The obscure joys of the apartment hunter

By Anne Marshall
March 17, 2015

Moving is stressful enough without risking a move to a worse environment. As an seasoned apartment hunter and dweller with over 25 years experience, here’s what I think you should know:

Where to look

inset - landlord - apartment huntinOnline listings have become the most common way to find new digs. In addition to great sites like RentersGuide.ca, free classifieds outlets offer variety – which can be good or bad. One popular site uses a Google Maps-based format to display results, and allow users to flip between the Street View, photos and Walkscore for a particular listing.

With new apps (like the Renters Guide App), you can have functionality that send users notifications when new listings that meet their criteria go online, save favourites and contact landlords right through its app, the smartphone and tablet are the newest apartment-hunter-on-the-go’s best friend.

Once you’ve settled on a several listings, you’ll need to see some of these apartments in person. To make the most of this opportunity – and better your chances of scoring a great place – you’ll want to show up well dressed. (Think job interview, not wedding reception.)

Arm yourself with a camera, and possibly a measuring tape. Not only do you want to document the size and shape of rooms, closets and storage, but you also want to gather evidence of any minor or major defects that you may have overlooked upon first glance.

Assuming that you’ve already succeeded in running the verbal gauntlet of interrogation before the landlord or super agreed to a showing – yes I have a job, no I don’t tap-dance after 11 pm – it’s now your turn to interrogate them. And you definitely should ask all the questions you can at this point, because once you’ve signed that lease, there’s very little you can do.

What to ask

  • What utilities are included in the rent, and which ones will I be paying for?
  • What are the typical monthly amounts of those bills? Beware any suspiciously low-ball answers, or “I don’t know” as a response. There is no reason the person showing the apartment shouldn’t have an accurate answer to such questions.
  • What’s the parking situation? Will I have to pay a fee, how much is it, and when is it paid? (Monthly? Annually?)
  • If it’s street parking only, is a permit required?
  • If you don’t have a car, ask about local transit routes and the frequency of bus, subway or streetcar service.
  • Is there laundry in the building? What other amenities are available?
  • Does the building have any common indoor or outdoor spaces that tenants can access? If so, what is the protocol for their use?
  • Are pets allowed? Are there any restrictions on type, number or size? Is there a fee associated with having a pet in the building? What is it, and when is it applied? (Monthly? Annually?)
  • Am I allowed to change the décor? If so, do I need to request permission first, and what kinds of changes are acceptable? Do I need to return the apartment to its original state before moving out (painting white, patching holes, etc.)?
  • What is the policy around roommates, should I decide I need one?

What to check

Test the water pressure - particularly in a multi-storey building. During your visit, make sure you turn on the kitchen and bathroom taps, the shower, and flush the toilet. Just not all at the same time.

Count the outlets. Note the number and location in each room, and look for cable and telephone hook-up spots. Inconvenient positioning of these vital power sources can leave you with a room full of extension cords and trip-wires if you failed to notice how unplugged the place was at first visit. While you’re at it, flick the switches and make sure they all actually work.

Peer into the cabinets – all of them. Not only should you (hopefully) find useful shelves and drawers, but you also want to look underneath shelves and peer into the corners to search for signs of rodent, roach or other critter infestations. If you see any small dark pellets of any size, or little black flecks that look like pepper, that’s a sign that some critter is doing business there.

Make sure you won’t have tiny roommates. Bedbugs are hard to detect, but if the apartment is still furnished, pull up the bottom sheet on a made bed and inspect the seam of the mattress. Look for small dark flecks of bedbug poop, or even the tiny insects themselves. They’re a common and serious problem that can be found in any type of housing in any part of town, so don’t be afraid to ask directly. Same with cockroaches – and if the building has an overall infestation, you’ll want to know when and how it is treated.

Ask if there’s anything you should know, it can be anything from noise issues and strange neighbours to why the current tenant is leaving. Listen to the answer, you’ll find answers in not just what the answer is, but how it is given. Clues to potential issues should send up a red flag for you.

Read your lease carefully before signing! Is there anything in it that strikes you as unusual, or is it a standard lease? Make sure to pay attention to the timeline, so you don’t end up signing a two-year lease for a place you only intend to occupy for one. Remember that lease terms are negotiable, too, but only before you sign. If you’re uncomfortable with an aspect – or you’d like to add or change something – be sure to ask. Most investment property owners would like to keep you as a happy tenant for as long as possible, so they may be accommodating.

About Anne Marshall

Anne Marshall has lived in New York City, Glasgow (Scotland), Greensboro (NC), Toronto, and somehow ended up back in the fabulous small city of Guelph, where she grew up. When not busy running her own matchmaking business, writing, and raising her eight-year-old son, she loves nothing more than exploring new areas, peering into other people's apartments, houses and yards.

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