5 Things to Look for When Moving into an Apartment Complex

Television shows set in the Big Apple like Sex And The City, Seinfeld, and Friends make city apartment living appear easy-going and luxurious. These shows rarely depict the problems with apartments like bugs, noisy neighbors, narrow stairwells, mysteriously missing packages, or other issues encountered with apartment living that weren’t obvious when looking to move into an apartment complex.

Regardless of how luxurious an apartment complex looks, there is a checklist of things that you should inspect and look for before signing a lease. If there is a cost for having a pet, do you have to paint, if all the appliances work, and more? Most inspection tips are obvious, but the top five things you should look for when apartment hunting are:

Parking situation

A parking lot says a lot about an apartment complex. It speaks to how full or empty the complex is, how well the complex is maintained, and how to secure the community is. However, there is no way to know what you need to know by visiting the complex one time.

Before signing a lease, you want to check out the parking lots multiple times of the day and night. Some complexes have parking rules, one spot per apartment, while others have a price for premium parking or garage spaces. Make sure that the complexes you are considering suit your parking needs.

Which floor is for you

If you have children and decide to rent a basement apartment, your thoughtfulness means neighbors won’t hear your children walking (or running) above them all day. That also means that you won’t have to lug groceries or furniture up flights of stairs or worry about the slow child catching up.

However, the basement apartment is not without issues. If the neighbor above you has a pipe burst or any flooding, the chances are that your apartment will take in water.

Deciding which floor is best for you is based on your preferences and personal situation. Remember that all floors have issues. The middle has neighbors above and below. The top is more expensive but is harder to cool.

Ask about bugs and rodents

If you ask a leasing office about bugs, rodents, and bedbugs, they must be honest with you. These bugs can live in cabinets and carpet and be in your apartment waiting for you as a new roommate.

If they tell you that they have had recent problems with any, ask what measures they took to get rid of them. There should be exterminators and other reports or accounting for how far their efforts were to get rid of them.

Has there been recent construction or work?

An apartment complex with the comfort and safety of its tenants in mind has security measures in place, amenities for its tenants, and is well maintained. They are working to make their apartments home for those who rent them.

When looking, find out what work was recently completed on your building. You want to ensure that your comfort is considered when using companies that specialize in construction such as commercial roofing Brooklyn or installing ramps or sidewalks around the complex.

You also want to know what work responsive management has planned for the near future around the apartment complex.

Is there an extra cost for amenities?

The beauty of many apartment complexes is that they have amenities such as pools, a gym, or a clubhouse. However, how sad to try to use one of those amenities only to find out that you cannot, without paying a fee in addition to your rent.

Find out how complex amenities will benefit you and your family before signing the lease. Also, figure out if any costs are broken down and added to your monthly rent or paid one time yearly and if you will get guests passes along with your pass.

Regardless of how luxurious an apartment complex looks, there is a checklist of things that you should inspect and look for before signing a lease. Although the checklist can get long, the top five things to check for are the parking situation, which floor you will live on, rodents or bugs, recent construction, and which amenities are available. Knowing these things will ensure that you and your new apartment are a good fit.