Finding somewhere to rent can often seem as complicated as looking for a property to buy. Alongside needing to have a deposit ready, you’ll need to make sure it’s the right property for your needs.
Multiple factors can affect your search. That’ll be the case regardless of whether you want to find 3 bedroom houses for rent or a single-bed apartment.
You’ll already know many of the factors that could affect your rental search, such as:
- Size
- Location
- Rental Costs
That doesn’t mean that there aren’t a few others that you need to consider. A few others can be as important as the above, although they can be overlooked.
What To Look For Before You Rent A Property: 3 Top Factors
Safety & Security
Safety and security should be at the forefront of your mind when you’re considering a property for rent. You can take care of a lot of this by renting in neighbourhoods known to be safe.
It would help if you went beyond that, however. If you’re viewing an apartment, for example, consider the main entranceway. Are only the tenants able to get in? What kind of security is in place?
At a minimum, you should expect that only the building’s residents can access the building. Coupled with that are the more obvious aspects of a solid lock on your door, among other things.
That’s the case for any property you’re going to live in.
Move-In Condition
When you’re viewing a property, you’ll need to ensure that it’s in move-in-ready condition. If it isn’t, then you should make sure that it will be for when you plan on moving in.
Several things could affect this. Minor repairs could need to be made, while some rooms might need some new paint. Look for such issues when you’re viewing the property.
If there aren’t any, then you could assume that it’s in move-in-ready condition. It doesn’t hurt to ask the landlord or real estate agent about when you can move in, however.
Property Age
Many people assume that the age of a property should only matter if you’re thinking of buying it. When you’re renting a property, it can be more important than you’d have thought.
The older it is, the more repairs and maintenance you’ll need to do. While the landlord might be responsible for these, the work will still need to be carried out.
While a certain amount of repairs and maintenance is unavoidable, you shouldn’t have to tolerate too much. Going with a newer property – while possibly more expensive – will minimise any maintenance and repairs.
What To Look For Before You Rent A Property: Wrapping Up
If you don’t know what to look for when you rent a property, you could feel overwhelmed. You could be interested in multiple apartments or houses but not know how to choose between them.
While several factors will be obvious, you’ll need to keep a few other things in mind. Price will be one of the more notable.
In many cases, however, it can be worth paying a little more to ensure that the property meets all of your needs. By keeping the above in mind, that shouldn’t be an issue.
