What to check before renting an apartment: from the announcement to the intricacies of the contract

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

A very important guide for anyone looking for a rental property.

Stage 1. Search for an apartment

If you choose an apartment yourself

When looking for an apartment through a specialized ad site or a group on social networks, you run the risk of facing scammers. In order not to fall for their tricks, you need to pay attention to several important points.

1. Average cost of renting an apartment according to your criteria

Too "sweet" ads are often fake. Spacious studio with modern renovation in the very center of the city a minute walk from the metro and for a penny? A very dubious proposal.

2. Request to transfer the prepayment to the card

This point often follows from the previous one. You call on the ad you like, they tell you that there are a lot of people who want to, and then they ask you to transfer at least a few thousand so that the apartment remains with you. Don't be fooled by this: you just spoke to a scammer.

Never transfer money to strangers as a deposit without a personal meeting.

3. The authenticity of the photos of the apartment

To make sure the information from the ad is correct, check the photographs of the apartment for authenticity. This can be done, for example, through.

If one and the same apartment is posted on several rental sites, it's not a big deal. Another thing is when the photos are walking on the Internet, and the description, the address of the apartment and the contact person change dramatically from time to time.

4. Lack of photos of the apartment

Ads without photos look odd to say the least. In most cases, this means that something is wrong with the apartment, or that such living space does not exist at all.

5. Frequency of ad placement

It happens that the same apartment rental ad appears and disappears with enviable frequency. Two weeks ago, the apartment was rented, then it was rented, and a month later it again hangs in the current one. And so in a circle.

Of course, it may not be about the owner, but about the tenants. Well, a person has no luck for tenants, and that's it. Nevertheless, the often flashing ads are alarming.

6. Contact person

Who deals with the issue of renting an apartment? The owner himself or the realtor? If you do not want to pay a commission equal to half or even the entire amount of the monthly payment, then ads from realtors are not suitable for you.

If you contact a realtor

Realtors can make your life easier and help you find your dream apartment. Or they can be pretty nerve-racking, emptying your wallet, or wasting your time. Here's when to watch out.

1. The realtor cannot name the company of which he is now or where he worked before

If the realtor claims to be on the staff of the agency, you can contact the company directly and clarify this.

If the realtor is a private entrepreneur, in any case, he must tell you at least a few companies in which he worked before. If you have difficulty with this, you may be in front of a scammer.

2. The realtor is not interested in who and in what composition will live in the apartment

Almost every owner at least roughly represents who he sees as a tenant, and notifies the realtor about this. If during a conversation you are not asked about the number of tenants, the presence of animals and constant work, this is a bell.

3. The realtor is not an expert in his field

It is difficult to imagine that a realtor does not know how to write a receipt for receiving money or fill out a rental agreement. And if you still do not know, then this is not a realtor.

4. You are asked to pay the commission before signing the contract

The realtor receives a commission only after the conclusion of the transaction. If you are required to pay in advance, do not give in and do not transfer funds.

5. The realtor only deals with one apartment

Usually a realtor has several objects in work. It is suspicious when a specialist devotes all his time to only one apartment. Try typing your phone number into your browser's search bar and see how many ads they give you.

6. The realtor introduces himself as an employee of the news agency

You are offered to drive up to the office, conclude an agreement and get access to the owner database after paying the commission.

The realtor will not go with you to inspect the apartment and meet with the owner, but if it works out to someone from the received database, then after a preliminary agreement on the meeting, the landlord will cancel everything at the last moment.

In this case, you will not be able to return the money, because you signed an agreement on the provision of information services. To get justice, you can go to lawyers and try to file an application in court. However, no one can guarantee you a successful outcome. Therefore, carefully study all the documents on which you put your signature.

Stage 2. First contact with the owner

You have chosen the ideal, in your opinion, option and are happy to call the owner to make an appointment. First, find out if you are really speaking with the owner and not with the realtor or anyone else. Even if the ad stated that the apartment is rented directly.

Ask the landlord a few questions. For example, where the windows of the apartment go or what floor it is on.

If the person hesitated, he may be trying to deceive you. The owner will answer such questions without delay.

If you feel that everything is in order, go through the information indicated in the ad: specify the cost, the need for a deposit and payment of the last month. Find out for how long the apartment is to be rented, whether it is really 10 minutes to go to the metro, not 30. In general, talk about all the nuances that are important to you.

Stage 3. Inspection of housing

1. Rate the entrance. His condition can say a lot about the tenants of the house - your potential neighbors.
2. Try to look at your neighbors and ask who lived in the apartment before you. It is advisable to do this together with the owner: if the tenants of the neighboring apartments are not newcomers, then they will recognize your landlord, and you will once again make sure that he is the owner.
3. Take a close look at the bathroom, especially the plumbing. If the tap is leaking, you should point it out to the owner right away.
4. Check the condition of the furniture and assess its wear.
5. Pay attention to the location of the outlets. You may need to rearrange the furniture.
6. If you are allergic to animals, check if the previous residents have had a cat or dog.
7. Do not be lazy to include all the appliances and household appliances that you plan to use.
8. Check all the switches in the apartment.
9. Ask about internet availability.
10. Check the locks so that you do not have to wait under the door until you are allowed inside. If there are several locks, and the key is given to you only from one, find out the reason. The owner can say that the lock has been broken for a long time and has not been used. You must insist on replacement or repair and ask for a complete set of keys.
11. Make sure the seals on the meters are intact.
12. Check the condition of the balcony doors and windows if you don't want to freeze in winter.
13. Appreciate the soundproofing throughout the apartment.

If none of the above in the apartment bothers you, you can proceed to drawing up a contract.

Stage 4. Conclusion of the contract

What documents of the owner need to be checked

If the apartment has one owner

When concluding a lease, ask the landlord to show you:

• passport;
• certificate of ownership or an extract from the USRN.

You need to make sure that the apartment belongs to the person who introduced himself as the owner of the apartment.

Arthur Ustimov Founder and CEO of the Arendatika rental management service

One of the most common types of fraud on the market is renting someone else's apartment. Housing can be rented out by a "friend" of the owner of the apartment, who settled in it for just a couple of days.

If you have not checked the documents for the property, then you risk not only losing money, but also being left on the street.

If there are several owners

In addition to a passport and a certificate of ownership, you need to obtain written consent to rent out the apartment from all owners, as well as from those who are registered in the apartment.

If a distant relative is registered in the apartment, he can come to the apartment you rented and stay in it. In this case, the lease will be valid, but no one can forbid a person registered in the apartment to live in it.

Arthur Ustimov Founder and CEO of the Arendatika rental management service

If the apartment is owned by the spouses

Ivaschenko Srbuhi Sargisovna Leading Lawyer of the European Legal Service

First you need to figure out whether the apartment is in joint or shared ownership.

For insurance, you can find out about the presence of a marriage contract and familiarize yourself with its terms. If the apartment belongs to one of the spouses, then the consent of the other is not required. If in joint ownership, it will be necessary to enlist the consent of each owner.

What to look for when drawing up a contract

A rental agreement is a document that will help you avoid unnecessary conflicts, so it is very important to take a responsible approach to its preparation. The life hacker has already told you how to do this correctly, so we will dwell only on the most important points.

Mandatory data

• The subject of the contract is an apartment. You must indicate the full address, area and number of rooms.
• The parties to the contract are the owner of the home (or his representative by a notarized power of attorney) and the tenant.
• Passport data and information about the place of registration - both the owner of the apartment and the tenant.

The term of the contract and the procedure for payment

Indicate the terms of the contract and the period in which you are required to pay the rent. Pay attention to the sanctions for violation of the order of payment. For example, you may have a weekly period to pay off debt, after which the owner has every right to evict you from the apartment.

The fact of payment must be recorded: when paying in cash, ask for a receipt from the owner, and when transferring to a card, ask for a bank statement.

The purpose of the payment must contain a link to your agreement. For example: payment under the employment agreement No. 1 dated January 1, 2018 for June 2018.

In addition, the contract must contain the amount that you transferred to the owner upon check-in. This can be a payment for the first and last month of residence, as well as an insurance deposit - a guarantee that if the tenant damages the property, the owner of the apartment will receive material compensation.

The owner can withhold the entire amount or part of the security deposit, depending on the extent of the damage caused. If, when inspecting the apartment, everything is in order, the insurance deposit is returned in full to the tenant. The amount of the deposit that is comfortable for each party is negotiated at the conclusion of the contract.

Eviction procedure

Particular attention should be paid to the rules of eviction from the apartment. They should be comfortable for each side.

Sometimes the contracts indicate that the tenant is given only a couple of days to move out and search for a new apartment. And some lease agreements even provide for fines for the lessee's living less than a certain period.

Arthur Ustimov Founder and CEO of the Arendatika rental management service

Owner visit frequency

Frequent surprise visits from the owner bring little joy. However, you cannot forbid him to visit your own apartment. Discuss the frequency of visits that are comfortable for both of you, stipulate how long the owner should warn you, and record the agreements in the document.

Communication channels

In the contract, you must specify the e-mail addresses or phone numbers of both parties - depending on the selected communication channel. Better both, to be sure.

Do not delete the correspondence with the landlord in order to refer to it in case of disagreement.

Inventory of valuables and meter readings

In the act of acceptance and transfer of the apartment, which is attached to the contract, you need to include an inventory of valuable things. If you made a security deposit upon arrival, there is a risk of not getting it back. You have to check the whole apartment. And the more careful, the better. You already know what points to focus on when examining an apartment.

It will be safest to take photographs of all the defects found so that they will not be attributed to you when you leave. And photos can be printed and attached to the act.

Without fail, the act must contain the readings of individual water and electricity meters at the time of check-in.

Renovation and planned changes in the apartment

Make a list of the changes that you plan to make to the interior, as well as the equipment or furniture that you are going to purchase. Agree on the maximum amount and decide how the payment will take place: only by the owner, by your own, or 50/50.

It is recommended to prescribe the terms of inseparable and separable improvements in the contract in advance or draw up an additional agreement later. At the same time, it is advisable to make a reservation in the contract that things are returned to the owner, taking into account natural wear and tear.

Arthur Ustimov Founder and CEO of the Arendatika rental management service

Indicate in the contract who pays for the breakdown of household appliances. Unfortunately, during the initial inspection, you will not be able to be 100% sure that the devices are in perfect working order, and it can be difficult to prove that the breakdown was due to normal wear and tear, and not due to improper operation.

If you notice that the device is breathing on fire, indicate this to the owner and make an inspection together, and then fix the agreement in the document. Otherwise, if a breakdown does happen, you may need the expertise of a professional to prove that you were not involved in the malfunction.

Living in the apartment

Do not forget to indicate in the contract those who will live with you in the apartment. Also let us know if you have any pets. You should not lie about such things: with a great probability, you will be caught in a lie, and the consequences will be very sad.

When is it worth canceling the lease

The most alarming signal is the refusal to submit title deeds. Chances are good that the apartment is not all right.

An apartment, the owner of which is too worried about his property, may also be problematic. Such owners may come to you too often to check the safety of their property, which, of course, will cause you discomfort.

Arthur Ustimov Founder and CEO of the Arendatika rental management service

It is worth paying attention to the behavior of the owner. Excessive nervousness is alarming, as is the unreasonable rush to conclude a contract. If you are asked to sign documents as soon as possible, do not allow you to check the serviceability of household appliances and fix defects, then this is another bell.

Take your time, study the contract thoughtfully, ask questions and discuss problematic points. Check whatever is necessary. It is important for you that it is comfortable to live in the apartment, and all difficulties are minimized. The owner wants his living space to remain in proper condition, and also does not want to be a participant in regular conflicts. You evaluate each other - that's okay. And in this case, it is correct to set aside enough time for the process of paperwork and inspection of the apartment.