Apartment Hunting Deal-Breakers

By Alyssa Laffitte on May 28, 2020

When apartment hunting, you will likely check out many apartments. But before you sign a lease, you should take some time to think about what things you absolutely must have in your future apartment, and what things are deal-breakers. This will help you narrow down your apartment hunting journey. In this article, we’ll discuss deal breakers when apartment hunting.

Image via Isorepublic.com

The building is not clean

An unkempt building is a sign of carelessness. If they don’t care enough to keep their own building clean and presentable, how are they going to take care of you as a renter? To tell if a building is kept clean, look for signs like mold or mildew on the floors or walls, cobwebs on the corners, dust on surfaces (especially on window blinds), dirty baseboards, and anything broken. Of course, you should take special attention to signs of a bug infestation. For bugs you can’t see, like bedbugs, you should ask someone who works in the building. These are all indicators of a dirty building. For this reason, if you encounter a dirty building when apartment hunting, it’s a deal-breaker.

The building is not safe

Safety is the most important factor to consider when apartment hunting. If the apartment building you are considering is not safe, it’s a deal-breaker. A safe apartment building will have extras like a doorman, a security camera, an intercom, and a front door that locks (even if it is open during the day while the doorman is there, as long as it’s locked at night). It’s also good for the building to have a brightly lit exterior, as this discourages anyone from breaking in. You could even ask the staff of the building what measures they take to secure the place since it might not be obvious from the get-go. Don’t be afraid to bring up specifics! Clearly, the apartment you rent must be in a safe building. If the building is not safe, it’s a deal-breaker when apartment hunting.

The building is in a high-crime neighborhood

Continuing on the topic of safety, an apartment in a high-crime neighborhood is also a deal-breaker when apartment hunting. You don’t want to live in an area where there are many break-ins, thefts, or other types of crime. You want to live in a place where you’ll feel safe walking home. To find this kind of information, you can do a quick online search for the crime statistics in the neighborhood. These statistics are usually available on the city’s police department website, but it’s good to find other sources as well. Look up this information, and use it to help you decide whether or not it’s a safe place to live. A high-crime neighborhood is a deal-breaker when you’re apartment hunting.

The building is not well insulated

If you are apartment hunting in an area that deals with cold weather, a building that is not well insulated is a deal-breaker. A building that is not well insulated will not retain heat during the winter, meaning your apartment will always be cold. No one wants to come back to a cold apartment after walking outside in freezing temperatures! In the same way, the insulation will keep your apartment cool in the summer. It is important if you are in a high rise building since higher buildings tend to get hotter in the summer. This is why it’s critical to opt for an insulated building. Because insulation is not something you can see during a quick apartment tour, you should ask someone who works for the apartment building. An apartment building’s insulation can definitely be a deal-breaker.

The apartment is not well maintained

Just as a dirty building is a deal-breaker, so is a poorly maintained building. Again, a poorly maintained building is a sign of a manager that doesn’t care about the building. If you decide to go for one of those apartments, make sure the issue is fixed before you sign the lease. You don’t want to deal with the issue during your move in. Clearly, an apartment building and unit that is not well maintained is a deal-breaker when apartment hunting.

The apartment does not have enough electrical outlets

Since we use lots of technology nowadays, it’s important to have many electrical outlets throughout the unit. As you walk through the unit or take a virtual tour, count the number of outlets. Be sure the outlets are also in convenient places. For example, there should be at least one outlet for your TV or entertainment center, where your desk should be, next to where your bed should be, in the kitchen, and in the bathroom. This way, you will be able to use your technology, charge your phone or computer, watch TV, keep your Internet and cable boxes up, use kitchen appliances, and hair heat tools. In other words, the number of electrical outlets in a unit can be a deal-breaker if it’s too low.

The apartment is too small to fit normal furniture

You will want to be able to be comfortable in your apartment, and you will also want it to be aesthetically pleasing. This will require normal-sized furniture, not smaller furniture. For example, you will want to be able to fit a full-sized bed in the bedroom, a full-sized couch in the living room, and a full-sized table in the kitchen/dining room. You don’t want to force yourself to eat at the couch for every meal or sleep in a twin-sized bed. For that reason, you need to make sure the apartment is big enough to fit full-sized furniture. Take a measuring tape to measure the rooms, as this will help you decide if you will be able to fit all your furniture in the apartment. An apartment that is too small is a deal-breaker when apartment hunting.

Something does not work in the apartment

As I have said before, an apartment with broken appliances means that the manager or previous tenant was not careful, and it could be a deal-breaker. Before you sign a lease, you should make sure things in the apartment work. For example, check on things like the AC/heating system to see if you can feel it cooling and heating. Check on the kitchen appliances like the oven, stove, and refrigerator. Check on the electrical outlets (I did not do this when I moved into my apartment. Turns out, an outlet was broken!). Finally, check on the plumbing, like the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, toilet, and shower. Although any of these things are fixable if they don’t work, it’s a bad sign. It will save you a lot of headaches if you do this quick check. If something doesn’t work in the apartment, it could be a deal-breaker.

The apartment comes with a bad landlord or property manager

Throughout your time in the apartment, you will need to deal with the landlord or property manager fairly often. You will need a landlord who is understanding, responsive, and reliable. You should be able to trust that your landlord will quickly send someone to help if something goes wrong at your apartment. For this reason, a bad landlord is a deal-breaker. To learn more about your potential future landlord, you can ask other tenants about their experience. This will help you get a better sense of how the landlord and tenants interact. If you hear bad things, that’s your sign to opt for a different apartment. Again, a bad landlord or property manager is a deal-breaker when apartment hunting.

The apartment is unfairly priced

When apartment hunting, it’s crucial that you pay attention to the price of each apartment you look at. This way, you will get a sense of what a fair price is for the type of apartment you want. You could also look at apartment rental websites to figure this out. If an apartment is not priced fairly, that could be a sign that something else is going on. For example, if an apartment is priced significantly less than the fair market value, it might be too good to be true. There is likely something going on there that you don’t know about. At the same time, you don’t want to go for something significantly higher than the fair market value. This is why an apartment that’s not priced at the fair market value is a deal-breaker.

The apartment has no parking spaces

When apartment hunting, you need to consider your transportation needs. If you have a car, the parking situation can be a deal-breaker. Specifically, you need to consider where you will park your car. Different buildings will have different parking situations. Apartment buildings in bigger cities might not even offer street parking. However, other buildings might have their own off-street parking lot or street parking. (Keep in mind that the off-street parking lot they advertise could be a block or two away from the actual building.) Be sure you are comfortable with parallel parking if you opt for an apartment that only offers street parking. It would be a good idea to ask if a parking spot is assigned and if it comes with an additional charge since most places charge for parking. If you have a car, an apartment building with no parking spaces is definitely a deal-breaker.

The apartment does not allow pets

If you have a pet, you must keep them in mind as you are apartment hunting. You will need to find a place that’s pet friendly. Check on the building’s website to see if there is any information on pets. If you can’t find the information online, ask a person who works in the building. Some places will only allow cats, other places will only allow dogs or cats below a certain weight. Also, make sure the apartment has a courtyard or park nearby for you to walk your dog since you don’t want to keep them cooped up in a tiny apartment. Clearly, this will be an important factor in deciding where to live. If an apartment building will not welcome your pet, it’s a deal-breaker.

Image via Isorepublic.com

Not total deal-breakers, but things to be aware of

There are some things that might not be total deal-breakers like the things I mentioned earlier. Still, you should be aware of them before you decide where you will be living.

Dishwasher in the unit

A dishwasher is a big convenience nowadays, but unfortunately, not all apartments have them. Older apartments are less likely to have dishwashers in them. For some people, it’s important to have a dishwasher. For others, it’s not so important. The dishwasher is something you should ask about (or check for when you tour the apartment) before signing the lease. If it’s important to you, not having it could be a deal-breaker.

Laundry situation

It’s important to know what the laundry situation is. Do you have a washer and dryer in your unit? Is there a communal laundry room in the basement of the building? Or is there no laundry, meaning you need to go to a laundromat? (If so, is there a laundromat nearby?) Knowing this allows you to be prepared to use a communal laundry room or head to a laundromat if necessary. You definitely don’t want to be surprised about the laundry situation. For some people, having to go to a laundromat would be a deal-breaker.

Elevator in the building

Elevators are necessary for some people, especially if the apartment is in a high rise building. It’s worth asking someone who works in the building if it has an elevator. If you need an elevator or if your apartment will be on a high floor, not having an elevator could be a deal-breaker when apartment hunting.

Clearly, you have many options when apartment hunting. You can narrow down these options by making a list of must-haves and deal-breakers.

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