because I can carry my own trash to the dumpster but wasn’t allowed to opt out of the extra charge. What’s worse, you can only use the tiny branded trashcans they provide but they’re never big enough to hold a full week’s worth of garbage. This means you’ll end up taking a mid-week trip to the dumpster anyway but still paying for pick-up.

You might also want to know where the dumpsters are so you don’t live directly above them because that smells bad.

Pro dumpster tip: I found that people moving out of apartments are incredibly reckless with the belongings they don’t want (or just physically can’t transport). People toss perfectly good couches, dressers and other large furniture in the dumpster area just because they don’t know what to do with it. It’s like a mini Goodwill and I do not judge anyone for “shopping” this area for budget furniture finds.

How are maintenance requests fielded?

Do I have to call someone? Submit an online form? What’s the #1 most frequent maintenance request? What’s the average response time? What’s the average turnaround time?

I think it’s good to know ahead of time what you’ll be dealing with in terms of broken appliances and other mishaps. If they can’t quote a 24-hour response/turnaround time, consider if you’re willing to go that long (or longer) without your fridge or air conditioner or whatever else might break.

What utilities are included?

One complex might appear to have much lower rent but once you add your internet, cable and electricity bills on top of that, is it still cheaper than the place where utilities are included?

Can my roommate and I pay rent separately?

Some property managers use a system that will allow you to sign together on one lease but then split the rent and pay separately. The benefit is that no one has to front the full amount and then wait to get paid by the other roommates. The risk is that if one roommate flakes on their payment you’re all in trouble.

What’s the pet policy?

Some places don’t allow pets at all. Others will let you in with a pet fee (nonrefundable) or pet deposit (which you’ll get back if there’s no damage). Some complexes will also have breed-specific restrictions and weight limitations (rude) so check and make sure your pet fits the requirements before signing on the dotted line. The very worst pet policy out there is one that charges monthly rent for your animal, usually around $25/month, on top of a deposit.

What’s the rent history on this unit?

Apartment complexes are worse than airlines when it comes to dynamic pricing based on supply and demand. There’s a frustrating veil of secrecy over how much a unit costs today and how much they’ll be listing it for in a week. While it’s pretty impossible to tell how the unit’s pricing will fluctuate while it’s vacant, one thing that’s written in stone (or at least on paper) is the price listed on the signed leases of past tenants. Ask to see that amount for the last three years to get an idea of how much they might try to increase your rent if you choose to renew your lease.