Apartment Rental Tips For Students

By Author: Felix Recherd
Total Articles: 30
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So you did it! You survived your first year of school, living away from home…..in residence. What now though? For most of you, and by you. I mean university and college students, you will be renting your first apartment or a house next year. Students looking for their first apartment for rent get so caught up in the excitement that they often don’t remember how overwhelming it can be. To try to help limit the stress, here are some particularly useful tips.

Secure your rental apartment EARLY!

Personal experience has taught me how important it is to find a place and to get it early. Just because school starts in September doesn't mean there will be a suitable place available in September. Some students start looking for apartments to rent as soon as classes are done or even before. The ones that start early get first choice and the ones that start late have to settle. Considering how easy it is to search for rental apartments online, it would be a mistake not to start early.

Choose your Roommates Wisely

Everybody wants to live with their friends, but choose roommates that will still ...
... be friends after your lease is over. Even the best of buddies can kind of bug you sometimes. Make sure to choose your roommates wisely and doesn't let the excitement of living with friends cloud your judgment. They should be trustworthy and responsible too. You don't want to be stuck with an apartment for three and have one or two of your roommates bail on you just before move-in day.

Have Backups

When looking for an apartment for rent, if you fall in love with the first place you see, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Generally it's a good idea to have backups though. You probably won't be the only person that falls in love with a particular apartment. Look at multiple rental apartments and order them in terms of favourite to least favourite. That way if your first choice falls through, you won't be scrambling to find another place.

Take a Tour

Seeing multiple rental apartments might be a difficult task if you are attending school somewhere that is not your home city. But this is an important step in making sure you are satisfied with the first apartment you rent. This is actually a benefit of going with a property management firm as they have people that are made available for showings anytime. With private landlords, you will have to coordinate around both your schedules. This is doable, but definitely less convenient for you.

Look Over the Lease

Before signing that dotted line, take the time to go over the lease agreement so that there are no misunderstandings. For the most part leases are fairly similar, but to avoid any misunderstandings in the future, it's a good idea to know your lease. Don't wait until an issue arises to get familiar with the terms. By then it will be too late. A few key things to note are late rent penalties, security deposit conditions, and maintenance concerns.

Be prepared to have a Guarantor

Not all, but the majority of full-time students do not have the credit history or the income to be able to sign for a rental apartment on their own so this is where the guarantor comes in. This is not to say students are irresponsible and won't pay their rent. It is a way for the landlord to be assured that rent payments can be met so they don't have to go through the process of evicting a tenant; never a fun thing to have to do. Parents usually co-sign for rental apartments for their children when they go to college but if for whatever this can not be done, make sure you get somebody you trust be your guarantor. Co-signing a lease is a binding legal contract.

Felix is a Real Estate rental properties analyst. He analyzes Ottawa apartments for rent and suggesting as a good option.