By Aaron Swartz
Apartment hunting, while an important part of your future, can be an absolute pain. Between finding listings, visiting properties, and dealing with property managers, the whole process is convoluted and confusing. Even the straightforward parts, like deciding if you like a certain listing can be complicated by dishonest landlords or dangers you might not even be ready to spot. Luckily, there are a few basic rules to follow when apartment hunting that’ll help you steer clear of the worst of them. To help you with your search, here are our top five apartment red flags.
1. The place is in disrepair
Starting off with the easy ones, when you get the chance to tour a unit you should keep an eye on the upkeep of the place. How does the paint look? What’s the tile looking like in the bathroom? How are the light fixtures, electricals, and any furnishings doing? Any new replacements, or any cracks or chips in the paint? These are all important to look out for. “Why,” you might ask, “who cares about such tiny issues?” The answer is that your landlord should! A state of general disrepair means that your property manager is not invested in keeping the place clean and in good upkeep. That means if anything breaks or goes wrong it’ll be difficult to get fixed, which is not an issue you want to cope with when it’s 2 am and a toilet is vomiting water at you. If the place is well cared for that’s a great sign. If not, proceed with caution.
2. You can’t contact the property manager
The property manager of a unit is responsible for collecting rent, filling units, and — crucially — responding to requests for maintenance. Inevitably, something will break or go wrong in your home, whether it’s as minor as a loose stair or as major as a unit-wide power outage. If you’re unable to contact the property manager as an interested potential tenant, then it’s going to be even worse if you move in. Being able to contact your property manager is incredibly important, whether it’s because you need a rent extension or your house is flooding. Keep that in mind before signing a lease with someone you can’t even talk to consistently.
3. The price is too good to be true
Unfortunately, we’ve all been through this before, and when something seems too good to be true, it usually is. Whether it’s a lucrative sign-on bonus, a low monthly rent, or some other push for you to seal the deal, be wary. Why are they offering such cheap rent? There has to be a reason, and that reason is usually that there’s something unsavory about the listing. Maybe it’s a bad neighborhood, or the utilities are balky, or the landlord is going to try and fit something sneaky in your lease. Regardless, a price that’s too good to be true is a big red flag and means you should consider looking elsewhere for your next home.
4. Strange tours
This red flag can manifest in a lot of different ways, but they all add up to the same thing: something about the tour seems… off. Maybe the property manager will only have you tour during very specific times or is rushing you through the unit to get out quickly. Maybe you haven’t actually had the chance to tour, as every time you’re set to see the place ‘something comes up’ and you’re left visiting a similar — but not identical — apartment. These are all signs that the property manager is trying to hide something. Whether it’s annoying traffic during rush hour, the neighborhood being loud and full of parties at night, or the unit itself being a mess, if you can’t secure a tour without strange caveats, it’s a definite red flag that something’s off.
5. Blank spaces on the lease
Your lease is the most important document between yourself and your landlord. It sets out responsibilities, obligations, limitations, and other important details like how much money you have to pay for rent. Therefore, if your landlord wants you to sign a lease before it’s been fully written it shouldn’t just be a red flag — it should be a sign for you to pack your bags and run as far away as possible. An incomplete lease means your landlord can change things more or less however they want and you’ll still be contractually bound, which is a big no-no. Furthermore, if your landlord has made promises to you and they haven’t yet appeared on the lease, that’s another good sign that this whole thing is shady. Put simply: do NOT sign a lease that doesn’t have all the info on it; you will absolutely regret it.
And there you have it: five red flags you should absolutely be aware of while looking for an apartment. From missing managers to sketchy tours, you’re well-equipped to go out into the world and find the apartment of your dreams. Happy hunting!
Equal Housing Opportunity
