Renting An Apartment For The First Time? Here Are 5 Things To Know Before You Do

• Ayo AL
• February 2, 2018
• Living
• things to know before renting an apartment, tips to know before renting an apartment, what single ladies should know before renting an aparment
• 0 Comments

Are you tired of living at home with your folk and thinking of veering out on your own- getting an apartment and furnishing it? Well, that definitely is a good sign of growth but just before you make that move and starting house hunting, take note of the few tips below.

1. Tenancy Contracts

Though they tend to be long, confusing and full of legal jargon, it is important to avoid the temptation of just skipping to the end and signing it without reading. A tenancy contract is a legally binding document that mandates your landlord to do certain things that you definitely should be aware of to avoid being taken by shock.

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2. Safety and Appearance of the Neighbourhood

Many first-time renters often get carried away with the excitement of renting their first apartment and forget to assess the safety of the neighbourhood their renting the apartment in.

Please ensure you do not make this mistake. Landlords will hardly be truthful or sincere about the safety of the neighbourhood of their apartments, so you have to ask around and make necessary inquiries. You can talk to one or two people who live and work around the area to get information about what the area is really like.

3. Accessibility is important too

Try to get an apartment that has an easy or relatively easy access to public transportation, provision stores, medical facilities or anything else you consider important to your living situation. This will help make life in the new house easier for you.

4. Be sure there is no used electricity bill on your meter

Landlords are fond of passing on previous electricity bills to new and unsuspecting tenants. Ensure you are not a victim of this by taking a meter reading of the electricity meter when you come to inspect the house.

You can also request to see evidence that electricity bills have been paid to date and there are no outstanding bills left for you to shoulder. Please ensure you do this to avoid being charged by PHCN for electricity previous tenants used.

5. Know exactly what your rent covers

Aside monthly or yearly rent, there are other utility payments like electricity, water etc. that you have to consider. You need to be sure if certain utilities are covered by your rent and provided for or if you will have to either source for them or pay for them.