Finding an Apartment

What is right for you?

Click the arrow to continue.

Finding an apartment can be a chore and no one really tells you how to find one. Once you get out there and try to look for one, things can be very confusing.

Does this look familiar?

Don’t Panic!

This course will help you in finding what apartment is the right for you. Not every apartment is right and not every apartment will work for you, but with this, it will be easier for you to find one.

There are many different steps you should take before signing a lease for an apartment. These can be formed into three different groups

•Location•Problems•The Lease

If you want, you can skip to the quiz you can, but it would be wise to look over the instruction. You can come back if you want to this page later on.

Location

What areas to look for when finding a place for an apartment.

•School?•Work?•Population?

These three things are just a few of the things that you must considered when finding an apartment.

Back to selection

Do you want to be close to a school?

With being close to a school, the cost of the apartment is usually higher, but it is more convenient

Is being close to work that important?

If you are close to work, then maybe you can save money by walking to it. Depending on the location of your work, apartments could be cheaper.

Do you want a lot of people around you?

Sometimes if there are too many people near you, crime rate might be higher than normal.

Onto problems

Look for problemsAlways check for problems in an apartment.

There can be some that you don’t even think about that can hurt you in the long run.

•Damaged carpet•Broken appliances•Water stains

•Walls•Mold•Bugs

Does this look appealing to you?

Is this any better?

Look for signs that there is damage to the apartment and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

If there are problems, ask the owner about the history of the apartment and what happened before you got there. If you don’t find out problems before moving in, you might have to pay for them later on.

Contract Time!Back to selection

Read the Contract!

Be careful in what you are signing up for. There can be things that you might be signing up for that you might regret later on.

A contract, or lease, is an agreement between the apartment management and a tenant, that would be you, in written form. This states what you can or can not do and also has many different stipulations that you have to adhere to.

•Payment – You have to pay a set sum each month to live there. It can increase depending on the place.

•Pets – some places may not let you have them and if you don’t follow that rule, you can be evicted.

•Alterations – some places will not let you put holes in the walls to hang posters.

•Cosign – If you do not have enough money or credit, or even old enough, you may have to get someone else to sign the lease with you.

There will always be a contract for you to sign when you get an apartment. This is a huge deal if you have never done anything like it before.

•Read it thoroughly.•Go over it again.•Ask questions.This seems like a lot of rules for a reason.

The owners want to take care of their property and expect you to do the same.

Back to selection

Quiz time!

Quiz Time!

•The following questions will help you determine if you are ready for finding an apartment.

Last chance to go back

When finding a location, which is not important?

•Schools

•Work

•Entertainment

•Population

No, this was discussed earlier as a major component in looking for an apartment.

Go Back

Yes, entertainment should never be an option your first time out. Look for affordability and how close it is to work and school. Entertainment is a plus, not a necessity.

Continue.

What would happen if you don’t look for problems before signing a lease?

• You would have to pay for all the damages.

• You get to fix it yourself.

• You would be able to get away with the damages if nothing is mentioned.

At the end of your lease, the owners walk through the apartment to see what condition it is in and can charge you for any damages.

Go Back

Do not sign a lease thinking you can fix the problems. Apartment complexes frown on this and can kick you out.

Go Back

Yes, report it before signing a lease. The owners can fix it before you move in if you still want to live there.

Continue

If you signed a contract that said you couldn’t have pets but you wanted one, what would be the best decision?

•Talk to the owners to see if they will let you if you pay.

•Just get one anyway and try to hide it the best you can.

•Get one and then talk to the owners about having a pet.

This can cause a large fee or if the apartment complex doesn’t allow pets, you can be evicted.

Go Back

Close, but they can still charge you a bigger fee than normal and still evict you.

Go Back

Talk to the owners first before getting a pet, this can lead to the least amount of troubles in the future.

Continue

In the end

It is all up to you whether you want a place that is close to other people, away from major schools, or that cost a lot. Just remember these things about finding an apartment and you will have an easier time finding one that suits you.

Extras and Credits

Extras and CreditsThe Art of Manliness. • http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/04/13/how-t

o-find-your-first-apartment/Wikihow• http://www.wikihow.com/Find-an-ApartmentLifehacker• http://lifehacker.com/5338420/five-best-apartmen

t-search-toolsYoutube• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10znYVk3UA

A