If the ad has a bunch of pictures of the neighborhood and no pictures of inside the apartment.
1.Honestly even the postings tend to be littered with red flags.
All caps, weird and overly specific rules, hostile tone ONLY apply if you are CLEAN and RESPONSIBLE!
Bench Accounting
SKETCHY APPLICANTS WILL BE DENIED!
Washing machine is for CLOTHES ONLY!!
Pets OK but NO REPTILES!!!
2.If the ad has a bunch of pictures of the neighborhood and no pictures of inside the apartment.
3.Always flush the toilets and listen from other rooms to see how loud it is.
Its driving me mad.
4.Oddly specific things that are listed as not the responsibility of the owner/management, like repairing fridge water dispensers.
5.The first questions I always ask is Do you have a lot of long term tenants?
If that apartment has bugs like cockroaches or some other shit then get the fuck outta there.
Learned this from a bond cleaner.
9.Always look at the ceiling!!!
I rented a condo where my upstairs neighbors were so noisy it was absolute hell.
They were very large people with three kids.
I had never noticed them before.
10.What does the lawn and landscaping look like?
If it isnt taken care of, it raises questions as to what else isnt.
May as well kiss your security deposit goodbye then and there.
Itll never end up looking clean enough in the end, no matter how careful you are with it.
14.Handshake offers that are not on your lease.
On the other hand theyll also flaunt things thatareon the agreement by making them seem like luxuries.
When youre faced with a promise ask where it is on the lease if you dont see it.
Property managers and people in the lease office are there to fill units not be your buddy.
No matter how nice they are.
15.Shared electrical and/or hot water.
Thats some cheap shit yo.
16.Ask about their occupancy.
If under 90%, this is a bad sign.
If its a brand new community, ignore this advice.
Side note: you want to live at a brand new community if you’re able to.
17.Ask about other apartments in the area.
If they give you good options to check out, theyre good management and confident in their product.
If they shit on their competition, this is a bad sign.
18.If the community is running very generous specials (2 months free, $1000 gift card, etd.
), this is a bad sign.
19.If the place is not freshly painted look for signs of bed bug infestation.
Like someone shook a paint brush there.
These nests are often on a wall, in corners and around electrical outlets.
20.You dont have a thermostat to control your own heating and cooling.
Or there is one but its just for show.
21.Check closets, under the sink, and other out-of-the-way places for roach and mouse traps.
22.Fences around them, but no security/gate.
23.Lots of unattended small children.
24.Drive through the complex on a Saturday night and ask yourself if it sounds like a damn party.
Then ask yourself if thats the punch in of place you want to live.
(If you want to live in a damn party then great.)
26.Ask a pizza delivery place if they deliver there.
If they dont, and its not because of distance, thats a red flag.
27.Damaged doors with new locks/deadbolts.
28.If the apartment has a garbage room on each floor with a chute, go and look at it.
you’re free to find a building where people arent all lazy disgusting pigs.
29.If your would-be future landlord lists off all the great things theyre going to do soon.
Then months pass and theyre still getting around to it.
