Renting An Apartment
For the
first few years after you arrive in the U.S., renting an apartment rather
than buying a home may be a better option. Renting offers greater flexibility
so that if you need to move in order to take another job you won't need
to go through the time-consuming process of selling your home. Renting
now will also let you take your time to choose where you want to settle
more permanently.
Renting
may be better for:
- those
with non-immigrant work visas, ie. H-1B workers and Corporate transferees
- those
in a lower income and tax bracket
- newcomers
unfamiliar with an area
To compare
the costs of buying and renting a home, here is a useful calculator:
http://www.webwinder.com/calculators/rentVsOwn.html
To
find an apartment, you may do several things:
- Look
for a rental agency in your city which has listings of available apartments.
Often you will need to apply for a set fee, $35-$50 in order to receive
regular listings from them.
- Search
in the classifieds section of your Sunday newspaper under "apartments
for rent". The larger newspapers usually feature separate listings
for furnished and unfurnished units.
- Visit
online services like Move.com, Apartments.com, ForRent.com & Craigslist.orgwhich let
you browse available apartments in large multi-unit complexes.
Before
the Appointment:
If possible,
survey the apartment property you might be interested in and its surrounding
neighborhood before making an appointment to make sure the unit looks
safe and presentable, and is in a good neighborhood. Make sure it is
close to transportation and shopping, especially if you have to use
public transportation. Check the terms of the lease - is it one year,
six months or month-to-month?
Once you
have narrowed down your choices, you can make an appointment to view
the apartment with the landlord, agent or representative by calling
the number of the appropriate contact.
Compile a personal and professional resume(cv)
to bring to the appointment, You may find yourself in a one-on-one situation
with the landlord or in a large group of competing tenants milling around
the apartment. In any case, dress appropriately (casual but neat dress)
and be ready to "sell" yourself in a competitive market.
Things
to bring to the appointment:
- a professional
resume
- a personal
resume containing:
!
Be on time for your appointment, and call ahead if you need to cancel.
In general in the U.S. it is better to call than to simply miss an appointment.
How
to Inspect the Apartment:
Compile
a mental or written list of problems you see need fixing.
Here is
a preliminary checklist:
- Check
that the plumbing works properly in both the kitchen and the bathroom.
try all the faucets and the toilet to check for problems like low
water pressure.
- Note
any strange or objectionable smells - animal urine, for example, may
be quite difficult to erase from a carpet
- Stains
in the carpet and the walls
- Peeling
or chipping paint
- Bugs
around and under the sink areas
- Make
sure the blinds work properly
- Are
the hallway and entrance lit properly for safety?
How secure is the building? Many apartments have buzzers or doormen
for security.
- If you
own a car: Is there enough parking nearby? In some cities like San
Francisco, it is nearly impossible to park on the street.
After going
through your checklist, if you decide you still want the apartment but
want to negotiate any repairs, you may give the landlord a list of things
you would like to have fixed.
If the
apartment market is very tight, you may want to hold off on certain
items until later in order to increase your chances of getting the apartment.
Even in this type of market, make sure you look at least two or three
different apartments before settling on one that's less than ideal.
Before
you sign a lease, make sure you have a signed acknowledgement by the
landlord of existing problems with the apartment so you don't end up
paying for repairs you did not cause.
!
"Go with your gut" - it is better to forgo an apartment if
you have an inkling the landlord might be disagreeable. This may end
up costing you money, time and possible legal battles down the line,
Use your gut to weed out future problems.
The
Security Deposit:
Many landlords
ask for both first month's and last month's rent and a security deposit
to cover any minor damages or cleaning costs that you might incur. This
is to insure them against tenants "skipping out" before finishing
their lease.
The amount
of the security deposit should be no more than one or two months' rent.
Most states (including Florida, Texas and New York) have no legal maximum,
but a few, like California, do - two months rent (waterbeds are more).
Maximums allowed under the law may be found in individual state statutes,
found at nolo.com's online legal encyclopedia: http://www.nolo.com/encyclopedia/articles/lt/lt1.html
>> Info on how to get your security deposit back (Nolo Press)
Your
Tenant Rights:
After you
finish your lease you are entitled to receive your security
deposit back along with the interest made from the deposit in a
timely fashion, usually within two to four weeks.
Deadlines for All 50 States: http://nolo.com/encyclopedia/articles/lt/deadlines.html
Useful
Books and Links:
Tenant Legal Rights Kit:
http://www.qualitybooks.com/tenant.htm
Every Tenant's
Legal Guide: http://www.nolo.com/product/EVTEN/summary_EVTEN.html?t=01750MPTB03202000
Landlord and Tenant Page, Nolo Press: http://www.nolo.com/category/lt_home.html
Rent
Control:
If you
have a six-month or a year lease, the landlord may not raise your rent
unless it is specified in the lease. If you have a month-to-month lease,
the landlord may raise the rent as long as you are given at least 30
days' written notice.
Some
states - California, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey
and New York - have rent control statutes limiting rent increases. Check
your local rent stabilization board or city hall clerk to find a copy
of your city's statute.
New
York Rent Stabilization Laws: http://www.tenant.net/Rent_Laws/
Rent guidelines (how much can rent increase?): http://www.housingnyc.com/
New
York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal:
http://dhcr.state.ny.us/
The Tenant
Resource Directory (Useful info for tenants and landlords in California
cities):
http://directory.tenantsunion.org/california.html
HUD California guide:
http://www.hud.gov/local/ca/renting/tenantrights.cfm