When you are looking for a rental unit,
the most important things to think about
are:
- The dollar limit that you can afford
for monthly rent and utilities.
- The dollar limit that you can afford
for all deposits that may be required
(for example, holding and security deposits).
- The location that you want.
In addition, you also should carefully
consider the following:
- The kind of rental unit that you
want (for example, an apartment complex,
a duplex, or a single-family house),
and the features that you want (such
as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms).
- Whether you want a month-to-month
rental agreement or a lease.
- Access to schools, stores, public
transportation, medical facilities,
child-care facilities, and other necessities
and conveniences.
- The character and quality of the
neighborhood (for example, its safety
and appearance).
- The condition of the rental
unit. Other
special requirements that you or your
family members may have (for example,
wheelchair access).
Just because there is increasing demand
for rental housing does not mean that units
are not available. These tips are designed
to assist renters with finding housing,
even if a highly competitive market.
- Approach your rental housing search like
you would a job search. Be organized, serious,
professional, and make sure you stand out
as the best applicant. Preparing a Renters�
resume will increase your chances of having
your application taken more seriously.
- Know what you really want, and don't want.
Be flexible with the rest of your criteria.
Be prepared to decide on the spot and to
leave a deposit and/or credit check fee.
- "The early bird gets the worm!" Check
the latest listings first thing every day,
and call early. The Best time to call the
landlords is between 8:30 AM-12:30 PM, And
between 3:30 PM and 7:30 PM. In the morning
you will reach the management companies,
and in the afternoon you will be able to
reach the smaller buildings and building
managers. Respond quickly when a landlord
calls you back. If you have a cellular phone,
leave that number and have it on while you
are out looking at other apartments.
- If you leave a message on an answering
machine, be sure to speak clearly and slowly,
and repeat your name and phone number. Leaving
a simple message will not get you a return
Phone call. If you Share with them , that
you have an Excellent job , and excellent
credit , that will increase your chances
of a return phone call. Be available to
accept or return calls, or state in your
message when you will be available and that
you would like to set up an appointment
to view the property.
- Keep your credit in good standing. Obtain
a copy of your credit report, correct any
errors, and make sure what you say in the
rental application is consistent with what
the landlord will see on the credit report.
- Be prepared with all the information you
need to complete a rental application: prior
addresses, credit information, and a list
of references. Landlords will not respond
to incomplete applications. Please have
copies of your Drivers� License, copy of
3-4 paycheck stubs or an offer letter from
your employer or a bank Statement.
- Contact your references ahead of time to
be sure your information on them is current
and they are aware you have used them as
a reference.
- Consider preparing a renter's resume. You
may have to repeat the information on the
application, but you will stand out as well-organized
and prepared.
- Make a good impression. Demonstrate that
you will be a good steward for the landlord's
property.
- Make a few appointments in the areas you
are considering, map out your locations
from our system and set out to view the
properties, keeping in mind the list of
questions.
- During your interview with the prospective
landlord/leasing agent is your opportunity
to have your questions answered. Ask the
following questions from the leasing agent
in charge of units you are interested in
leasing
Regarding the availability of the units:
- When is the apartment available?
- Is it currently occupied?
- When can I move in?
- Monetary and Lease Terms Questions:
- What is the monthly rent?
- What Deposit will I be required to leave?
- When is the rent due?
- What are the penalties for late payment?
- What are the terms for renewing the lease?
- If my housing needs change, can I move to
another available unit in the community?
- Can I Sublet?
- Can I have roommates?
- Regarding the utilities and Public Services?
- Are any utilities included?
- Which utilities am I responsible for?
- List of utility companies for activation
of services?
- Any maintenance I will be responsible for
(plumbing, elec, gass, etc)?
- Is there parking in the building? Is it
included in the price of the unit?
- How many parking spaces will I be assigned?
- Is there assigned parking?
- Where can guests park?
- Are pets allowed?
- What kind of pets?
- Is there a pet deposit? Refundable?
Non-Refundable?
- What limitations are there on my pets(s)?
- Are laundry facilities available on the
premises?
- Recreation facilities?
- Gardens?
- Club Memberships?
- Are there any extra charges for use of the
recreation facilities?
- How is trash removal handled?
- What kind of security is there?
- What are the community rules regarding quiet
hours? Parties? Overnight guests?
- Move-In/Move-out Procedures?
- Deliveries? Move-In/Move-Out Procedures?
- Do I need to reserve the elevators for move-in/move-out?
General Questions?
- Is there an on-site office?
- 24-hour number for maintenance emergencies?
How fast do you respond to maintenance problems.
- What modifications am I allowed to make?
(Painting, wall papering, installing shelves,
etc.)?
- What is the tenant mix? Can I speak with
current tenants in the community?
General Considerations & Tips:
- Generally, Apartment hunting is not easy.
But we have developed tools to help you,
as long as you are prepared to input some
effort into it.
Most successful apartment hunters have the
following profile:
- Have realistic budget and expectations.
- Is a conscientious, pro-active person with
perseverance and dedication to manage serious
apartment search.
- Is gainfully employed of has a guarantor.
- As you are searching for your next apartment
it helps to have some way to keep track
of what you've seen. So it is important
to become organized.
- Establish your priorities and know what
you are looking for before you start your
search.
- Keep track of the following important factors:
Number of bedrooms, closet space, number
of bathrooms, kitchen size and terms of
lease.
- Consider the apartment location and features
such as flooring type, gas/electric appliances,
separate dinning rooms, fireplace, airconditioning,
washer/dryer, dishwater, garbage disposal
micowave, refrigerator, balcony/deck, security
system, storage, natural light.
Neighborhood and Community:
- Proximity of the apartment to public transportation.
- Proximity to schools
- Proximity to shopping centers
- Proximity to work/School
- Proximity to parks and recreation facilities.
The best ways to win over a prospective
landlord is for you to be prepared with
your information.
- Having a copy of your credit report in hand
will earn brownie points, although most
landloards will prefer to run a fresh credit
report directly faxed to them.
- Be prepared with references from previous
landlords, possibly have a recommendation
letter from a previous landlord and employer.
This will prove to the new landlord that
you aren't just full of hot-air that you
really are as great a tenant as you seem
to be.
- Be prepared to have a check or have the
cash ready for the initial deposit.
- Dress to impress. (Note: This does not mean
you need to dress in a designer suit, buy
reading glasses and speak with a British
accent.)
- Before you decide to rent, carefully inspect
the rental unit with the landlord or the
landlord�s agent. Make sure that the unit
has been maintained well. Use the inventory
checklist as an inspection guide.
When you inspect the rental unit, look for
the following problems:
- Cracks or holes in the floor, walls, or
ceiling.
- Signs of leaking water or water damage in
the floor, walls, or ceiling.
- Signs of rust in water from the taps.
- Leaks in bathroom or kitchen fixtures.
- Lack of hot water.
- Inadequate lighting or insufficient electrical
outlets.
- Inadequate heating or air conditioning.
- Inadequate ventilation or offensive odors.
- Defects in electrical wiring and fixtures.
- Damaged flooring.
- Damaged furnishings (if it�s a furnished
unit).
- Signs of insects, vermin, or rodents.
- Accumulated dirt and debris.
- Inadequate trash and garbage receptacles.
- Chipping paint in older buildings. (Paint
chips sometimes contain lead, which can
cause lead poisoning if children eat them.
If the building was built before 1978, you
may want to read the booklet, "Protect Your
Family From Lead in Your Home," which is
available by calling 1-800-424-LEAD.)
- Signs of asbestos-containing materials in
older buildings, such as flaking ceiling
tiles, or crumbling pipe wrap or insulation.
(Asbestos particles can cause serious health
problems if they are inhaled.)
- Also, look at the exterior of the building
and any common areas, such as hallways and
courtyards. Does the building appear to
be well-maintained? Are the common areas
clean and well-kept?
- The quality of rental units can vary greatly.
You should understand the unit�s good points
and shortcomings, and consider them all
when deciding whether to rent, and whether
the rent is reasonable.
Ask the landlord who will be responsible
for paying for utilities (gas, electric,
water, and trash collection). You will probably
be responsible for some, and possibly all,
of them. Try to find out how much the previous
tenant paid for utilities. This will help
you be certain that you can afford the total
amount of the rent and utilities each month.
With increasing energy costs, it�s important
to consider whether the rental unit and
its appliances are energy efficient.If the rental unit is a house or duplex
with a yard, ask the landlord who will be
responsible for taking care of the yard.
If you will be, ask whether the landlord
will supply necessary equipment, such as
a lawn mower and a hose.
During this initial walk-through of the
rental unit, you will have the chance to
see how your potential landlord reacts to
your concerns about it. At the same time,
the landlord will learn how you handle potential
problems. You may not be able to reach agreement
on every point, or on any. Nonetheless,
how you get along will help both of you
decide whether you will become a tenant.If you find problems like the ones listed
above, discuss them with the landlord. If
the problems are ones that the law requires
the landlord to repair, find out when the
landlord intends to make the repairs. If
you agree to rent the unit, it�s a good
idea to get these promises in writing, including
the date by which the repairs will be completed.
If the landlord isn�t required by law to
make the repairs, you should still write
down a description of any problems if you
are going to rent the property. It�s a good
idea to ask the landlord to sign and date
the written description. Also, take photographs
or a video of the problems. Your signed,
written description and photographs or video
will document that the problems were there
when you moved in, and can help avoid disagreement
later about your responsibility for the
problems.Finally, it�s a good idea to walk or drive
around the neighborhood during the day and
again in the evening. Ask neighbors how
they like living in the area. If the rental
unit is in an apartment complex, ask some
of the tenants how they get along with the
landlord and the other tenants. If you are
concerned about safety, ask neighbors and
tenants if there have been any problems,
and whether they think that the area is
safe.
The landlord must notify all potential tenants
in writing if the landlord knows that the
rental unit is within one mile of a closed
military base in which ammunition or military
explosives were used.Before renting to you, most landlords will
ask you to fill out a written rental application
form. A rental application is different
from a rental agreement (see Rental Agreements
and Leases). The rental application is like
a job or credit application. The landlord
will use it to decide whether to rent to
you.
A rental application usually asks for the
following information:
- The names, addresses, and telephone numbers
of your current and past employers.
- The names, addresses, and telephone numbers
of your current and past landlords
- The names, addresses, and telephone numbers
of people whom you want to use as references.
- Your social security number.
- Your driver s license number.
- Your bank account numbers.
- Your credit account numbers for credit reference.
The application also may contain an authorization
for the landlord to obtain a copy of your
credit report , which will show the landlord
how you have handled your financial obligations
in the past.The landlord may ask you what kind of job
you have, your monthly income, and other
information that shows your ability to pay
the rent. It is illegal for the landlord
to ask you questions about your race, color,
national origin, ancestry, religion, sex,
sexual orientation, or age. It also is illegal
for the landlord to ask whether you have
persons under the age of 18 living in your
household, whether you are married, or whether
you have a disability (see Unlawful Discrimination).
The landlord may ask you about the number
of people who will be living in the rental
unit. In order to prevent overcrowding of
rental units, California has adopted the
Uniform Housing Code�s occupancy requirements,
and the basic legal standard is set out
in-+ However, the practical rule is this:
a landlord can establish reasonable standards
for the number of people per square feet
in a rental unit, but the landlord cannot
use overcrowding as a pretext for refusing
to rent to tenants with children if the
landlord would rent to the same number of
adults.The landlord or the landlord�s agent will
probably use your rental application to
check your credit history and past landlord-tenant
relations. The landlord may obtain your
credit report from a credit reporting agency
to help him or her decide whether to rent
to you. Credit reporting agencies (or "credit
bureaus") keep records of people�s credit
histories, called "credit reports." Credit
reports state whether a person has been
reported as being late in paying bills,
has been the subject of an unlawful detainer
lawsuit.
Other businesses, called tenant screening
services, collect and sell information on
tenants, such as whether they pay their
rent on time and whether they have been
the subject of an unlawful detainer lawsuit.The landlord may use this information to
make a final decision on whether to rent
to you. Generally, landlords prefer to rent
to people who have a history of paying their
rent and other bills on time.
A landlord usually doesn�t have to give
you a reason for refusing to rent to you.
However, if the decision is based partly
or entirely on negative information from
a credit reporting agency or a tenant screening
service, the law requires the landlord to
give you a written notice stating all of
the following:
- The decision was based partly or entirely
on information in the credit report; and
- The name, address, and telephone number
of the credit reporting agency; and
- A statement that you have the right to obtain
a free copy of the credit report from the credit reporting agency that prepared
it.
If the landlord refuses to rent to you based
on your credit report, it�s a good idea
to get a free copy of your credit report
and to correct any erroneous items of information
in it. Erroneous items of information in
your credit report may cause other landlords
to refuse to rent to you also.Also, if you know what your credit report
says, you may be able to explain any problems
when you fill out the rental application.
For example, if you know that your credit
report says that you never paid a bill,
you can provide a copy of the canceled check
to show the landlord that you did pay it.
When you submit a rental application, the
landlord may charge you an application screening
fee. The landlord may charge up to , and
may use the fee to cover the cost of obtaining
information about you, such as checking
your personal references and obtaining a
credit report on you.The application fee cannot legally be more
than the landlord�s actual out-of-pocket
costs, and can never be more than . The
landlord must give you a receipt that itemizes
his or her out-of-pocket expenses in obtaining
and processing the information about you.
The landlord must return any unused portion
of the fee (for example, if the landlord
does not check your references).
The landlord can�t charge you an application
screening fee when the landlord knows or
should know that there is no vacancy or
that there will be no vacancy within a reasonable
time. However, the landlord can charge an
application screening fee under these circumstances
if you agree in writing to pay for it.If the landlord obtains your credit report,
the landlord must give you a copy of the
report if you request it. As explained in
the section on Credit Checks, it�s a good
idea to get a copy of your credit report
from the landlord so that you know what�s
being reported about you.
Before you pay the application screening
fee, ask the landlord the following questions
about it:
- How long will it take the landlord to get
a copy of your credit report? How long will
it take the landlord to review the credit
report and decide whether to rent to you?
- Is the fee refundable if the credit check
takes too long and you re forced to rent
another place?
- If you already have a current copy of your
credit report, will the landlord accept
it and either reduce the fee or not charge
it at all?
If you don t like the landlord s policy
on application screening fees, you may want
to look for another rental unit. If you
decide to pay the application screening
fee, any agreement regarding a refund should
be in writing.Sometimes, the tenant and the landlord will
agree that the tenant will rent the unit,
but the tenant cannot move in immediately.
In this situation, the landlord may ask
the tenant for a holding deposit . A holding
deposit is a deposit to hold the rental
unit for a stated period of time until the
tenant pays the first month�s rent and any
security deposit. During this period, the
landlord agrees not to rent the unit to
anyone else. If the tenant changes his or
her mind about moving in, the landlord may
keep at least some of the holding deposit.
Ask the following questions before you pay
a holding deposit:
- Will the deposit be applied to the first
month�s rent? If so, ask the landlord for
a deposit receipt stating this. Applying
the deposit to the first month�s rent is
a common practice.
- Is any part of the holding deposit refundable
if you change your mind about renting? As
a general rule, if you change your mind,
the landlord can keep some - and perhaps
all - of your holding deposit. The amount
that the landlord can keep depends on the
costs that the landlord has incurred because
you changed your mind - for example, additional
advertising costs and lost rent.
You may also lose your deposit even if the
reason you can�t rent is not your fault
- for example, if you lose your job and
become unable to afford the rental unit.If you and the landlord agree that all or
part of the deposit will be refunded to
you in the event that you change your mind
or can�t move in, make sure that the written
receipt clearly states your agreement.
A holding deposit merely guarantees that
the landlord will not rent the unit to another
person for a stated period of time. The
holding deposit doesn�t give the tenant
the right to move into the rental unit.
The tenant must first pay the first month�s
rent and all other required deposits within
the holding period. Otherwise, the landlord
can rent the unit to another person and
keep all or part of the holding deposit.Suppose that the landlord rents to somebody
else during the period for which you�ve
paid a holding deposit, and you are still
willing and able to move in. The landlord
should, at a minimum, return the entire
holding deposit to you. You may also want
to talk with an attorney, legal aid organization,
tenant-landlord program, or housing clinic
about whether the landlord may be responsible
for other costs that you may incur because
of the loss of the rental unit.
If you give the landlord a holding deposit
when you submit the rental application,
but the landlord does not accept you as
a tenant, the landlord must return your
entire holding deposit to you. |