For all you collegiettes who have decided to move off campus, I’m sure you’ve found that all rental companies are not created equal. Believe it or not, it’s almost that time of year again to start thinking about whether you’ll renew your existing lease, or finding a place to sign a new one. I made the move from a corporation-run high-rise, to a small, independent leasing company, and find myself regretting it every time I get home. While having a whole house to yourself and your friends is great, there are also a slew of things you never thought you’d have to consider, like simple repairs, potentially dangerous gas leaks and paying several monthly bills. Once you’ve signed your lease, the company already has what they want from you, and are therefore less likely to be able to get them to make simple fixes, especially if you have a lot of them. Be sure to continue to be proactive and know your rights as a tenant, but also take the following steps to sign a worry-free lease.
- Check the company’s reputation out
Not all leasing companies are created equal. Do your research! Ask around, and check out online sites like Yelp or Angie’s List to help you to determine whether or not you’d be comfortable renting from that company.
- Determine what needs to be fixed before signing
If you’re moving into a house that needs a lot of repairs like we did, make sure that you lay out what you expect to be fixed before you move in. Check out previous inspection reports (all available on E-Trak It from the a2.gov site) and make sure that if the house has failed inspection, at least all the life safety issues are taken care of before moving in.
- Don’t expect them to fix all the little things
Things like paint colors, windows that are stuck and cleaning that needs to be done are things that can be fixed by you and your roommates. If you want these things to be completed in a timely manner, you are probably better off fixing and cleaning yourself than waiting for a maintenance crew to come in when most companies have so many properties that need to be attended to.
- After signing, know your rights and be proactive
If things need to be repaired, and nothing is being done, be proactive and go to Student Legal Services. Sometimes, companies will not pay attention to the needs of students, writing them off as kids, and will expect you and your roommates to live in very poor conditions. If your landlord is refusing to fix things or take you seriously, getting help from Student Legal might be a good first step in taking action to fixing up your home and having your company take you seriously as clients.